Portugal

Official Language: Portuguese Currency: Euro

Lisbon Sintra/Cabo de Roca Porto Algarve

Located in the Iberian peninsula, with Spain to the East & North and the Atlantic Ocean to the West & South, lies Portugal. Portugal lost significant wealth in 1755 when a devastating earthquake rocked the capital city of Lisbon, as well as when Brazil became an independent country in 1822 (it used to be the wealthiest colony of Portugal). What is Portugal known for? Incredible beaches, incredible surf, cork, and Cristiano Ronaldo. What you may not know about Portugal is how innovative it is. in 2018, Portugal ranked as one of the top 13 innovative countries in the world. The pre paid phone card, and the most advanced ATM’s in the world were all created in Portugal. Head West from Lisbon to Sintra or Cabo de Roca, and you will feel like you have just stepped into a fairytale world with all of the medieval castles and some incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean. A trip North to Porto will get you into Port wine country and the Duoro wine valley and a trip down south will get you some of the best cork in the world (Portugal accounts for ~ 50% of the world’s cork production), some of the best surf in the world (Nazaré’s infamous 90ft wave anyone?), and arguably my favourite beaches in Europe, along the Algarve coast.

Portugal has been a favourite of mine for a few reasons. Firstly, it was one of my first trips that I had done solo, as ‘practice’ for my big trip. Little did I know, that I would meet my now good friend Mara, within an hour of being in Lisbon and so never really had to travel solo per se as we ended up travelling together for my entire 10 days in Portugal. We have since visited one another in our home cities of New York and Calgary, and spent 2.5 weeks together in Croatia, Montenegro and Greece, all within the span of a year. Don’t be afraid to solo travel as you can meet some incredible, and lifelong friends as I can attest to. Secondly, this was where my parents came to visit me on my round-the-world trip. Aside from my parents’ old house in Mexico, we hadn’t had a family vacation like this one in years (if ever, really), and getting to show my parents how I travel and have them be a part of this trip meant the world to me. Showing up to the AirBnB in Porto to their smiling faces calling down to me from the balcony, with a huge smile on their faces was something that I’ll never forget. Ill forever cherish my time in Portugal, and it will always have a place in my heart for many reasons, but these 2 reasons take the cake.

As a whole, Portugal has something for everyone depending on what kind of vacation you’re looking for, and what kind of budget you have. Many people will rent a car to get around Portugal, and it can certainly give you easier access to more sites outside of the major cities, and provided you can drive a manual car, this will be a relatively cheap option if travelling as a group and you drop it off at the point of pick up. With that said, both buses and trains can also get you around easily, with little hassle, and is what I have done while visiting the country. Portugal is also one of the cheaper countries in Western Europe, so your dollar will go much further here. Don’t hesitate to book a trip to Portugal - I’ve been here twice now, and would go back again in a heartbeat, as I still have so much left to explore!

Lisbon

Chances are if you’re going to visit Portugal, Lisbon will be on your list to stay for a few days at the very least, if not, it should be. The largest city and capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a vibrant city full of history, nightlife, great food, and some even better views as it is ideally situated on the Tagus River. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and 2nd oldest European capital city (Athens, Greece is #1). Lisbon was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century, adding significant influence to the architecture, and was taken back in the 12th century by the crusaders.

Lisbon was hit by a ~M8.5 earthquake in 1755, which caused huge damage to the city and many historical sites, and was one of the most deadly earthquakes in history, with an estimated death toll of between 10-100k people. One of the areas that was least affected, and is the oldest in the city was the Alfama district, so paying a visit to this area you will be able to hear traditional Portuguese fado music, and see the original architecture with labyrinth-like streets, amazingly tiled buildings with significant moorish influence, and some impressive castles. Castelo de São Jorge is situated at the northern side of the Alfama district, the entrance fee for adults is 10€ and is certainly worth a walk around. The hill that the castle sits has played a vital role in the history of the city - it was the location of the fortifications (like the castle) occupied at one point by the Romans, Moors, Carthaginians and Phoenicians, before its final switch to Portuguese rule in the Siege of Lisbon in 1147. Not only full of history, the castle also has some incredible views overlooking the city.

Speaking of amazing views — if you aren’t keen on paying the fee to get into the castle (or you can do both as I have), there is a viewpoint not far from it, that is somehow typically empty. It’s a secret gem that we stumbled upon my first time in Lisbon, and remains one of my favourite views in the city — not to mention you get to take a glass elevator to get there! If you google ‘Lift Castelo’ in Google Maps, you will have the location of the elevator. Take this up to the top floor and instead of turning right like most people will do. Turn left, and have a peek around the corner to find this (not so hidden, but masked) spot. There is a bar here if you’d like to stay for a drink or meal, otherwise soak in the view without being surrounded by a million other tourists!

