Portugal
Portugal is a lesser travelled destination in Europe. I wasn’t sure about this trip, but the amazing photos of the Algarve that I had seen lead me to plan this trip and its beauty definitely blew me away. Our week-long trip included exploring the Algarve beaches and visiting the capital city of Lisbon. Unfortunately, we could not head north to see Porto (but we did try its namesake drink!). Portugal has everything for an unforgettable vacation – a little of history, architecture, food, beach and stunning beauty.
Quick Notes:
- Use Uber in Portugal; it’s very convenient and inexpensive.
- Use Multibanco ATM for withdrawing cash in Lisbon; they don’t charge service fee.
- Service at any restaurant is extremely slow; be prepared to spend a few hours for lunch/dinner.
- To get tax refund at the airport for shopping, you must show them the merchandise purchased at the airport (so pack your bags accordingly).
Portugal Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Lisbon (Belem District)
Day 2: Lisbon to Lagos
Day 3:Benagil Caves
Day 4: Lagos
Day 5: Sagres
Day 6: Sintra, Cabo da Roca, Cascais
Day 7: Lisbon
Day 8: Fly home
DAY 1–LISBON
We landed at Lisbon airport around 10:20; immigration was super quick & got Uber to Hotel. Note: Uber is parked at the Departure area parking lot. For our first night in Lisbon we stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton in Fontana Park (only 4 miles from the airport). The architecture of this hotel was very contemporary with narrow corridors (room numbers on the long strip of green carpet) and spacious rooms in white, black and gray color schemes. It’s a bit outside city center but has metro stations nearby.
Began our first day in Lisbon with a trip to the Belem area. This is a historical and scenic district, along the River Tagus. San Jeronimos Monastery is one of the most popular attractions in Belem. The monastery was built as a gratitude to Vasco da Gama’s successful expedition to India. There was a long line to enter the monastery but there was another option to buy tickets (€10 pp) at the main entrance (not where you enter the monastery) which had much shorter lines. There is also a Church of Santa Maria de Belem attached to the monastery which is free. The colorful stained-glass windows and towering pillars makes it worth visiting inside. The church also has tombs of Portuguese royalty including Vasco de Gama, whose expeditions inspired the building of this monastery. The highlight of the monastery were the two level of cloisters; but the exhibition displaying the changes in the World, Portugal & Construction of the monastery/ Church which took 100 years to complete was also interesting.
There was a walkway along the river that connected the Monument to the Belem Tower with several restaurants. We stopped for lunch at Nosolo Italia – Italian restaurant with large selection of dishes and good food. We continued onward to the Belem Tower whichwas a small white fort that was built in 1515 to defend the city’s harbor from attacks. You can explore the interior of the tower however we decided to pass on that.
Discoveries Monument
Discoveries Monument – There was a small park with a large fountain across the street from the monastery which lead us to the underpass you need to go through to reach one of Lisbon’s most iconic symbols. This 171 ft tall monument was built in 1960 to remember the 500th anniversary of Prince Henry the Navigator’s death. At the base of the monument there is a world map that shows where the Portuguese explorers landed and important dates. We took the elevator (€5 pp) to go to the rooftop for some panoramic views of the area including the Ponte 25 de April suspension bridge which looks a lot like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Pasteis de Belem
Pasteis de Belem was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Belem. Believed to the original home to the custard tarts; they are served with cinnamon and powdered sugar. There are usually long lines outside but don’t miss this café when in Belem.
To experience Lisbon’s nightlife, we headed to Pink Street; a former red-light district now beaming with clubs, bars and restaurants. We first got there around 10PM when the place was empty so headed to Las Ficheras, a Mexican restaurant for dinner. Back to Pink Street around midnight and the place was alive. We ended up at the popular bar Pensao Amor (Pension of Love) for a round of drinks before heading back to the hotel.
