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15 Things to do in Loures Portugal

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July 8, 2021

Located on the outskirts of Lisbon, the Loures region is an amazing tourist area filled with hidden treasures.

Here you can find rural landscapes and modern urbanism, historical and cultural heritage and a fantastic gastronomic and wine offer – There’s a lot to discover in Loures!

Loures is culture! Loures is diversity! Loures is much more than just a Lisbon municipality.

Are you wondering what makes Loures a destination worthy of your visit? Get to know the 15 reasons why you should visit the region.

1. Cemetery Tourism

It might not be the most common type of tourism, but it is undoubtedly one of the most surprising. The Municipal Cemetery of Loures, together with 4 other cemeteries in the region, are part of the cemetery tourism route, which aims to enhance the potential of this type of heritage with art and history.

With notable and anonymous characters, here you will discover Loures; here, you will learn about the symbolism of funerary art and understand the historical and revealing dimension of this place through the different thematic routes available.

Get involved by the funerary decoration on a cemetery guided tour that won’t leave you indifferent


2. Correio-Mor Palace

This imposing building, built in the 18th century, owes its name to Luís Gomes da Matta, the postmaster at the time who administered all postal services in the kingdom.

The Correio-Mor Palace was classified as a “Property of Public Interest” and is characterized by its opulent decoration in stucco, tiles, and paintings in perfect harmony.

In the surroundings, you can find a Mediterranean Forest with a waterfall and a beautiful garden with small sculptures. Its façade has two large arches, through which the postal carriages entered and exited back in the past.

Get fascinated by the architecture of this Italian-influenced space, and enjoy the beauty and grandeur of each room.


3. EBIO Fontelas

EBIO was inaugurated in 2017 on International Biodiversity Day, being the first station to open to the public in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.

The route from Fontelas Biodiversity Station gently descends the valley’s slope to the Lousa stream, passing by the Portuguese oak classified as of public interest.

Come and discover the biological and scenic richness of this pedestrian route that extends for approximately one kilometre.

Along the way, you can find a few plates that allow the orchids and insects observation and identification.


4. Palace of the Archbishops

The Archbishop’s Palace is a “u” shaped building, which has, in its interior, Baroque tiles of national reference and period-themed decoration.

The Palace, together with the Main Church, the Monumental Fountain and the Aqueduct, make up the Monumental Ensemble of Santo Antão do Tojal, built in the 18th century.

The ensemble is arranged around a square, where you can see the Monumental Fountain, once supplied by the aqueduct, with approximately 2 kilometres in length and the façade of the main church decorated with marble statues.


5. Quinta das Carrafouchas

This 18th-century farm was bought in 1872 by Joaquim Franco Cannas, remaining in the family to this day.

Quinta das Crarafouchas is a manor house from the Baroque period, which has been producing wine since 1952 as one example of excellent wine production in the municipality of Loures.

This baroque farm has an architectural and historical wealth, and on the courtyard’s terrace, you can observe three tile panels representing hunting scenes.

It is currently possible to visit the historical heritage, the vineyard and do wine tastings upon request.


6. Sniper Park

Located in the middle of nature, in the typical Saloia region of Loures, this adventure park has radical activities for kids and adults.

Make the most out of your visit, test your adventurous side and embark on the most radical activities available in the park. Slide, climbing and paintball are just some of the options that will make your visit pure fun.

With a restaurant and a total area of ​​four hectares, it is possible to celebrate different types of events: from vacation camps and bachelor parties to team building programs.

Let the adrenaline take over you and venture into this park!


7. Quinta da Murta

Located in the hills of the small demarcated region of Bucelas, Quinta da Murta extends over 27 hectares of stunning landscape, home to a 6-bedroom villa.

This remote and protected property offers a great diversity of fauna and flora. Here, sustainable viticulture is practised, and unforgettable visits to the vineyard, winery and other facilities are organized.

Wine tastings are accompanied by regional products and can be done by the pool, in the cellar or the events room


8. Museum of Wine and Vineyard

The Wine and Vine Museum is located in Bucelas, the capital of Arinto wine. A mandatory stopover for those who want to know a little more about this very interesting and typically Portuguese drink.

