Weekly hotels top five of five - Portugal

Lisbon is almost halfway through its ambitious Portugal Arte festival this week, a newly created event designed to bring original art by Portuguese artists closer to the public.

Over a quarter of Portugal's total population lives in Lisbon, making the city a hub of Portuguese cultural life perfect for Portugal Arte (http://www.portugalarte.org; on through August 16) and a popular tourist destination.

But while the capital remains the single most visited city in Portugal, most tourists to the country will simply fly over it, opting instead for the sun and sand of the southern Algarve, where over a third of the country's hotels have been constructed.

For visitors prepared to leave the southernmost tip of the country, however, the rest of Portugal offers an unspoiled and altogether more authentic tourism experience - unlike Lisbon and the Algarve, the majority of visitors to the Norte, Centro and Alentejo regions are Portuguese.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the sixth-most visited city in Southern Europe and welcomes some two million tourists every year. Britania Hotel was TripAdvisor users' favorite, with travelers praising the "amazing service" and "great character."

1 Britania Hotel
2 Altis Belem
3 Heritage Av Liberdade
4 Lapa Palace
5 Sofitel Lisbon Liberdade

Average price of top five: $181 - $286/€139 - €220

Faro

Faro is the first stop for most visitors to Portugal as the home of the Algarve's major international airport. However, it's a haven for budget hotels, with the cut-price Hotel Residencial topping the luxury Pousada de Estoi.

1 Hotel Residencial S. Algarve
2 Pousada de Estoi
3 Pensao Residential Adelaide 
4 Best Western Hotel Dom Bernardo
5 Casa de Estoi

Average price of top five: $95 - $166/€73 - €128

Porto

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and its luxury hotels are a hit with TripAdvisor reviewers - the Sheraton Porto Hotel and Spa managed the top spot above the Tiara Park Atlantic Porto.

1 Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa
2 Tiara Park Atlantic Porto
3 Eurostars Das Artes
4 Pestana Porto Hotel
5 Bessa Hotel

Average price of top five: $100 - $160/€77 - €123

Coimbra

Coimbra is an academic city and boasts some of the most stunning historical sites in Portugal. The city's top hotel was Hotel Quinta Das Lagrimas.

1 Hotel Quinta Das Lagrimas
2 Hotel Oslo
3 Aparthotel Mira Villas
4 Tryp Coimbra
5 Braganca Hotel

Average price of top five: $78 - $117/€60 - €90

Evora

Evora is the smallest of Portugal's provincial capitals and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most popular hotel was the budget Albergaria do Calvario, with the remainder of the top five luxury properties.

1 Albergaria do Calvario
2 Convento do Espinheiro, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
3 M'AR De AR AQUEDUTO
4 M'AR De AR Muralhas
5 Pousada Dos Loios de Evora

Average price of top five: $133 - $207/€102 - €159

Data is taken from millions of independent reviews and rankings surveyed at TripAdvisor taken on July 28, 2010.

Website: http://www.tripadvisor.com