DAY 2 – LISBON TO LAGOS
Lagos
Lagos – is part of Portugal’s Algarve region with rugged coastline, beautiful sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters. Lagos is about 3 hours from Lisbon and you can take a bus, train or drive there. We opted to drive so we could explore the small towns as well as the stunning coastline with its fabulous beaches, cliffs and caves. This road trip along the coastline was one of the highlights of our trip. We spent about 3 days in Lagos and were seriously considering changing our plans to stay a little longer. We stayed at the Cascades Wellness & Lifestyle Resort and loved the place. The resort is tucked in a quieter area of Lagos but still only a small drive to the town and beaches. The resort is absolutely amazing with luxurious rooms and huge balcony. The amenities were excellent with an adults-only pool and an amazing breakfast selection. My favorite part of the stay was being able to walk along the cliffs with incredible view of the coastline and amazing sunrise.
We left after breakfast to pick up our rental at the airport (a 9-seater Mercedes Vito) from Holiday Autos. The entire process took much longer than anticipated (between shuttle from airport to car rental place and finishing paperwork) and left around 1 pm for Lagos. We took the Vasco Da Gama Bridge (longest bridge in Europe; over 10 miles long and connects the northern and southern parts of Portugal) and drove along the coast.
Our first stop on this road trip was at Praia de Sao Torpes in Sines. It was a beautiful beach with fine sand and cool water. We had a good time (except the part where our car got stuck in the sand) relaxing for an hour at the beach. We continued our travel southand stopped at a beautiful cliff which provided amazing view of the sea with an easy walk down to the beach.
Next we stopped at acharming little town called Porto Covo. Its town center was a small plaza with cobblestone street and several restaurants and souvenir shops. I found this town very “cute”.
Further along we stopped at another Portuguese town Vila Nova de Milfontes. There are two small beaches here Praia da Franquia which is closest to the town. A little further (where the river flows into the sea) lies another small beach Praia do Farol. The two beaches are separated by a cliff. We had homemade ice-cream at Mabi in the town center and then left for Lagos.
Reached Lagos around 10 PM and went straight to dinner at Delhi Darbar before checking into our hotel around midnight. Even though we had reserved a table at the restaurant, we had to wait for almost 30 minutes before being seated. Service was very slow but the food was delicious.
DAY 3 – BENAGIL CAVES
Today we left the hotel around 8AM to go to Vilamoura Marina for our boat tour to Bengali Caves. No cave visit would be complete without the famous Benagil Caves. It is located very close to the beach of Benagil in the district of Lagoa. The best way to visit is taking a boat trip, kayaking or Stand up Paddle. We had already reserved a private motor boat “Santanna” through Algarve Holiday Fun (www.algarvefun.com). Coordinated everything with Silvana Cortes over several months with excellent and prompt communication. After reading some on-line reviews, I was a little hesitant on booking with them, but am glad I did not cancel. We had a great day with them out on the sea. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Portugal.
We reached marina around 9:30AM, checked in at Algarve Seafaris& started the tour around 10AM. Our tour guide was Paulo. It was a 2 hr ride to Benagil Caves from where we transferred to a smaller RIB so we could weave in and out of the stunning cliff sides, caves and grottos. We got off at the beach inside Benagil caves & then visited other smaller caves in the area along the coast. Paulo did a great job in ensuring we had a good time. On the 2-hour ride back to the marina we relaxed and enjoyed the stunning views.Back at the hotel we enjoyed the hotel amenities (hot tub, pool, steam and sauna) and then relaxed with a round of drinks in the room balcony.
After drinks we went to explore the downtown. Lagos downtown has winding cobblestone street and numerous restaurants and bars. It’s very tricky to drive around here (very narrow streets) but thanks to hubby’s amazing driving skills we had no issues.
Our dinner plans for that day was Mexican food at The Green Room. I had heard good reviews about the restaurant and was trying to call them for reservations but no one answered the phone. When we arrived at the restaurant we were shocked by the rude behavior. We ended up having dinner at a Chinese restaurant Palacio Da China, food was good and the service was also friendly and attentive.
DAY 4 – LAGOS
We started the day with a beautiful coastal hike behind our hotel which offered stunning panoramic views over the sea and cliffs. The walk leads us right to Pointe de Piedade (a lighthouse at the end of the road) which offers great views of the rock formations offshore. You will see signs to climb down (182 steps) and take a boat trip. Depending on where you are staying, there will be trails along the coastline offering amazing views.
