11-12 nights in Portugal
 

This is a correction to my previous post: we need 11-12 nights itinerary.

We are two couples in mid 50s looking for an advice on 11-12 nights itinerary in Portugal in the middle of September. It will be our first trip to Portugal. The other couple was in Lisbon once for 3 days.
We would like to include 3 days on a beach and stay in a few locations (but avoid too many hotel stays), doing side trips from each. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance

Dimitry

Going by car or train?

Anyway start in Lisbon and work way to Porto - a nice base for several neat day trips like to Guimares or Braga - research them. And Nazarre not far from Porto makes a perfect seaside stay - old fishing town where days catch is still grilled open-air and sold in small alleys. Weather may be better in the Algarve but many resorts there are modern high-rise type places.

Lisbon maybe go to Obidos - perfectly walled medieval city; Coimbra - stunning university area in upper town and Batlaha and Alcbaca monasteries - UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Three bases could be Nazarre, Porto and Lisbon.

All above can be reached by train and or bus - for lots on Portugeuse trains check www.cp.pt; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

A car would be nicer for hidtting Nazarre and the monasteries that are hard to reach by train.

In Lisbon consider a day trip by car or train to Evora and the cork district.

Thanks a lot for the reply! Someone mentioned that Sintra is worth staying for a couple of night. Would you agree?

We can go by car or train

Sintra is really close to Lisbon and makes a nice day trip from there - relocating takes so much time I'd so Sintra as a day trip by suburban train from Lisbon.

If with car hit when leaving Lisbon. Small nice town could be nice base for few nights as you can drive from there over to the Atlantic Coast for a day thru sweet-smelling eucalyptus groves - especially to Cabo di Roca:

https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/cabo-da-roca

westernmost place of European continent, including Ireland! Often large waves.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cabo...w=1536&bih=759