The Portuguese Tourist Board have instituted a ‘Clean & Safe’ label for tourism companies. These stamps of approval are only awarded to businesses who provide anything from activities to accommodation and have demonstrated that they are compliant with hygiene and cleaning requirements set out by the health authorities in Portugal. For your own assurances, you can read more about the scheme here. The tourism board in Portugal also has pages that have more specific information and FAQs about regulations and measures for travelling to Portugal and health advice while in Portugal as a visitor.

Identity and Culture:
Archaeology of Sharjah (UAE)
Until the end of 2020
Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, Lisbon

A temporary exhibit that runs through the human occupation from Prehistory to contemporary times in the territory of Sharjah, a part of the Arabian Peninsula – including the arrival of Portuguese explorers in the Arabian peninsular during the 17th century. On display are over 170 objects.

Click on the black triangle, then once the application has loaded click on the square icon in the bottom right and explore this exhibition on your desktop or mobile device. Although explanatory texts are included in the application itself (click on the yellow dots), you can also read the text panels used in the exhibition.

Interactive Map of Portugal

With over 400 individual sites and museums pinpointed on our interactive map, you are able to decide and plan in advance what you want to see when you visit Portugal, or discover what other sites and museums are near you when you are in Portugal (as long as you have access to the internet). Sites included range from Stone Age to Medieval castles.
Go to the Interactive Map >>

Prehistoric Rock Art in Portugal

The Côa Valley has an extraordinary collection of rock art sites, discovered during construction for a dam. Ranging in date from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, the images are engraved onto rock surfaces that were rubbed smooth by glaciers. There is more Stone Age rock art to see at Escoural Cave in the Alentejo region of Portugal.
Guide to Rock Art Around the World >>

Castles, Watchtowers and Tower-Houses

Castles are the quintessential symbol of Medieval Portugal, they had and still have a deep impact on the psyche of everyone that comes across their imposing figure. These warriors of stone have shaped the country’s landscape and helped in defending its territory since the establishment of the Portuguese Kingdom and throughout the Middle Ages.
Guide to Castles and Fortifications in Portugal >>

• Northern Portugal – the mountainous north has an extraordinary history, including the founding of modern day Portugal in Porto, or Portus Cale as it was called in Roman times.
• Central Portugal – from frontier castles and historic, mountain villages in the east, to the Roman and Medieval settlements in the plains along the ‘Silver Coast’ in the west.
• Lisbon Metropolitan Area – Portugal’s capital city is on the Tagus River estuary that forms a natural harbour that has played a crucial role in the development of the city and the nation.
• Alentejo – vast open plains in south-central, southern Portugal the region is best known for the production of cork, Neolithic cromlechs and picturesque hilltop towns fortified during battles and disputes of the Medieval period.
• Algarve – long, wide sandy beaches make this region a popular summer destination, but its history is just as attractive – many port towns were key Moorish settlements that went on to play a crucial role in Portugal’s Age of Discovery.
• The islands of the Azores – these islands first appeared on European maps in the 14th centuries.
• The islands of Madeira – there is no evidence of human occupation before the islands were discovered in the early 15th century.