Travel ideas for Portugal - unique sights, worth Guinness records

In the environs of the Spanish city of Santa Cruz is the unique airport of Madeira, one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Its runway was built on the coast, above the water, and recalls the bridge with the large concrete pillars. The stretch 'of the bridge' forms 2 777 meters, it is supported by the 180 concrete columns, whose height is 80 meters. The space under the unusual runway is not empty. Here was the large parking lot equipped.
Not all pilots manage to successfully land the aircraft at Madeira Airport. Before landing, they have to cross the mountain massif and then approach the narrow runway. Not all create this hard nut, so the accident rate in the airport is very large. Despite the huge risk, the airport is considered one of the most heavily loaded in Portugal. Every day he receives the flights from London, Vienna, Paris, Manchester and Oslo, as well as the other major cities of the world.
The airport was opened in 1964 and was reconstructed for the last time in 2000. At this period, the length of the runway was increased to 2,777 meters, which made it possible to receive the large aircraft. One of the biggest accidents happened in the airport in 1977, when the airline TAP could not load 425 on the short runway of 1,600 meters. After the death of the 131 passengers, it was decided to carry out the modernization of the airport, which was recently completed. ... Complete sights collection

The hikers can see the unique stone house in Portugal. In contrast to millions of other houses, it was not built 'out', but 'in' the stone. The house is located in the picturesque mountain area, not far from Fafe city and was still built in 1974. The huge stone has excited the attention of the resourceful construction workers more than forty years ago. They decided to save the money for the building materials chiseling out the rooms in the stone. The realization of the original project has required a lot of time and energy.
The unique house is two storey, on its first floor is the spacious living room with the fireplace. The tiled roof protects the stone house from the storm. And through the original asymmetrical windows, which were manually carved out, the residents can graze in the surrounding landscapes. Although now no one lives in the house, it is excellently equipped for comfortable stay and is used for no other destinations. The unusual house is considered one of the main attractions of the Guemaraes region and is literally visited every day by many curious tourists.
It must be noted that the house also has the comfortable adjoining territory. In the so-called inner courtyard is the beautiful recreation zone equipped with the swimming pool. The house is surrounded by beautiful plant and flower compositions. Remarkable that the exact history of house construction is unknown. According to one of the versions, it is the project of a promising designer who wanted to remain anonymous. According to another version, the construction of the house in the stone was a natural pursuit to save on the building materials. ... Complete sights collection

The longest bridge in Europe is located in Lisbon and was named to honor the excellent navigator Vasco da Gama. The length of the bridge is 17.2 km. The bridge over the Tajo River was opened in 1998 and is characterized by the incredibly harmonious shape. The bridge was opened on 29th March on the occasion of the important historical event - the 500th anniversary of the discovery of a route from Europe to India. The bridge looks incredibly fine and impressive, especially at night when it is adorned with thousands of LED lights. The illumination system of the bridge is unique and has been developed according to modern ecological standards. So that the light did not disturb the inhabitants of the Tagus river at night, it is directed exclusively upwards.
Despite the fine construction, the bridge is very solid and can withstand the wind blows up to 250 kilometers per hour. Given the incredible extent of the bridge and the complexity of its construction, it is hard to imagine that it was built in just one and a half years. 3 300 workers were employed in bridge construction.
Before the bridge opening, the 25th April bridge was the only land crossing through the Tajo River. The second bridge has optimally distributed the traffic load and made the crossing over the river more convenient. Today the tourists can not only drive on the longest bridge in Europe but also make a lot of impressive photos on their background. On the riverside the beautiful park zones were equipped with benches and hiking trails. As a rule, these picturesque places are most populous in the evening. ... Complete sights collection

In Portugal, not far from the Sintra city, is the unique architectural monument of the world - the oldest palace in the world, built in the Romanesque style - the National Pena Palace (Palacio Nacional da Pena). The history of the beautiful palace is rich in the striking events. It was built in the 15th century and was converted into the monastery a few years later. In 1755 the construction was almost completely destroyed by the strong earthquake. The palace was only restored in 1838.
The modern architecture recognizes not only the classical elements of the Romanesque style, but also the fine lines of Mauritanian and Bavarian styles in the exterior of the castle. After full restoration in the first half of the 19th century, it was decided to build an extensive garden around the palace. Today, the general area of ​​the castle-park complex is about 270 hectares. After the reconstruction, Pena Palace became the main royal residence. His last owner was Queen Amelia, who was forced to leave Portugal in 1910.
For more than a century, the palace has not only a harmonious exterior, but also a unique interior. It contained the royal apartments, decorated with gilding and beautiful paintings, the small courtyards, as well as the unique wonderful decor of the ceilings and the walls. With hasty immigration, the royal family has left almost all the things in the palace. That is why today one can grapple with the collections of antique furniture, porcelain statuettes and precious metal jewelery. ... Complete sights collection

One of Lisbon's landmarks is the old Elevator Elevador-de-Santa-Justa, which locals call Elevador do Carmo. This unbelievably beautiful old elevator, opened in 1901, connects one of the streets in the city district of Baixa with Largo do Carmo. The beautiful lift shaft is built in Neo-Gothic style, its height is 45 meters. The elevator cabin is quite large and can accommodate up to 20 people.
The imposing elevator was designed by the famous architect and engineer from the turn of the 19th - 20th century Raul Mesner. In 2002 Elevador do Carmo was recognized as a historical monument of national importance. The old elevator is a valuable architectural monument. The interior of the elevator cabins is as impressive as its neo-Gothic shafts. During the last repairs, the spacious cabins were supplemented with glass panels, which made the interiors of the cabins even more interesting.
From the upper square, where the elevator provides the passengers, the magnificent panorama opens onto the city, so the old lift attracts the numerous tourists. However, the elevator has not lost the original functional purpose and is actively used by the cityspeople for the rapid movement between the various highways. Elevador do Carmo is located in the center of the old town of Lisbon and has retained its original shape for more than a century. ... Complete sights collection

