Portugal — Media Gallery

Located in the Atlantic Ocean about 700 km off the coast of North Africa, Madeira Island is the top of a giant shield volcano that rises 6 km from the ocean floor to reach an altitude of 1,862 m above sea level. When Portuguese explorers arrived there in the early 1400s, they were so impressed with the thick forest covering the steep, mountainous island that they called it Ilhe de Madeira, Island of Wood. The forest of Madeira is known as Laurissilva, a forest that is similar to high-altitude tropical rain forests ("cloud forests"). Laurissilva is a relic of the forest that once thrived across southern Europe and North Africa, but which disappeared as the last ice age ended and the regional climate became hotter and drier. Madeira's mild, subtropical climate and isolation preserved the laurel forest as it became extinct elsewhere. The surviving Laurissilva is both a natural reserve and a World Heritage Site. The remaining forest covers about 15,000 ha, making it the largest Laurissilva forest in the world. About 90% of the forest is believed to be old growth, primary forest, according to the UN. The Laurissilva includes a wide diversity of flora, including a number of rare ferns and flowering plants. Image courtesy of NASA.

The Torre de Belem (Belem Tower) was built in the early 16th century to commemorate Vasco de Gama's voyages of discovery to India (1497-1524).

Lisbon, Portugal's capital and largest city, is often called the “White City." The center of this scene shows the Church of Santa Engracia, a 17th-century monument. Originally a church, it was converted in the 20th century into a National Pantheon in which important Portuguese personalities are buried.

The Monument to the Restorers in Lisbon was erected in 1886 to celebrate the restoration of Portuguese independence from Spain in 1640.

The medieval section of Guimaraes opens onto the “Largo Republica do Brasil (Republic Square of Brazil)” with its formal flower gardens. One end of the square features the slim Nossa Senhora da Consolacao e dos Santos Passos (Church of Our Lady of Consolation and the Holy Steps), one of the loveliest examples of Portuguese Baroque architecture.

Closeup of the figures on the west side of the Padrao dos descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) in Lisbon, which honors monarchs, explorers, navigators, cartographers, scientists, and missionaries from the Age of Discovery (15th and 16th centuries). The main statue of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), holding a model of a carrack, leads a procession of 32 figures (16 on either side ramp) on the monument.

A medieval street in the historic town center of Guimaraes.

A rear view of Guimaraes Castle.

The brickwork in the main square of the coastal town of Cascais - some 30 km west of Lisbon - displays a distinctive wavy pattern.

The Padrao dos descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) in Lisbon honors monarchs, explorers, navigators, cartographers, scientists, and missionaries from the Age of Discovery (15th and 16th centuries). The main statue of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), holding a model of a carrack, leads a procession of 32 figures (16 on either side ramp) on the monument. This view is of the east side.

Decorative tiles commemorating Portuguese explorers and navigators in Lisbon.

The castle in Guimaraes was built in the 10th century to protect a nearby monastery from Moors and Norsemen. As the first capital of the nation and birthplace of its first king, Guimaraes it is one of Portugal's most historic cities and one of the most attractive places to visit in the country. Its historic town center is listed as a World Heritage Site in recognition of its being an "exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town" in Europe.

View of Lisbon, Portugal's largest city and capital, which often goes by the moniker of the “White City.”

Along a medieval street in the historic town center of Guimaraes.

The Old Palace Council Chambers in the Largo da Oliveira (Square of the Olive Tree) in Guimaraes.

A medieval street in the historic town center of Guimaraes.

Street shrines are maintained by Guimaraes residents in each neighborhood of the city.

A peaceful plaza in front of a church in Madeira.

Narrow streets with their window boxes and wrought iron balconies in Madeira.

A detail from the Padrao dos descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) in Lisbon, which celebrates the contributions of the Portuguese in the Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. The main statue of Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), holding a model of a carrack, leads a procession of 32 figures (16 on either side ramp) on the monument. This view is of the west side.

A mosaic at the base of the Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon shows a world map with routes of the various Portuguese explorers.

Three islands of the central Azores - spear-shaped Sao Jorge Island, Pico Island with its large volcano, and circular volcanic Faial Island - are visible in this low-oblique, southwest-looking, space shuttle photograph. Image courtesy of NASA.

The tomb of Vasco de Gama in the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, a parish (district) in southwestern Lisbon.

Area comparison map