Portugal trip itinerary
Discussion
We've got 15 nights in Portugal this June.
We know Porto and the areas north of Porto reasonably well, as parts of the Algarve but not much else.
We will rent a car at Porto Airport and return it at Faro airport.
We start with 3 nights wine/hotel in Pinhao (Vintage House) and end with 7 nights in a villa in Tavira.
In between, we have 5 nights to travel south.
We will want to visit Lisbon (never been before).
Initially we were thinking maybe two nights in Nazare (know very little about here apart from it's a surfers town at sometimes of the year), then maybe 3 nights Lisbon (is that too much?).
Any suggestions/recommendations for the 5 nights? Locations or hotels/apartments? And as its PH, any good roads en-route?
We are two couples into food & wine and general sightseeing. Budget up to maybe £150 to £250 per room/night maybe a bit flexible at the upper end for something special.
Thanks.
We know Porto and the areas north of Porto reasonably well, as parts of the Algarve but not much else.
We will rent a car at Porto Airport and return it at Faro airport.
We start with 3 nights wine/hotel in Pinhao (Vintage House) and end with 7 nights in a villa in Tavira.
In between, we have 5 nights to travel south.
We will want to visit Lisbon (never been before).
Initially we were thinking maybe two nights in Nazare (know very little about here apart from it's a surfers town at sometimes of the year), then maybe 3 nights Lisbon (is that too much?).
Any suggestions/recommendations for the 5 nights? Locations or hotels/apartments? And as its PH, any good roads en-route?
We are two couples into food & wine and general sightseeing. Budget up to maybe £150 to £250 per room/night maybe a bit flexible at the upper end for something special.
Thanks.
Edited by i4got on Tuesday 14th February 15:29
I think two nights in Nazare might be a bit much unless you want to explore the local area. It’s ok there for a day trip, not exciting and you won’t be able to go in the sea, not because of waves (the big ones are late in the year like now) but because of severe currents. I live nearby in the town of Alcobaca. If you want a dip in the sea go to São Martinho de Porto a bit further south. Natural harbour and good beach.
Foz do arelho is also good, to stop on the way south. Depends what you want, plenty of pretty towns with historic things to see, all with good bar’s restaurants etc., Like Sintra, just north of Lisbon, and yeah can easily spend a few days in Lisbon. Not being much help here am I !
Cascais west of Lisbon is another good area.
Roads, the main Toll roads are very good and quiet until you get around a Lisbon. Plenty of good driving roads away from the motorway but although speed cameras are rare the plod (GNR) are around and happy to stop you randomly.
Foz do arelho is also good, to stop on the way south. Depends what you want, plenty of pretty towns with historic things to see, all with good bar’s restaurants etc., Like Sintra, just north of Lisbon, and yeah can easily spend a few days in Lisbon. Not being much help here am I !
Cascais west of Lisbon is another good area.
Roads, the main Toll roads are very good and quiet until you get around a Lisbon. Plenty of good driving roads away from the motorway but although speed cameras are rare the plod (GNR) are around and happy to stop you randomly.
Edited by languagetimothy on Wednesday 15th February 11:08
Just down the coast from Nazare is Sao Martinho do Porto, a pretty bay with fishing town on the northern side and sand dunes and a smaller town (Salir) on the south. I spent my childhood summers there, was very lucky really. It's pretty and worth a look. Caldas da Rainha is a little further south but haven't been there since I was a nipper.
Lisbon is nice, maybe a trip along the coastal road or using Os Comboios (overland trains) stop at Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Monastery) and Tor de Belem ending at Cascais. Nice beaches are dotted all along.
There's a nice promenade you can walk along from Cascais back toward Lisbon, can't remember where it ends but when it does just hop back on a train.
Good places to eat are everywhere in Lisbon but Mercado da Ribeira is a popular food market at Cais do Sodre (the location of the hub of the Metro and Comboios) and has loads of mini restaurants, up the hill takes you to Barrio Alto which has some nice shopping areas and is good for nightlife.
Lisbon Metro/Comboios are reliable.
Watch out for petty thieves/pickpockets especially at tourist sites.
