Road Trip Through Portugal

April 3, 2019
|
Guides, Portugal
|
2 Comments

With my parents in the US and my sister in England, planning the time (and place) to connect can be a bit tricky. Luckily, we all love to travel, so finding a new pace to explore is enticing to all of us!

This year, we decided to all meet in Portugal.

You may also enjoy:

Why We Chose Portugal

It’s really hard to find a person who did not thoroughly enjoy their vacation to Portugal. Go on, give it a try! This charming country has so much to offer and at a very affordable price.

We visited several spots, and each was so different from the other; every day of our trip was unique. We went from city, to town, to the country. We saw ornate architecture and lovely vistas. We visited markets to pick up fresh olives and cheese, we snacked on luscious pastries in charming coffee shops, and we gorged on tapas while sitting in cozy restaurants. Oh, and the wine, we had so much good wine.

Jump to Summary

Our Itinerary

We planned a road trip that would loop around the north of the country. Of course, if we were planning a trip to someplace new, we wanted to see as much as we could!

If you have limited time, you really need to decide if you want to head north or south. We visited in the winter, so the allure of the beachy, southern coast was not as strong. We also wanted to visit the Douro Valley, home to the port vineyards, to get a bit of a port-ucation.

If you have just one week in Portugal, a road trip like this is perfect:

Day One: Lisbon

We flew into Lisbon, which has the main international airport (there is also one in Porto). We took the metro into town, which leaves directly from the airport. Public transportation is always our first choice because it’s affordable (and I’d rather spend my money on food), and the metro in Lisbon is really easy to use.

We stayed in Bairro Alto, which is known for its restaurants and bars. Although, anywhere in the historic area is pretty walkable. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes – the city is very hilly!

My initial impression of Lisbon was love. Even the sidewalks are beautiful! They are all black and white mosaics and the historic buildings are covered in ornate, colorful tiles. It’s incredibly pleasing.

We headed to the main attraction, the castle on the mountain, where tourists, with a glass of wine in hand, watch the sunset over the water. We then headed to our first Portuguese’s dinner – tapas and salads at a chic bistro.

Day Two: Fatima and Coimbra

We picked up our rental car and headed towards Coimbra. The total drive is about two hours from Lisbon, but we made a quick stop in Fatima, about an hour, thirty minutes down the road.

Fatima is a famous religious site, which my parents had learned about during their Catholic upbringing. Although none of us are religious now, this was still a very interesting spot.

Millions of pilgrims visit this massive complex each year, and many end their journey by crawling the last few meters before the Basilica on bended knee.

Coimbra is an old university town that sits between Lisbon and Porto. The University of Coimbra was established in the 1200s, making it one of the oldest continuously used universities in the world (and it’s included on UNESCO’s world heritage list).

The campus sits atop a hill in the center of town, and a tour of their various buildings is a must. The old library is a highlight, and perhaps, one of the most beautiful libraries that I’ve ever seen. The books are so old that the visits are regulated to ensure their integrity is maintained.

One of my favorite facts about this library is that they actually have a bat colony that is used to protect the books from bugs! Each night, the staff cover the furniture and books with leather tarps and the bats come out to eat.

Coimbra is also known for its Fado, a genre of music that is traditional to Portugal. This music is typically a guitarist and a vocalist. The Fado in Coimbra is linked to the academic traditions to the town, making it different (and some say better) than the Fado you may hear in Lisbon. So definitely check out a Fado bar if you can!

Day Three: Aveiro and Costa Nova

Up early again so we could start our drive to Porto. We had a few stops to make along the way.

First stop, Aveiro, an old, lagoon city close to the Atlantic coast. It’s a bit like a super colorful, Venice. A series of canals run through the city, on which gondala–esq boats sail. Traditionally, the boats were used to bring goods from the mainland to large shipping boats docked off the coast. Today, the boats are more of a tourist attraction.

Aveiro is probably the most colorful Portuguese city we visited. Although we weren’t there long, it was definitely unique enough to be worth the stop. Plus, just across the Laguna bridge is another super-cute, beach-town, Costa Nova.

We arrived in Costa Nova just before sunset. The resort town was pretty quiet since it was winter, but the nautically striped homes were what pulled me in. Watching the sunset over the Atlantic wasn’t so bad either!

Day Four: Porto

We had no plans for Porto other than visiting a port cave, so we spent our day wandering around the town, people and building watching. Porto is such an interesting city, and the architecture is stunning. We wandered over to the Clérigos Church, where we climbed the steep tower for panoramic views of the city.

We then meandered towards the water, walking through the main square.

As the evening came, we headed across the river to visit Taylor’s Cellars.

Even if you’re not interested in drinking, the port caves are worth a visit. The history of the port trade, port tradition, and current economics is very interesting; the tours encompass much more than a sip of port.

Day Five: Douro Valley

After learning about port in Porto, we had to visit the Douro Valley. See, the grapes used to make the port all come from the vineyards that line the steep cliffs along the Douro River. The grapes are then processed into port and transported to the caves in Porto where they are aged even further. All large port houses have a farm in the Douro and caves in Porto.

However, we chose to visit a smaller, family-owned farm, who make all of their port on site. In Porto we learned about the history and the aging process, in the Douro we saw the facilities up close.

When we booked our room at Quinta de Marrocos, we chose to include their dinner option as well. Dinner was full of wine (too much really), followed by a port tasting. They were very generous; we tasted every port they had! Suffice to say, I need a bit of a break from dessert wine.

Although the tour and tasting were really fun, what I enjoyed most about our visit to Quinta de Marrocos was the cozy hospitality. We spent our evening in front of the fireplace in the family room, listing to the cold, winter wind rustling through the trees while sipping a glass of wine. Lovely.

Day Six: Lisbon

After a delicious breakfast spread at Quinta de Marrocos, we packed up the van and headed back to Lisbon. Now, depending on when you leave, you could stop in Sintra on the way back. We were planning on going the next day, so we drove directly back to Lisbon. The drive is about four hours.

Day Seven: Sintra

We had planned to visit Sintra on our last day in Portugal. Actually, after seeing countless instagram photos of th candy-colored castle, this was one spot I was really excited to see.

Unfortunately, we had an issue with our rental car, and fixing the issue took most of the morning. After which, we just didn’t really feel like making the trek to Sintra. Eh, things like this happen while traveling, and it’s ok. There is always next time!

Our trip to Portugal was exactly what I wanted. I love when a vacation is so diverse, filled with so many different types of activities. Although we were constantly on the go, we were still able to feel relaxed because, well, that’s kind of the atmosphere in Portugal. Now, after a week, I still feel like I have more to see (like the south), so there may be another Portugal trip in my future.

Until then, I’d love to live vicariously by hearing more about your adventures!

Road Trip Summary

See /

Day One: Lisbon
Day Two: Fatima and Coimbra
Day Three: Aveiro and Costa Nova
Day Four: Porto
Day Five: Douro Valley
Day Six: Lisbon
Day Seven: Sintra

Savour /

Lisbon: Time Out Market
Coimbra: Fangas Mercearia Bar
Porto: Nola Kitchen – Presto Pizza

Subscribe for more see, savour and style

lianaelise