5 Places You Must Visit in Portugal

On Holiday or During a Scouting Visit

We receive lots of emails from readers that want to know what cities and towns in Portugal should be on the “must visit” list. There are many places we have still not visited, but let me recommend a few we have.

Lisbon

Lisbon and Logistics

It is more than likely you will fly into Lisbon, a busy if a bit dated airport. The Lisbon metro (subway, underground) system has a stop at the airport. (I offer you a guide to using the Lisbon metro here.) I would discourage you from renting a car when you first arrive. First, parking in Lisbon is expensive and a nightmare. Second, you will miss many of the sights as you attempt to navigate a new city. Third, there are some parts of the city (like Alfama that is an AirBNB haven) that are pedestrian only.

It makes sense to plan to stay a few days in Lisbon. Even if you are on a scouting trip, and have decided you don’t want to live in a city, Lisbon has too much history, culture, art, etc. to be missed. It is an easy city to navigate by metro, bus, tram, train, and ferry. You can buy a rechargeable transit pass that will allow you to navigate all of these systems easily. And Portugal offers many easy to use websites to assist you in planning your travel.

When we are going to a new place, we first consult Google Maps. We have found their navigation on public transit is very reliable. However, there have been work stoppages (strikes) from time to time. These are “advertised” in advance on the government’s transit systems website. It is a good idea to check these sites as well.

During you stay in Lisbon, we recommend:

• Take a walking tour to learn about the history of the city and identify places you want to spend more time exploring.

• You’ll find most of the “touristy” attractions in Belém. Take the train to Belém and spend the day walking in one of the flattest parts of the city. If you have time, check out the well regarded National Coach Museum.

• Also explore the New Lisbon and its fantastic aquarium.

• Sintra is just up the road a bit. You can get a bus from the city that will take you there. There are many sites, in Sintra … a few of our favourites can be found here.

• And, of course, we sent our first year in Cascais and wrote a lot about things to do and see there. Cascais is just 35 minutes from Lisbon by train. But, keep in mind, during the summer months it is really quite busy!

Porto

Heading North

You can easily get to Porto using public transportation or a chartered bus service. We went from Cascais to Porto for only €4,99. Though we did write about our experiences in prison there…we are not experts on Porto. If you want more information on Porto, check out Mike’s site as he and Mary lived there for their first 6 months.

During our Porto visit, we took a train to Aveiro, also known as the Venice of Portugal. This is a place we think everyone should visit for a few days. Again, we started our visit with a walking tour. This led us to visiting Vista Alegre and Costa Nova. Both are easily and inexpensively accessed via Uber or Bolt.

Coimbra…and you thought Lisbon and Porto were hilly.

Next take the train to Coimbra, the home of Portugal’s Coimbra University which was established in 1290. If you are fortunate enough to visit the city when school is in session you will note that it still maintains some of the oldest traditions. The student’s capes reminded us of St Andrews! But be prepared….if you thought Lisbon and Porto were hilly, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Entering Óbidos

Our 2 Favourite and Oldest Cities

Our two favourite and oldest cities are Évora and Óbidos. We have returned to each of these cities on three different occasions, and will be visiting again when friends come to visit from the States later this year. Perhaps it is because we grew up in America, and find a medieval walled city so enchanting. If you come in December, don’t miss Óbidos’ Christmas Village.

Sagres, the southwestern most point in mainland Portugal.

Driving South

Of course, you can reach southern Portugal (Algarve) via train or bus. But this is one instance in which we recommend that you rent a car. While getting to Faro is quick and inexpensive via public transit, moving along the southern coast is best accomplished by car. Of course, if you do rent a car in Lisbon we recommend you spend the time driving down the coast (rather than taking the faster, costly, toll road). If you do, you will begin your Algarve adventure in Sagres … a small town where you will find surfers living in their camper vans.

Travelling east from Sagres we recommend you stop in Silves. There you will find our favourite vegan/vegetarian restaurant. If you continue east, you may want to stop in Pedras d’el Rei, Tavira (an expat friendly city in Eastern Algarve) and of course Vila Real de Santo Antonio.

Okay, if you are still reading you might be saying to yourself that is more than five. And you are absolutely right! But somewhere I read that SEO searches prefer posts with “5 Best” in the title…so yes, I lied. I lied because I want our subscriber community to grow. So please…

And remember, you can always use the search (small magnifying glass) on the home page or consult the index provided in the subscriber welcome email to learn more about the places we have visited in Portugal. And, of course, you can comment below or send me an email if you have a question.

Next Week: a pickleball update (complete with video).