The winemaking tradition of Loures, particularly in the region of Bucelas, is revealed in this museum composed of two main areas. One of them has a permanent exhibition dedicated to wine, vineyards and grape harvest, while the mezzanine is used for temporary exhibitions.

If your palate is tempted to explore the region’s wine a little more, know that it is also possible to have a wine tasting or even buy your favourite wine at the museum shop.

In this same building, as a result of a historical connection, there is the Interpretation Center of the Lines of Towers, which aims to promote, in an interactive way, knowledge about the Peninsular War.


9. Quinta do Boição

Quinta do Boição has a privileged location and offers the ideal environment to enjoy a few days of peace and comfort.

With access to hiking, tennis, and riding lessons, this farm also has an outdoor swimming pool in the main house, ideal for those hot summer days.

With 30,000 m2, the farm is surrounded by valleys and vineyards of one of the largest Portuguese Wine Producers, ENOPORT Wines.


10. Nossa Senhora da Paciência House

This historic space with a family atmosphere once belonged to João Camilo Alves, one of the most prosperous wine entrepreneurs in the country.

The Nossa Senhora da Paciência House is a peaceful space that transports the memory, values ​​and legacy of such an illustrious personality.

The house has accommodation, and here are held all kinds of events, from enogastronomy to wine tastings.


11. Retiro  do Roposo & Sleep in Bucelas

In Bucelas, in an old-fashioned house with a calm and peaceful environment, you can hear the singing of Goldfinches.

At Retiro do Raposo, you can enjoy delicious regional dishes while enjoying beautiful paintings and relax during the afternoon in the shade of the Bougainvillea.

Right next door, you can find Sleep in Bucelas, a modest accommodation in a selected environment, where each room refers to the wine of the region.


12. Barrete Saloio Restaurant

With more than eighty years of history, this restaurant started as the oldest pension in Bucelas. Decorated with clay and agricultural utensils from other times, Barrete Saloio has a rustic and welcoming atmosphere.

Typical Portuguese food is served in this house, particularly some of the typical delicacies, which are a kind of re-encounter with its Saloyan roots. For this reason, you can’t miss rib rice with turnip greens – a regional dish with a marked Saloyan identity, which harmonizes perfectly with the region’s Arinto wine.

Regarding sweets, we highlight the Arrepiados Saloios, which are the perfect way to end a meal in a restaurant with its charm in every corner.


13. Public Art Gallery

Urban art is nowadays one of the hallmarks of the municipality of Loures, and it is possible to see its maximum exponent in the Public Art Gallery (GAP) of Quinta do Mocho, in Sacavém.

Considered the largest urban art gallery in Europe, GAP gathers more than a hundred works by renowned national and international artists.

Visiting this open-air gallery is an incredible experience where you can observe the beauty, particularity and history of the most diverse works spread throughout the buildings.

GAP rehabilitated the face of a neighbourhood and made it a reference example of the vitality of this form of artistic expression.


14. Sacavém Ceramics Museum

Located on the former grounds of the Sacavém Loiça Factory, the museum is today a space for the enhancement, safeguarding and dissemination of the legacy of that factory unit.

Awarded with several national and international prizes, the museum dedicated to ceramics and industrial heritage in Loures has several exhibition rooms, workshops, an auditorium and a documentation centre.

Visiting this museum is an extremely interesting experience where you can understand the national and international ceramic panorama of the 20th century. In addition, you can also admire various dishes, tiles and even a huge oven, original from the Sacavém Crockery factory located inside the building.


15. Saudade Craft Beer

In Loures, you can find the smallest brewery in Europe. Saudade Craft Beer is a small brewer born in 2013 dedicated to producing 100% natural Craft Beer.

With reduced production and a meticulous selection, here are produced beers of unique quality.

This is not a place just for beer lovers. Here stories are shared, bonds are created, and Saudade is “disappears”.


Our visit to the Loures region lasted 3 days, but there is much more to discover in the area for those who value traditions, wine and nature.

It was a relaxing and interesting visit, and we are sure that we will return to this region of Portugal in the near future.

We hope that this guide is the perfect companion to explore Loures and that you have an unforgettable trip.

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