A trip to Portugal with notebooks, pencils, graphite, Indian ink and watercolours.

We invited 24 urban sketchers to visit Portugal and share their drawings and their talent, heightening awareness about the country from a different perspective. In black and white or in colour, they had many themes to explore: landscapes, nature, heritage, gastronomy, the people, nooks and crannies, and details that usually go unnoticed.

To get to know more about the work of these sketchers, the travel videos show the challenges that faced them and how they arrived at this new perspective of Portugal.

You’ll be surprised by these artistic moments and inspired for your next trip to Portugal.

Sketch Tour Portugal - Fátima
Fátima is one of the most important sanctuaries of the Marian cult cherished by the Vatican. It is built on the site where Our Lady appeared to three little shepherds, Lúcia, Jacinta and Francisco, in 1917. The celebration of the Centenary in 2017 was therefore a special date.

When you enter the sanctuary you feel an air of silence, tranquillity and great spirituality. Of the various religious occasions during the year, the 13th of May is the most important date and the Candlelight Procession on the night of the 12th is one of the most impressive ceremonies.

These particularly special moments were captured in a drawing by Kasia, from Poland, Rob Sketcherman, from Hong Kong, and Eduardo Bajzek, from Brazil, accompanied by Portuguese sketcher Fernanda Lamelas. Drawing while in the midst of the thousands of pilgrims from all over the world who were in attendance at the Sanctuary was a unique experience for the sketchers, who allowed themselves to be touched by the energy and by a spirit of universal bonding.

Discover Fátima through the drawings of these four sketchers.

Sketch Tour Portugal – Azores
Sketch Tour Portugal was in the Azores Archipelago. During the trip, Alexandra Baptista, who is from the Azores, accompanied the German artist Jenny Adam and together they sketched the nature and the magical atmosphere of the main places on the islands of São Miguel, Terceira and Pico.

Discover the Azores in the drawings of Alexandra Batista and Jenny Adam.

Sketch Tour Portugal - Lisbon
The Urban Sketchers' trip through Portugal simply had to pass through Lisbon.
The British girl, Lis Watkins, and her Portuguese host José Louro were carried away by the amazing atmosphere of the historic districts and the modernity of the Parque das Nações (Park of Nations). In an experience that was certainly different from the usual urban scene, they accepted the challenge of sketching during one of the most important Music Festivals held in Portugal, the NOS Alive Festival in Algés.

Take another look at Lisbon in the drawings done by Lis and José.

Sketch Tour Portugal - Surf
For 6 days, Sketch Tour Portugal accompanied the Portuguese João Catarino and the American Suhita Shirodkar on a trip that took in one of the most important international surfing championships in Portugal, the Rip Curl Pro, visiting several spots along the coast which display the variety of waves you find here. Many beaches, different waves, fishing towns and villages were a great inspiration for the two Sketchers.

See how this surf trip went, in the drawings by João and Suhita.

Sketch Tour Portugal - Porto and the North
Sketch Tour set off to discover the north of Portugal and visited four World Heritage sites: the historic centres of Porto and Guimarães, the Douro Valley and the Foz Côa Archaeological Park.
The hosts were two sketchers from different cultures, Mário Linhares, Portuguese, and Benedetta Dossi, Italian, who were inspired by what "Portugal has the best of: food, sun, monuments, landscape and, obviously, people.

Let yourself be inspired, too, by the drawings done by Mário Linhares and Benedetta Dossi in Porto and the North. 

Sketch Tour Portugal - Madeira
In Madeira, the Sketch Tour concentrated on the three themes essential for visitors to the archipelago: world heritage, nature and cuisine. These are reflected in the drawings by the Urban Sketchers, represented by Ea Ejersbo from Denmark and Ketta Linhares, who is Portuguese.

On this visit, let yourself be guided by drawings of Ketta Linhares and Ea Ejersbo

Sketch Tour Portugal – Golf
As Portugal is a destination greatly appreciated by amateur and professional golfers from all over the world, Sketch Tour Portugal led Portuguese sketcher Luís Frasco to welcome Ida Bellarian, a Swedish sketcher and showed her the variety of landscapes in the country. They went to Sintra and Cascais and then headed for the Algarve, where they followed an important golf event, the Portugal Masters. 

See what inspired Luís Frasco and Ida Bellarian on this Golf Sketch Tour

Urban Sketchers in Alentejo
Sketchers Marion Rivolier and João Moreno travelled through the Alentejo exploring the main points of interest in Évora, Estremoz, Vila Viçosa, Monsaraz and Castelo de Vide. They were struck by the harmonious contrasts between the architecture and nature, by the way the villages, small clusters of white houses, emerge in the landscape, peeping out between the small golden hills, under the blue sky. Perfect for drawing, the Alentejo became an exceptional experience.

Get to know the Alentejo through the eyes of Marion and John

Sketch Tour Portugal - Algarve
Sun and sea, nature and gastronomy were the inspiration of the Urban Sketchers, in the Algarve. They passed through the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, through the historic centre of Faro, Vilamoura, Loulé, made a short trip to Fonte Benémola, visited the Termas de Monchique and finally strolled along the beaches of Aljezur to sketch and enjoy watching the surfers. The gastronomic specialities rounded off the Algarve experience in the best way.

Follow this short trip in the drawings of Róisín Curé and Hélio Boto.

The Urban Sketchers on the Alentejo and Algarve Trails
Sketch Tour Portugal invited two sketchers who enjoy walking tours to call attention to the Alentejo and Algarve trails. Dutch sketcher Linda Toolsema was welcomed by Pedro Cabral, who is Portuguese, and together they discovered the footpath networks of the Rota Vicentina and Via Algarviana hiking/walking routes.

Look at the drawings done by Linda Toolsema and Pedro Cabral on their trip round the south of Portugal

Urban sketchers in the Centro de Portugal Region
Sketch Tour Portugal invited the Portuguese Nelson Paciência to host the Spanish sketcher Inma Serrano to explore the Centro de Portugal region. Together they were inspired by the landscapes and heritage of this region and had the opportunity to discover the little details of the cities and towns on their route.

Centro de Portugal trough the eyes of Inma Serrano and Nelson Paciência

Complete your trip through Portugal in drawing by the hand and talent of the Urban Sketchers at https://sketchtourportugal.com/