Quiet rural escapes in Portugal off the beaten path.
Less-touristed rural getaways in Portugal, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Faja Grande
The westernmost settlement in Europe, this modest Azorean hamlet on the western coast of Flores island sits directly at the water with mountain terrain close…
Campo de Besteiros
Compact Portuguese village in the Tondela municipality, Campo de Besteiros spreads across a valley floor backed by forested hills, with red-tile rooftops, a…
Ribeira Quente
A compact coastal village on São Miguel island in the Azores, Ribeira Quente sits where a river meets the Atlantic, with a fishing harbour and a compact beac…
Santo Antao
This pocket-sized civil parish on the eastern tip of São Jorge island in the Azores stretches from the northern to the southern coast, with shoreline on both…
Penedono
A compact granite village in Portugal's Douro uplands, Penedono is dominated by a well-preserved medieval castle with battlemented towers rising above a cobb…
Poco do Canto
A small parish in Portugal's Mêda municipality, set in wine-growing country with vineyards nearby and close to mountains.
Cabanas de Viriato
A white baroque church rises above citrus orchards and green meadows in this quiet Portuguese village in the Dão-Lafões hills, set within a wider region rich…
Rosais
This little village on the western tip of São Jorge island in the Azores, Rosais sits above dramatic coastal cliffs, with the ruined Rosais Lighthouse at Pon…
Arco de Sao Jorge
Small wine-growing hamlet on Madeira's north coast, Arco de São Jorge sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains to the south.
Marmelete
A compact Algarve village of whitewashed houses with terracotta rooftops set among orchards and scrubland, backed by forested hills, offering a quiet rural c…
Ervedosa do Douro
A compact village in the Douro wine country of northern Portugal, Ervedosa do Douro sits within the municipality of São João da Pesqueira, directly on the ri…
Sao Mamede
This modest Portuguese village in the Batalha municipality, where a whitewashed baroque church with a stone-trimmed façade and bell tower anchors a tradition…
Atouguia
Small white-church village of orange-roofed houses spread across forested hill country in central Portugal, sitting within easy reach of the wider Ourém regi…
Avo
A small Portuguese village in the Coimbra region where granite mill buildings line a clear river, orange-roofed stone houses climb the wooded hillside above,…
Quintela
This tiny Portuguese hamlet in upland Beira country, where a broad cobblestone square fronts a baroque granite chapel and a long stone arcade leading through…
Sao Marcos da Serra
A pocket-sized village in the Algarve's inland mountain terrain, São Marcos da Serra sits within the municipality of Silves and lends its name to the São Mar…
Carapito
A compact granite-country hamlet in Portugal's Guarda District, set among pine-forested hills and open farmland, with a notable prehistoric dolmen drawing vi…
Vale de Figueira
A Ribatejo village in the municipality of Santarém where the river Alviela meets the Tagus, Vale de Figueira sits within the Lezíria meadowlands and is known…
Sermonde
A pocket-sized Portuguese village in the Vila Nova de Gaia municipality, Sermonde centres on a whitewashed baroque-style church fronted by a neat tree-lined…
Arranho
Pocket-sized Portuguese village in the Oeste wine country, where whitewashed buildings with terracotta rooflines and wrought-iron balconies line quiet street…
Freixo de Numao
A pocket-sized wine-country village in the Douro region of northern Portugal, Freixo de Numão sits within the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, close to…
Caxarias
This small village in the municipality of Ourém, Portugal, sits close to water and vineyards, with a handful of cafés and restaurants that punch above its size.
Olhalvo
A small Portuguese village in the Alenquer wine region, Olhalvo centres on a traditional square with an ornate bandstand, whitewashed church tower, and paris…
Castelo Branco
This modest coastal village on Faial island in the Azores, where green terraced farmland drops sharply to dramatic Atlantic cliffs, a rocky offshore islet pu…
Norte Pequeno
This small coastal parish on the northern shore of São Jorge island in the Portuguese Azores, Norte Pequeno sits directly on the water with mountains close b…
Belazaima do Chao
This small Portuguese village in the Águeda municipality, Belazaima do Chão sits close to the water and upland country, with several historic churches worth…
Fontelo
A small Portuguese village in the Douro wine country, Fontelo sits close to the water amid hilly terrain, with a notable concentration of churches and easy a…
Alburitel
A compact Portuguese village where hill country meets the water's edge, with several UNESCO World Heritage sites within reach across the wider region.