Drugs are sold openly in Portugal (decriminalised) but they won't pester you if you simply say 'Nao obrigado' (no thanks).
beaten to it on a few hints!
Lisbon is nice, maybe a trip along the coastal road or using Os Comboios (overland trains) stop at Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Monastery) and Tor de Belem ending at Cascais. Nice beaches are dotted all along.
There's a nice promenade you can walk along from Cascais back toward Lisbon, can't remember where it ends but when it does just hop back on a train.
Good places to eat are everywhere in Lisbon but Mercado da Ribeira is a popular food market at Cais do Sodre (the location of the hub of the Metro and Comboios) and has loads of mini restaurants, up the hill takes you to Barrio Alto which has some nice shopping areas and is good for nightlife.
Lisbon Metro/Comboios are reliable.
Watch out for petty thieves/pickpockets especially at tourist sites.
Drugs are sold openly in Portugal (decriminalised) but they won't pester you if you simply say 'Nao obrigado' (no thanks).
beaten to it on a few hints!
Edited by Pepperpots on Wednesday 15th February 11:15
I rode my bike down from Porto to Cascais about 5 years ago and stopped along the way, a nice and casual November ride with 22deg sunshine...
Depends what you want to do/see, as there isn't that much outside the bigger towns, but I have been to;
Figueira do Foz - obviously on a bike I didn't really stay in the town to look around, I just recall asking if I could ride over the 'Dartford Bridge' there and the reception say 'yes, why wouldn't you be able to'
Nazare, good for one night as there isn't much there, stand up on the 'fort' and watch the waves/surfers, but if there are no big waves... then its 30mins at best. Bit touristy on the front, but then aren't all coastal towns?
Sao Martinho - again, rode past the 'bay', seemed a nice enough place, but like most of the villages down the coast, there isn't much there
Obidos - old walled town, park 1/2 mile away in the car park, wander round (but it's the same 'tourist tat' that is for sale) have lunch... head somewhere else
Peniche - (said in a Sean Connery voice...) larger town, so probably more to do, again it was a ride in, stop over, ride off
Caramulo Inland) - https://museudocaramulo.pt/en/home/ - random (but good!) motor museum up the hill, there is a 'motorbike' event in mid June, but they also have a hill climb event in September-ish. Having been to the top of the run you get an amazing view and the paragliders jump off point :-o
Ericeira - apparently a seaside holiday town, stopped in the Vila Gale, but again... stopped, got up and rode off
Cascais - really nice part of Portugal and better here than Estoril (effectively the casino and not much else), plenty to see locally and, whilst you can't park cars at Sintra Palace, you can get a bus from Cascais... don't sit at the back as the overhang means that your view is 'alarming' at times :-o
Sintra - old town... I made that mistake, just once, historical UNESCO World Heritage site but food/shops are touristy.
Sintra Palace - good way to waste half a day, views are good at the top, but as above, no parking... I have don't the Tuk Tuk option in the past, the bus (as above) and rode up there... steep (very!) and nicer on the way back down
Estoril Circuit - if there is something on then why not go? There is 'Cascais Shopping' on the other side of the motorway, food hall wipes the floor with what we have in the UK... McD & KFC are usually empty as there is so much local choice
Lisbon - anything you want is kind of there, however traffic/parking can be an issue... nice to just wander around, but it is quite hilly...
Travel - in bigger towns/cities, avoid rush hour... it gets stupid and frustrating.
Suggestion - if you want to go to Lisbon, then stay in Cascais (every budget available) and get the train, the track runs from Cascais to Lisbon, so you can't go too far and, from memory it is about €6-8 return. Then when you get out at Cais Do Sodre, cross the road (mind the trams) and turn left and go into the Time Out Market...
In fact, you could get off a couple of stops earlier, e.g. Belem and walk the rest, plenty to stop and look at. Again, depends on what you want to do, age/walking, etc.
Then when you set off to the Algarve, you can go via Evora, Portimao Circuit, etc...
(I have been Cascais/Lisbon plenty of times with previous work, we raced at Portimao, then 2-3 weeks later at Estoril... I was single and so no real point in coming back to go back again, good memories... let me know if you need more info... don't want to waffle on...!)
