Some countries are explored on foot, but Portugal is also unveiled through reading. Over the centuries, Portuguese and some foreign authors have seen this narrow land between mountains and sea as a place of memory, silence, passion, and change. In certain books, we discover a more personal Portugal than travel guides. This article features books about Portugal that expose deep aspects of the spirit. the Portuguese
From the earthquake that changed a nation to the inner Lisbon of a Swiss traveller passing through Samarago, Garrett, and Dulce Maria Cardoso, these works offer emotional maps of a country in constant discovery.
Books about Portugal that reveal the country through a writer’s eyes
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Earth, water & fire 1755 – Domingos Amaral
Book cover of “Earth, water & fire 1755” by Domingos Amaral
Domingos Amaral takes us into 18th-century Lisbon, just days before the devastating 1755 earthquake. His narrative focuses on a city teetering between grandeur and collapse. The story moves quickly and vividly with political intrigue, forbidden love, and moral tension. Amaral blends historical fact with cinematic pace, offering readers a baroque Lisbon at the edge of destruction. His novel reminds us: Portugal is a country forged by fire, faith, and rebirth.
If you were captivated by this historical novel set in 18th-century Lisbon, you’ll love the Private Lisbon Walking tour. It’s a journey through churches, palaces, and neighbourhoods that withstood the great 1755 earthquake.
2. Journey to Portugal – José Saramago
Book cover “Journey to Portugal” by José Saramago
In this book, Saramago invites us on a meditative journey. As he travels across Portugal, he looks for what’s hidden, forgotten monasteries, remote chapels, and timeless villages. His thoughtful prose transforms the scenery into a reflection. We explore the nation’s soul. This book is not for rushing. It asks for presence, patience, and curiosity.
If you felt inspired by Saramago’s lens, explore Portugal with the Private 7-Day Best of Portugal Tour. It’s slow, deep, and unforgettable.
3. Travels in my homeland- Alemida Garrett
Book cover “Travels in my homeland” by Alemida Garrett
This 1846 classic combines a travelogue, a political critique, and a romantic tale. Garrett departs for Santarém, but his true journey is philosophical. He reflects on Portugal’s fate, national decline, and the urgency of progress. A pioneering work in introducing the literacy “I”, and still relevant today for its ability to question what it means to be Portuguese.
Inspired by Garrett’s literary journey, the Private half-day Fátima & Batalha tour takes you through historical landmarks and soulful landscapes that still invite reflection on Portugal’s past and identity.
Books about Portugal that confront the past and listen to the present
4. The Return – Dulce Maria Cardoso
Book cover “The Return” by Dulce Maria Cardoso
Few books tackle the emotional impact of the “retornados” with such clarity. They were Portuguese citizens who returned from Africa after 1975. Dulce Maria Cardoso tells the story of Rui, a teenager who returns with his family from Angola to Portugal, which doesn’t recognize them. With simple yet powerful language, she reveals the trauma of decolonization, the pain of displacement, and the discomfort of being a foreigner in one’s homeland. It’s vital to understand a rarely addressed wound in Portuguese history.
Suppose the emotional story of post-colonial return moved you, the Private Jewish Heritage Tour of Lisbon. It offers a powerful experience focusing on memory, belonging, and the communities that shaped modern Portugal.
5. Night Train to Lisbon – Pascal Mercier
Book cover “Night Train to Lisbon” by Pascal Mercier
A Swiss teacher discovers a mysterious book by a Portuguese doctor and, driven by existential unrest, boards a train to Lisbon. Pascal Mercier explores identity, freedom, memory, and personal choices throughout the novel. Lisbon is more of a metaphor and a riddle. Seen from the outside, Portugal becomes a mirror in which Europe reflects and questions itself.
If this introspective journey spoke to you, explore meaning and mystery on the Private Lisbon City Tour. It’s ideal for those seeking depth beyond monuments.
When Portugal is read aloud
These books about Portugal do more than tell stories. They uncover layers, emotional, historical, and symbolic. Through them, we revisit Portugal’s many voices.
From empire to exile, silence to unrest, observation to introspection, each book invites us to understand Portugal and ourselves. In reading them, we return. So come with us and discover this country many authors speak profoundly about.
