Discovering Portugal: Porto, the Douro Valley & Lisbon

Porto

• Catch a stunning sunset: There are so many places to gather to watch the “show”. Just walk uphill. Jardim do Morro is one of the best spots where people gather every night. Enjoy live music (we enjoyed a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band), drinks, and food while you wait for the sun to go down.

• Day trip to the Douro River Valley: This was a highlight of our time in Portugal. Joining a small group tour, we drove out to the Douro River Valley and visited exquisite wineries and glided down the Douro in a tour boat. Stay a few days at the Octant Douro if time permits. Heavenly!

• Visit Livraria Lello: This is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Rumored to have inspired JK Rowling's depiction of the Hogwarts library, this is a very popular stop in Porto. Purchase tickets in advance.

• Shopping: Rua de Santa Catarina is the place to go for high-end shopping. The street is bustling with people and the vibe is trendy and cool.

• Wander aimlessly: Take some time to wander around Porto and Gaia and make surprise discoveries!

Douro Valley Winery

Lisbon

Taking the train from Porto to Lisbon is convenient and stress-free! I fell asleep for most of the journey, but my husband said the train passed through scenic countryside.

• Tuk-Tuk tour: Our first stop was a Tuk-Tuk our to get the lay of the land. Tuk-Tuks are a fun way to see some of the highlights of the city.

• Castelo de São Jorge: Our Tuk-Tuk guide took us here for pictures, but we decided to go back and do a proper tour. Make sure to take the guided tour and don’t miss the archaeological dig site, which was uncovered in 1996.

• The National Tile Museum should be on the must see list. It is located in the former Madre de Deus Convent and features tiles from the 1500s through today.

• Dinner and Fado music: Fado is the music of Portugal. It is soulful, heart-wrenching, and lively. We enjoyed a tour through the Alfama neighborhood on our way to our destination, Fama D’Alfama, Casa de Fado. Dinner was superb and the musicians were talented and mesmerizing.

Day trip to Fatima, Nazare, and Obidos

We joined a small-tour day trip so that we could experience these areas outside of Lisbon that were of interest to us.

• Fatima is a pilgrimage site where in 1997, three children reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The story is beautiful and touching.

• Next we drove to Nazare on the coast, which is famed for its massive surfing waves. It wasn’t the season for these big waves, but stunning just the same.

• Our last stop was Obidos, a medieval walled city with quaint shops and a bookstore located inside a former church.

Day trip to Sintra and Cascais

Participating in another small-group tour, we headed to Sintra and Cascais. We could easily have done this on our own via Uber or train but didn’t want to miss anything. We stopped at the famous National Palace of Pena. I loved this guy guarding the palace. We made a stop at Cabo da Roca, which is the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and Continental Europe. Breathtaking!

• Cafés generally do not open until 9 am. The Portuguese coffee culture is more of an experience than an “on the run” necessity.

• Water at meals is an additional nominal charge. The server may offer appetizers to your table, but keep in mind these are not complimentary.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Porto and Lisbon pages.