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Portugal has become a European hotspot, and rightfully so! Picturesque scenery, exquisite beaches, fanciful history with striking architecture, plus delicious food make it a paradise at any cost, but the economic value of travel in Portugal makes it a can’t-miss destination. Just check out The Ethel On-The-Go, our closed Facebook group for women who like to travel. It seems as though everyone is planning a trip to Portugal!
Most of Portugal can be easily seen and traversed by car, bus or train without a guide or tour assistance, but I often use guided tours, so I don’t miss a thing. After three weeks of seeing many of the hotspots in Portugal, here are my picks for must-see highlights, must-try foods, a few things I probably could have skipped and some things I still hope to do.
Porto
My husband, tween daughter and I flew into Porto and fell in love with the city during our ride from the airport to our accommodations. Trees and parkettes mixed with charming historical architecture were everywhere. Our one-day tour guide gave us an excellent walking exploration of the following:
São Bento Train Station
The station, famous for the Portuguese ceramic blue tiles (called azulejos) in its atrium, officially opened in 1916. It remains a functioning station within Portugal’s impressive system, which can take you virtually anywhere in the country. The artwork of the tiles, found all around the country, tells stories of Portugal’s history and the Bible and simply provides decorative beauty.
Livraria Lello Bookshop
This is no Barnes & Noble! It’s more like a historic library, a feast for the eyes with wood paneling, jaw-dropping artwork and an impressive winding staircase — definitely unlike any bookshop I’ve seen.
Porto Cathedral — Se do Porto and Palacio da Bolsa Porto Cathedral
With their Gothic facades, stained glass, vaulted ceilings and so much more, these buildings are architectural dreams. Their elevated location offers incredible views of the city and some of the best backdrops in Porto for your travel photos.
River Cruise
Porto is a city spanning the Douro River, which requires six formidable bridges to connect each side. With very different neighborhoods like Ribeira and Gaia, it’s lovely to wander along the shores to see what each has to offer. However, if you’re pressed for time, the highlights of these areas and attractions are easily enjoyed from the river cruise. Longer cruises on the Douro River (some even provide overnight options) are available to see the scenic farmland and vineyards further away from Porto. Still, we were happy with the views we had over a few hours.
Port Wine Tour
Because Porto is the world’s capital of port wine, there are incredible cellars everywhere that are open for tours, visits and meals. We had a wonderful lunch at one with an interesting tour and delicious samplings.
Coimbra
We also took a one-day tour of Coimbra, a town known for its academic history, architecture and Coimbra University (one of the oldest universities in Europe). With its awe-inspiring library and gorgeous botanical gardens housing a giant fig tree over 100 years old, to the quaint town offering cork souvenirs and canned sardines in every flavor you can imagine, it’s a fabulous spot to spend a day. The drive (provided by our private guide) was scenic, but trains and buses also run from Porto to Coimbra.
My favorite parts: São Bento Station tiles and Coimbra.
My favorite foods: Piri Piri Chicken, rice and fish cakes, Francesinhas (a traditional Porto sandwich) with sausages, ham and cheese, and a sauce that’s topped with a fried egg and served over a bed of fries.
Wish I had skipped: Aveiro, sometimes called “Little Venice” for its water canals and long boats that traverse them. It was a cute town with loads of traditional Portuguese egg and custard pastries, but nothing sparked our affection.
What I want to do if I return: Take tram #1 up the coast to Foz and spend a day there.
Lisbon
After Porto, we took a train to stay in Lisbon for a few days. Our first overview of the sizeable city was on a tuk-tuk. It’s a really fun way to get an open-air look at some interesting landmarks. Our driver was outstanding, even taking us to Belém (a picturesque suburb of Lisbon) and along the Tagus River. The next day, we continued our highlights tour with a ride on the Lisbon tram that goes almost everywhere in the city. We saw architectural wonders like the Jerónimos Monastery, the Cathedral of Saint Mary Major (often called Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé) and the Castelo de São Jorge. While we opted not to tour the inside of these historical beauties, it is possible to do so. A great way to end a day in Lisbon is with a sunset cruise on the Tagus River past the breathtaking Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge), the Cristo Rei statue and the Belém Tower, with the setting sun on fire behind them creating photo art.
We also did a day tour from Lisbon to Óbidos, an ancient walled town that shouldn’t be missed. Be sure to eat at the Capinha d'Obidos Bakery where the tantalizing sweet and savory foods are made fresh in front of your eyes, walk along the top of the encircling wall for remarkable views and sample the drool-worthy chocolate cups filled with Ginjinha de Óbidos (sour cherry brandy).
My favorite part: Óbidos and the sunset cruise on the Tagus River.
My favorite foods: Bacalhau de Natas (creamy codfish casserole) with Pastéis de Nata (Belém) custard tarts.
Wish I had skipped: The Time Out food market, which is popular, but I found it overcrowded and not worth the wait.
What I want to do if I return: Visit Cape Roca, a wild seaside cape, and attend a Fado show, a form of soulfully melancholic Portuguese music and singing that we skipped, believing our daughter was too young to fully enjoy.
Cascais
From Lisbon, we travelled by private transportation to Cascais, a small town about an hour away. It’s very relaxing and walkable, with beautiful beaches, shops and restaurants. We rented a stunning condo in a residential area. From Cascais, we took a small group tour to the village of Sintra, Quinta da Regaleira and the surreal Pena Palace. The red and yellow exterior is so vibrant and the palace is so grand that it almost took our breath away. The gardens at Quinta da Regaleira were simply magical, with caves, hidden stone alcoves, a deep well we actually traversed and yet another castle. Sintra is a region that can get very busy and crowded, so for this reason, I’d recommend not attempting to travel there without a guide of some sort who knows all the back roads and can secure “jump the line” passes.
My favorite part: Quinta da Regaleira.
My favorite foods: Chouriço, Morcela and Alheira (Portuguese sausages) and Travesseiro de Sintra (Sintra Pillows), made from puff pastry filled with egg and almond cream, and dusted in sugar.
What I wish I had skipped: The village of Sintra outside the National Palace.
What I want to do if I return: Tour inside Pena Palace.
Albufeira
Exhausted from so much sightseeing, we caught a train to Albufeira, the tourist beach jewel of the Algarve in southern Portugal. Albufeira has an incredible selection of extremely economical holiday apartments with pools on-site, but still offers more traditional hotels. Between delicious meals and relaxing at the pool and nearby beaches, we took a cruise along the Algarve coast to visit the Benagil Caves and WOW! They were so much more stunning than all the photos we’d seen beforehand. There are countless boat tours available from the busy marina, but it’s best to book ahead online. We took leisurely walks around the Old Town Albufeira and Jardim Público de Albufeira, which turns into quite the electric scene after dark with shops, bars and restaurants, and even a number of spas offering special pedicures done by tiny fish eating the callouses from your feet!
My favorite part: The Benagil Caves cruise.
My favorite foods: Bolinhos de Bacalhau (codfish dumplings), Cataplana de Peixe (fish Cataplana) and Bolas egg custard donuts.
What I wish I had skipped: Nothing! It was the perfect “relax and unwind” ending to our trip.
What I want to do if I return: Tour some surrounding towns like Faro and Lagos.
Have any of YOU been to Portugal? Would you like to? Let us know in the comments below.