Depends what you want to do/see, as there isn't that much outside the bigger towns, but I have been to;
Figueira do Foz - obviously on a bike I didn't really stay in the town to look around, I just recall asking if I could ride over the 'Dartford Bridge' there and the reception say 'yes, why wouldn't you be able to'
Nazare, good for one night as there isn't much there, stand up on the 'fort' and watch the waves/surfers, but if there are no big waves... then its 30mins at best. Bit touristy on the front, but then aren't all coastal towns?
Sao Martinho - again, rode past the 'bay', seemed a nice enough place, but like most of the villages down the coast, there isn't much there
Obidos - old walled town, park 1/2 mile away in the car park, wander round (but it's the same 'tourist tat' that is for sale) have lunch... head somewhere else
Peniche - (said in a Sean Connery voice...) larger town, so probably more to do, again it was a ride in, stop over, ride off
Caramulo Inland) - https://museudocaramulo.pt/en/home/ - random (but good!) motor museum up the hill, there is a 'motorbike' event in mid June, but they also have a hill climb event in September-ish. Having been to the top of the run you get an amazing view and the paragliders jump off point :-o
Ericeira - apparently a seaside holiday town, stopped in the Vila Gale, but again... stopped, got up and rode off
Cascais - really nice part of Portugal and better here than Estoril (effectively the casino and not much else), plenty to see locally and, whilst you can't park cars at Sintra Palace, you can get a bus from Cascais... don't sit at the back as the overhang means that your view is 'alarming' at times :-o
Sintra - old town... I made that mistake, just once, historical UNESCO World Heritage site but food/shops are touristy.
Sintra Palace - good way to waste half a day, views are good at the top, but as above, no parking... I have don't the Tuk Tuk option in the past, the bus (as above) and rode up there... steep (very!) and nicer on the way back down
Estoril Circuit - if there is something on then why not go? There is 'Cascais Shopping' on the other side of the motorway, food hall wipes the floor with what we have in the UK... McD & KFC are usually empty as there is so much local choice
Lisbon - anything you want is kind of there, however traffic/parking can be an issue... nice to just wander around, but it is quite hilly...
Travel - in bigger towns/cities, avoid rush hour... it gets stupid and frustrating.
Suggestion - if you want to go to Lisbon, then stay in Cascais (every budget available) and get the train, the track runs from Cascais to Lisbon, so you can't go too far and, from memory it is about €6-8 return. Then when you get out at Cais Do Sodre, cross the road (mind the trams) and turn left and go into the Time Out Market...
In fact, you could get off a couple of stops earlier, e.g. Belem and walk the rest, plenty to stop and look at. Again, depends on what you want to do, age/walking, etc.
Then when you set off to the Algarve, you can go via Evora, Portimao Circuit, etc...
(I have been Cascais/Lisbon plenty of times with previous work, we raced at Portimao, then 2-3 weeks later at Estoril... I was single and so no real point in coming back to go back again, good memories... let me know if you need more info... don't want to waffle on...!)
Thanks all - some very useful information to digest there. We're now thinking something like the below.
Stop off for lunch/sightseeing at Viseu on the way fro Pinhao to Coimbra. Maybe two nights in Coimbra then coastal drive to Lisbon stopping for breaks at Figueira da voz/Nazare. Three nights Lisbon - possible day trip to Casceis. Then a stop off at Evora on the way to Tavira.
Booked accommodation at Vintage House Pinhao and Avenida Palace in Lisbon and we have an apartment for 7 days in Tavira where we'll do a bit of driving around eastern Algarve - maybe jump on the ferry to Ayamonte.
Stop off for lunch/sightseeing at Viseu on the way fro Pinhao to Coimbra. Maybe two nights in Coimbra then coastal drive to Lisbon stopping for breaks at Figueira da voz/Nazare. Three nights Lisbon - possible day trip to Casceis. Then a stop off at Evora on the way to Tavira.
Booked accommodation at Vintage House Pinhao and Avenida Palace in Lisbon and we have an apartment for 7 days in Tavira where we'll do a bit of driving around eastern Algarve - maybe jump on the ferry to Ayamonte.
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