Worth a note in Lisbon is its food. Portugal is known for its Pastel de Nata (pastry of cream is the literal translation), and do not skip trying these… everyday. These little tarts are to die for and worth all of the calories. Add some cinnamon and icing sugar on top, and man oh man do you have yourself a treat. Another stand out to me in Lisbon is the Time Out Market. Time Out Market originated in Lisbon in 2014 and has since opened up locations around the world. In Lisbon, 26 restaurants, 8 bars, many shops/markets, and a music venue all call Time Out Market home. Curated to be an upscale ‘food court’ if you will, with the taste of high end restaurants and world-renowned chefs will not leave you disappointed, and will having you come back time and time again to try out new restaurants and dishes. Open from 10am, you can stop in for any meal of the day to enjoy some incredible food.

Other ‘must do’s in Lisbon include a visit to the Belem Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, spending time on a rooftop bar watching the sunset over the Tagus River, followed by a visit to Pink Street for some infamous Lisbon nightlife, and Praça do Comércio (the main square). Many people will also go for a ride on the Trolley cars, and my only suggestion for this is to get on the trolley outside of the tourist hot spots, or you can end up waiting in huge lines for a ride.

Sintra & Cabo de Roca

Do-able in a day trip as I did from Lisbon, although well worth a few days stay alone, especially if you want to get out of the crowds and explore the town, is Sintra & Cabo de Roca. You can get to both by an Uber or a tour company from Lisbon, or to Sintra directly, via train (~1 hr ride) from the city centre, which is your cheapest option, though Uber is likely your quickest.

Sintra is a town that the minute you arrive, you’ve feel as if you’ve stepped into a fairytale - at least I did. Hillsides covered in forest hide colourful palaces, gardens, castle ruins and monasteries that are built within, and encompass what Sintra has to offer. In my opinion, Sintra is hands down a ‘must see’ when visiting Portugal. With that said, your visit to Sintra, especially if just a single day trip, can be packed full of different castles or views depending on what you really want to see. The top 4 attractions in Sintra are the Quinta de Regaleira (home to the initiation well), Pena Palace and its monumental gardens (very IG friendly), Castle of the Moors, and the National Palace of Sintra, though there are many more to check out if time allows. To get through all of 4 of these in one day, plus spending time in the town of Sintra itself, would be a huge task (if its even possible), so if you want to see them all, definitely stay a few days — you’ll thank yourself later.

Cabo de Roca is the most Westerly point in continental Europe, and offers up some incredible views over the Atlantic Ocean below (It has been my phones background image to this day). Take a walk along the coastal edge and get swept away (sometimes literally by the winds here) by the views of the impeccable cliff landscapes, and the historic lighthouse.

The Algarve

Albufeira & Benagil Cave

Porto

The second largest city in Portugal, Porto, is well worth a trip to the North of the country. I skipped Porto on my first trip to Portugal, though had always wanted to return, so when my parents added it to their list of places that we would be visiting, I was thrilled. Getting to Porto is relatively easy from all over Europe; a few hour train or bus ride, or quick flight from within Portugal or other parts of Europe.

We spent the first couple days in Porto site-seeing in a way that I had never done before - via the ‘Hop On, Hop Off’ bus offered by Citysightseeing in most major cities across the world. This company allows you to hop on and off the bus as much as you would like, all at stops near the tourist attractions around the city for a set fee. They provide you with a set of headphones to plug into their system, and provide you with information about areas you see whilst driving or stop at, so its also a great way to learn more about the city. They typically offer different routes depending on what you’re looking for in the cities at different costs, and is definitely worth it to scope it out if you don’t want to spend your time walking or Ubering to different sites if you want to hit them all.

Things that Porto is known for? The obvious - Port wine. Similar to wine, Port is created using grapes and in order to call it ‘Port’ it needs to be exclusively distilled in the Duoro valley in Northern Portugal with grapes from this region. Aguardente is added to the wine to stop the fermentation process and in turn leaves behind a residual sugar in its place, as well as boosting its alcohol content. Port is typically a sweet, dessert-like red wine with higher % of alcohol, more similar to a liqueur like Brandy. The Port is then stored in barrels in a cellar before being bottled. Paying a visit to the Port wine houses along the Duoro River valley or within the Gaia area near Porto can provide ample opportunities to try out different flavours and brands of Port!

The not so obvious, but worth noting food that Porto is known for are the francesinhas. Meaning ‘frenchie’ in Portuguese, these bundles are not something to snack on. Sandwiched between 2 pieces of bread is cured ham, sausage, roast beef, followed by a fried egg and topped off with melted cheese and a beer-tomato sauce. To accompany the already filling dish, it’s traditionally served with french fries and a beer. Though we weren’t the biggest fan of the dish, many people are, and (provided you aren’t vegetarian) is worth a try while in the city of Porto where they were first created.

Other noteworthy things to do in Portugal include a river boat up the Duoro River, visiting the São Bento train station to admire the tile work, paying a visit to the Monastery in Gaia (even if it is just for the view over the Ribeira district and the Duoro River valley), climbing the Clergy tower for some impressive views over the city, and be sure to pay a visit to the Igreja de São Francisco Church and catacombs. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, for 3€ you can walk into the infamous Livraria Lello - a bookstore with a vibe resembling that of Flourish and Blotts, and with a staircase that resembles that of Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling frequented this store often while she lived in the city from 1991 - 1993. To make your Harry Potter tour in Porto complete, head to Cafe Majestic, a huge tourist cafe(/trap) where Rowling wrote her first draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.