Praia Dona Ana
Praia Dona Ana – is probably the most photographed of all Algarve’s beaches. The beaches here can get very busy but the sea views and cliff tops are simply stunning. The waters are crystal clear and calm but extremely cold. Putting my feet into that icy water is one of my favorite memory of this trip. Most if not all of the beaches here are below the cliffs and you have to hike to get to them.
We headed out on a boat tour from Dona Ana (€15 pp for 40-minute ride) to see the Ponta de Piedade caves which had some impressive caves and rock formations.
Praia do Camilo
Praia do Camilo – is quite smaller than the other beaches but it was equally stunning. The spectacular sandstone cliffs and clear waters seemed like paradise. At this beach you can walk through tunnels beneath huge rock formations. We spent some time at the beach, had lunch and then headed back to the hotel.
Lagos Marina
We spent the evening exploring Lagos Marina. The marina was a fun place to walk around, shop (lots of shopping kiosks) and watch the boats. We had dinner at The Lighthouse; and had a very disappointing experience. The food was average and the service was extremely slow.
Lagos downtown had many bars and clubs so after dinner we ended up going to Three Monkeys to check out the bar crowd. The place was not crowded but the music was good and people were very friendly.
Day 5 – SAGRES
Today we visitedSagres before heading back to Lisbon. Sagres marks the southwestern-most point of Portugal and was once believed that this was the very end of the world. Sagres has a stunning landscape of steep cliffs that drops off into the Atlantic Ocean below. The two main sites to see are Fortaleza de Sagres fort and Cabo Sao Vincente. Sagres is also very popular with surfers for its high waves.
We visited Cape Sagres Fort (€3 pp)which dates back to the 15th century. It was built by Henry the Navigator and was believed to be the first ever sailing school. The fort was destroyed in a devastating earthquake and tsunami of 1755 and not much remains from the original building. The fort has only one single wall and the other three sides are protected by steep cliffs. The fort still makes an interesting visit with a chance to see the navigational wind compass-rose, small chapel and spectacular views over the cliffs.
Cabo Sao Vincente is the most south-western tip of Continental Europe and the Cape’s tip is marked by a lighthouse which can be seen up to 50km out to sea. There isn’t much to do here except to take in the wild, boisterous landscape of steep, rugged cliffs with the Atlantic waves whipping the rocky slopes. The coastline was mesmerizing at times with small beaches nestled behind the huge cliffs.
We drove back to Lisbon via A2 (faster route; not along the coast) and checked into Hotel Britania around 6PM. This hotel has an old-world charm but with all the modern conveniences. The rooms are huge and well laid out. It is located in the best place in town, just off of Avenida da Liberdade; an important boulevard in Central Lisbon famous as one of the most expensive shopping streets in Europe.
We spent the evening exploring the city. Walked along Avenida da Liberdade and reached RossioSquare, this in one of the most important central squares of Lisbon and is laid out in beautiful Portuguese paving with two fountains (at the southern and northern edges of the square) and a column dedicated to the Portuguese Emperor Pedro IV.
At Rossio Square you will find the most famous Portuguese liquor Ginjinha which is made by infusing ginjas (sour cherry) in alcohol.
This is also where you will see Elevador de Santa Justa; an ironwork elevator built in 1902 to connect Carmo Square with the lower Squares of Baixa. This is now a tourist attraction with an observatory platform.
We continued along Rua Augusta; a main tourist and shopping street that leads to the Rua Augusta Arch and riverfront square, Praca do Comercio. This white arch is the symbol of rebirth of the new Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake/tsunami tragedy that destroyed most of the city. This entire area is lively with outdoor cafes, shops and street artists.
Went to Jardim dos Sentidos for dinner. Really nice place with garden seating and reasonably priced vegetarian food.
No trip is complete without a visit to the casino; so, we went to Casino Lisboa after dinner.
