Portugal – January 2017
Sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, Portugal has a lot to offer. It offers great cities, lots of coastline, historic landmarks, castles and an interior climate perfect for vineyards. We divided our trip into four segments:
1. Southern Portugal
2. Lisbon
3. Sintra
4. Porto
Epic things to do in Southern Portugal:
Stay in a monument hotel
Experience a beach town
Throughout Portugal there are “pousadas” or monument hotels – old historic buildings, houses and castles that they now run as hotels. Check out the website at www.pousadas.pt. We spent the night near Faro at the Pousada Palacio Estoi. A former country palace with a chapel and gardens, made in the image of Palace of Queluz. A great experience.
We visited the tiny beach town of Faro, the southernmost city in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The small town boasts narrow, curvy, cobbled streets with historic buildings and nearby Faro Cathedral. Those narrow, curvy streets made for some entertaining driving and the car park was even more entertaining - not only was it small and tight but both the entrance and exit shared the same one car width lane, which also happened to be a steep hill! The town was mostly closed for winter, but it was a fun experience and we managed to find a cute little burger place for dinner. I am confident that there would be much more to explore in a more appropriate season.
Epic things to do in Lisbon:
Wonder the streets of Lisbon
St George Castle and the view at the top
See all the old monuments and churches
Marvel at the Portuguese tiles
There is a lot to explore here and it is a very walkable city, but it is very hilly, so your best bet is to purchase a day pass for the public transportation to give yourself a bit of a break. There are a lot of hidden gems and areas.
St George Castle – this was my favorite part of the day – walking up to the Alfama neighborhood (or take Tram 28) with its old churches, cute shops and restaurants to explore the castle on the hilltop. The Moorish castle dates to the 6th century and although parts of it have been destroyed, you can still climb some of the towers and walk along the ramparts. And the views are epic! You look out over the terracotta rooftops, across the Tagus River and see the 25 of August Bridge and the Christ the King Statue, the rolling hills and the sunset. At sunset this is the place to be! There are even wine trolleys open, so you can sit along the castle walls, enjoy some Portuguese wine and marvel at the sunset and surrounding views.
There are many other monuments to explore as well:
The Pracado Comercio and the Arco da Rua Augusta, the gateway that welcomed those who arrived by boat to the city, is gorgeous. Also walk along Silver street near here to see all the amazing shops, café and restaurants.
Belem Tower, the Monument to the Discoveries, Jeroimos Monastery, Santa Maria de Belem Church, Belem Tower, and the Maritime Museum are all within walking distance of each other.
As you explore, make sure to stop and appreciate all the buildings that are covered with beautiful Portuguese ceramic tiles.
Sintra
On our way to Sintra, we stopped at one of the top-rated beaches in Europe. Yes, it was January and very cold, but the pictures looked amazing and I wanted to see the beach in person. Praia da Adraga Beach was beautiful. It was smaller than I would have thought, but the rocks, cliffs and strong waves made it a quick but epic stop!
The most epic thing to do in Sintra:
Explore Castles
Castelo dos Mouros –Castle of the Moors- The medieval castle was built high on a hilltop to defend the town of Sintra. Much of it is in ruins, but you can still walk along the stone walls that connected the lookout towers. It is mind boggling to imagine how they built this castle, way up on the hill, out of rock and stone, but it’s the stunning views that steal the show!
Palaco de Pena – Pena Palace was an amazing fairy tale castle! It was built in the 19th century and served as a monastery but it was eventually transformed into a summer residence for the royal family. It is a Romanticist castle high in the mountains above the town of Sintra. The views are amazing! You can see the Portuguese River, and it is said that, on a clear day, this castle can be seen from Lisbon. Pena Palace really is epic – add it to your list – it is a must see!
Porto
I can’t hold back any longer – this was my favorite city in Portugal! I loved the old world feel and the amazing, historic buildings covered in tiles. I love the downtown area that is separated into two sides of the Douro River and the Dom Luis 1 Bridge that crosses the river.
Epic things to do in Porto:
Walk the city
Enjoy the Riverfront
Sandeman Port Wine tour and tasting
Visit Livaria Lello Bookstore
So many amazing buildings and churches to see. Don’t miss Porto Cathedral, The Sao Bento Railway Station, Stolldefonso church, Congregades Church, and the Carmelitas church and all the tiles! Ohhh!
At the Riverfront, walk across the Dom Luis Bridge 1, take the cable car, eat and shop along the riverfront. Pause and soak it all in. The food is delicious, the views are great, and the people friendly. There is so much to enjoy in this coastal city and so much history to absorb.
Sandman is a brand of Port and sherry wines that was founded in 1790. Of course, Portugal is famous for its Port wines and this tour was epic! The facility is not where the grapes are grown, as the vineyards are much further out of the city, but it does such a great job to explain what port wine is, how it is made and how it is aged. At the end of the tour, you can sample a few of the wines. I knew nothing about Port wines before the tour but was soon educated in an entraining way. The tours are given in a variety of languages, so stop in and inquiry about booking a tour as soon as you arrive as they may be a wait of a day or two. A Porto highlight!
Livaria Lello Bookstore features a stunning, twisting grand staircase. It was opened in 1906 and has long been a prominent hangout for writers and readers. The rumor is that when J.K. Rowling lived in Porto, she was a frequent visitor and this bookstore inspired her creation of the library in her Harry Potter series. Now, as crazy as this sounds, you must buy a ticket to enter the bookstore. You can purchase the ticket online and then apply that fee to the purchase of a book. Only one voucher per book can be used. Check online and get the facts and the plan before you go.
Overall – I enjoyed Portugal very much and think that it is underrated and overlooked for more popular European destinations - but it is worth exploring. I fell in love with the city of Porto! What a great weekend or side trip it would be for those living and/or touring Europe. There is good public transportation in the cities and it is also easy to get between Lisbon and Porto, so you do not need to rent a car. However, if you do decide to rent a car – be warned - the tolls are extremely expensive on the highways in Portugal and very complicated to figure out as two separate companies control the tolls. Also, parking is an adventure. The “car parks” are so tight, we had to do a three-point turn to around the corner – and once you get to into the city, you need to just park it anyway. The food, wine and people are also epic. When you plan your trip, make sure to include a meal in Porto along the Douro River and enjoy a glass of tawny port!
