Sights to See
What parts of Portugal should I see?
There are lots of options!
You will want to use Lisbon as a home base and should spend a few days exploring there, unless you’re only in Portugal for the day of the wedding.
Sintra
Just 20 minutes from Estoril and 30 minutes from Lisbon, Sintra is the “fairytale” region of Portugal. From the Romanticist Pena Palace to the high-up Moorish Castle walls to the gardens and Initiation Well in Quinta da Regaleira, there are lots of things to see and do! The downtown part of Sintra, which is the place you want to go for the cute-little-town experience, is called São Martinho.
If you’d like to read more about Sintra, there’s a nice article in Hand Luggage Only.
Porto
Porto is a city in the north - just under 3 hours from Lisbon by car or train - which has an old-world Europe feel. Some of our favorite things were:
Livraria Lello, the library/bookstore that inspired J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame
Walking along the banks of the Douro river by the Dom Luís I Bridge
Torre dos Clérigos, a tower you can climb for a panoramic view of the city
Francesinhas, the most ridiculous sandwiches you’ll ever eat
The weather is cooler and occasionally overcast in Porto.
The Algarve
A catchall term for Portugal’s main beach area along the entire southern coast. This was Daniela’s favorite part of the country. There are lots of different beach towns down that way - we stayed in Lagos in the southeast. The Benagil Caves are in the Algarve, about 30 minutes from Lagos.
The weather is warm and sunny in this part of Portugal.
Évora
Évora is located in the Portuguese heartland - a quieter, more rustic town out in the Alentejo countryside. Known for their pork, Roman ruins, aqueducts, and Chapel of Bones. We wanted to visit last trip but ran out of time…