The National Palace Pena in Portugal is the landmark of the importance of the state. The palace is located in the surroundings of the city of Sintra and was built on the top of the steep rock in 1840. From the outside, the palace is a typical medieval castle, although its age is only a little over 150 years. The palace was built by order of King Fernandu II, who used the majestic building as a summer residence.
Originally the small old monastery lay in the rock, where it was decided to build the castle. At the beginning of the construction, it had been empty for many years, so there were no obstacles to build the majestic building of the impressive size in the rocks. The last owner of the castle was Queen Amelia, who had to leave her residence in 1910 and fled from Portugal. In many of the rooms and rooms of the palace, the furniture bought by the last owner has been preserved.
After the revolution, the palace was redesigned into the museum, which presents an interesting art, antique furniture and jewelery collection. The walk through the extensive bordering territory gives as many impressions. Here one can spend hours on the carved arch in the Mauritanian style, the old sculptures and the landscape decoration. The palace is surrounded by the large forest, which covers more than 200 hectares. At different times, the palace owners have planted many exotic plants on its adjacent territory, so an excursion is essential for nature lovers. ... Complete sights collection

The Christ the King or Cristo Rei situated in Almada, Portugal, is amazing too. This sculpture of Jesus Christ has a rather unique design. The main part of the portico is 75 meters high. The statue itself is 28 meters high, so the total height of the sculpture is 103 meters. The opening of the monument took place in 1959. Its construction took 10 years.
The history of the sculpture is quite interesting. The decision to erect the monument was taken in 1940. The statue had to protect Portugal from involvement into World War II. It has been decided to build a monument at people’s expenses. Despite of initial plans, construction of the statue was started in 1949. It's noteworthy that the funds for construction were donated mostly by women. Portugal didn't participate in the hostilities, so women gladly gave a donation for the fact that God had saved their husbands and sons from a bloody war.
Many pilgrims seek to visit the famous statue of Christ the King on June, 8. On this day, the important religious shrine, the relics of Sacred Heart, is put at the foot of the statue every year. It is also worth noting that the sculpture is located on a small hill at 113 meters above sea level. The statue is equipped with a great viewing platform allowing to admire the nice views of the Tagus River and mountainous areas. Many experienced tourists tend to visit the tourist attraction in the evening. After dark, the monument is illuminated with amazing lighting system. ... Complete sights collection

Those who like to relax at the picturesque beaches should definitely go to Portugal. Here, they’ll find one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Benagil, that can be called a natural wonder. The beach is very close to Algarve area, it’s situated in the eponymous village. The sandy beach is primarily notable because of natural rock formations and caves.
Inside one of these caves there is a hidden beach that is a goal of many travelers. In summer, Benagi is very popular among tourists. Thanks to abundance of rocks that serve as natural breakwaters, high waves are rare here. You can comfortably relax with children. However, the beach is sure to please fans of scuba diving. The water off the coast is crystal clear, allowing you to see the beauty of the underwater world in its diversity.
The hidden beach located under an arch of a large natural cave is especially popular among romantic natures. It’s possible to get to this amazing part of the coast only by sea. It’s also worth noting that this place is popular not only among couples, but also among photographers from around the world. Everyone visiting Algarve will be able to see one of the natural wonders of the world. It’ll take less than 10 minutes by car to get to Benagil from there. ... Complete sights collection

You can see amazing green houses in big cities. An excellent example is a residence in Lisbon. Experts from Rebelo de Andrade studios have created this amazing building. Its facade is decorated with 4 500 plants of more than twenty different species. Authors of the project originally conceived three stores, as well as a vertical garden. They used the most spectacular Iberian and Mediterranean plants to decorate the facade.
It should be noted that the selection of plants and their distribution along the facade was very careful. You can feel the scents of many different plants in the house. So, there is a soothing scent of lavender in a bedroom, and unique flavor of saffron in a kitchen. On the ground floor, there is a cozy living room, where aroma of rosemary dominates. The amazing house is located in the center of a densely populated city. It has long being an attractive sight for locals and tourists.
The green facade is not the only unique feature of this house. It has a lot of unusual architectural elements too. One of the main features is a long pool located on the roof. It has windows in its bottom. If you dive in and look into them, you can see a bedroom situated below. Inside, the house is designed in light-colored palette. Three floors are connected by long wooden stairs. Many rooms have large windows. The house is literally enveloped by the natural splendor. ... Complete sights collection

There is a magnificent aquarium in the Parque das Nacoes in Lisbon, which is also one of the largest and most visited in Europe. An arrangement of the oceanarium is very amazing. It is equipped with five large aquariums, each of which represents a collection of one of the inhabitants of the oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian and Arctic. Opening of the Lisbon Oceanarium was held in 1998. The sight is located in a building that was constructed specifically for the World Exhibition.
Since its opening, the place has gained the immense popularity among both locals and tourists. Currently, the Lisbon Oceanarium is visited by over a million people each year. There are more than 16 000 marine creatures belonging to 450 different species. The volume of the largest tank is 5 000 cubic meters. It is designed in such a way that creates an illusion of the open ocean.
This aquarium features more than a hundred representatives of marine life, including different species of tuna, stingrays, sharks, barracudas, moray eels, and even the mysterious sunfish. Around the huge central vessel, there are four others. One of the most unusual is an aquarium dedicated to the inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean. Here, visitors can see exotic fish and incredibly beautiful bunches of algae. In an aquarium dedicated to the Indian Ocean, the central place is occupied by a coral reef. It’s quite amazing to watch the life concentrated around it. ... Complete sights collection