Day 6 – SINTRA, CABO DA ROCA & CASCAIS
Fairytale-like Sintra is a very popular day trip from Lisbon. Sintra was very popular among the Portuguese Royal Family to use as a holiday retreat to escape the summer heat of Lisbon. We booked a private tour through Jump In Tours and were not disappointed. Sintra has a lot to see and do and since we had only one day, we decided to use a tour company. Alternatively, you can take a train and visit the main Sintra landmarks individually.
We started the day with a visit to Pena Palace (€ 14 pp); this colorful castle is located on top of the hill. Once you go through the entrance gate, you walk up the hill to the castle. A monastery was first built on this site which was mostly destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. This was later transformed into a summer palace for the Portuguese royal family. The castle itself is a mix of many styles ranging from Romantic to Gothic to Moorish and bright colors. You can get two different tickets for Pena Palace, one that just includes the outside of the castle and the grounds and one that also allows you to explore the indoor staterooms. I think its worth going inside the castle to see the quarters.
We then headed to the town center, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed toQunita Da Regaleira. This is a private estate which includes a grand gothic house and an incredible park ground with several towers, fountains, and sculptures. Most notable site was the Initiation Well, which is essentially a deep hole in the ground with a spiral staircase around the edge.
At the bottom, you walk through underground tunnels which leads you to a second well or further into the garden.
As we were short on time, we saw the National Palace and the Moorish Castle from afar, though have read they are both worth a visit.
From Sintra we went to Cabo da Roca; a natural viewpoint that marks the most westerly point of mainland Europe. Beyond the fact that it is the most western point of the continent, there isn’t much to see or do hereother than exploring another lighthouse and enjoying the view of the Atlantic Ocean. Be careful while exploring and don’t get to close to the edge.
The last stop of the day was Cascais, a charming seaside town with plenty of restaurants and bars and glorious sandy beaches. It would be a great place to relax and enjoy the sun though we did not have time for that.
Back to Lisbon, we went to Gandhi Palace in Bairro Alto for dinner. The food was good but the highlight was the soup birthday celebration for hubby and the nighttime shenanigans on the streets of Lisbon. Oh what a night!
Day 7 – LISBON
Our last day in Portugal; we started by exploring Castelo de Sao Jorge (St. George’s Castle) which is the city’s main attraction. We walked to Rossio Square & took bus 737 to the Castle; the bus runs every 15-20 mins & drops you right in front of castle entrance. Tickets to the castle are €8.50 pp.
The Lisbon castle provides the most breathtaking views of Lisbon; with the mix of color roofs of Lisbon; the river and the hills all in one view. A walk along the outside walls is highly recommended with canons adorning the edge of the walls and the panoramic views of Lisbon. Inside the castle you can walk the walls, climbing up and down the various lookout towers. The Tower of Ulysses holds the Camera Obscuras, a periscope that projects sights from around the city. They have a 20 mins guided tour in English, Spanish & Portugal; English tour is every hour on the hour.
From the castle we walked to Se Cathedral which was built right after the first King of Portugal conquered the city to the Moorish in 1147; as a symbol of Christianity. The church has survived several fires and earthquakes and still stands as a highlight of the Alfamadistrict.
We took a tuk-tuk to the Time Out market for lunch. It’s a trendy food court with stalls selling a variety of Portuguese food, desserts and drinks.
CarmoChurch and Convent is one of the most dramatic sights in Lisbon. Destroyed during the massive 1755 earthquake; this gothic church was not rebuilt and that’s why the church is roofless.
Later that day we have a 2-hour walking tour of Alfama with Discovery Tour. Alfama is the oldest district in Lisbon with a delightful maze of narrow cobblestone streets. It ended up being a private tour and we got to see several beautiful spots of the old part of Lisbon and learned a lot of the history of Portugal. We had a really good time in a magical neighborhood.
This last day in Portugal also was my husband’s birthday; we had dinner reservations at Bairro Do Avillez; a large open garden-like space restaurant with great food and drinks. To finish off the trip with a bang we went to San PayoStripclub located across from Hotel Britania. It was not a great experience but one we will cherish forever.
Portugal definitely captured our hears with all the ingredients of a memorable vacation. From the city break in Lisbon to a beach vacation in Algarve; there is so much to explore in Portugal.
