Favorites and "wish I had knowns" about Portugal
 

We will be spending a week in Portugal in February and have read guidebooks, excellent trip reports, etc., so I'm pretty familiar with the main sights and other common information. We'll primarily be in Lisbon, Sintra, and Evora (plus either staying in Batalha for one day or making a day trip from Lisbon); although the Douro Valley, the beaches, and other spots also look fantastic, our basic itinerary is pretty much set.

So what I'm wondering is this: what was your favorite thing to see/do/experience in Portugal, something you would do over again or something that you'll always remember? And what do you wish you had known before going?

Thanks!

I wish I had known that two of most often recommended tourist areas in Lisbon -- Chiado and Barrio Alta -- were sort of gentrified for tourism and had that canned feeling, plus a lot of generic brand name shopping venues and fusion restaurants that you would find anywhere where the international crowd has money. Not knowing this, I took the recommendations and ended up booking in Chiado, but once there, I felt many other neighborhoods that were really just a few steps away had a lot more texture and interest just as neighborhoods. Guidebook writers tend to play it "safe" in recommending where to stay, but public transportation in Lisbon is great, and taxis are dirt cheap, so for my return I intend to venture beyond (although I would not stay in the Alfama either).

My favorite sight in Lisbon was the convent do Carmo and, because I greatly enjoy museums, I found the Gulbenkian to be absolutely outstanding.

Thanks, Sandralist! We're definitely not interested in shopping at H&M or anything like that, so that's a great tip.

Definitely the Gulbenkian, and the monastery in Belem. I like the Design and Fashion museum too, but that's probably not to everyone's taste. Almost any of the viewpoints.

Chicken to-die-for at Bom Jardim. Port at Solar do Vinho do Porto.

Have you read my Lisbon TR? http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ing-lisbon.cfm - all are things I would do again, although I have been back twice and found other things to do as well.

I visited Evora my last trip. Do not go for the Roman temple unless you've never seen one. Best part of the visit there was a wineries tour, although the town is pleasant enough.

Thanks, Thursdayd! I just read your trip report--full of great info. We are not going to Evora for the Roman temple; we're planning to go out to the megalithic site (Almendres something), and we want to see the bone chapel (we saw one in the Czech Republic and thought it was both creepy and beautiful).

I have spent about a month in Portugal in 3 trips and find it most enjoyable. Some of my favs do not often get their just due. I suggest that Marvao, Nazare, and Ponte di Lima are worth your time. Of course, Lisbon and Evora are not to be missed. I did not do justice to Porto and Coimbra, however.

Have fun ! Portugal is great.

The best meal at Bistro 100 Maneiras Lisbon.

Many streets in Lisbon are very, very steep. The small cobblestones ( especially when wet)
make comfortable shoes essential.

I enjoyed a visit to Belem very much

Eduardo VII park is lovely , Gulbenkian is a gem.

I will strongly second the need for the right shoes on the steep cobblestoned sidewalks, especially since you will be there in February. The shoes should have excellent grip and not have the kind of plasticized soles, as many running shoes do, that slip on a smooth surface.

Thanks to all. Marvao looks really lovely.

I have some waterproof Merrill boots (flat) with rubbery soles that I plan on wearing most of the time; I'm hoping they will be grippy enough.

Here are some images you may enjoy.
Just click on one and select side show.

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3832

Thanks, I did enjoy those photos (especially the man on the donkey and the cats).

There is an awful lot of empty space.

This may be a bug or a feature, depending on your tastes.

Loved the Tile Museum in Lisbon. Its a fantastic exhibit of all the fabulous Portugese tiels in a lovely building. It's a little out of downtown, but easy to reach via bus or take a taxi.

Food portions in a lot of restaurants seem really large - but we found out late that you can order half portions.

Thanks!

2 persons eating in a restaurant can order 2 half portions and made clear that the 2nd should come only after the 1st. If both persons share each half there is the double of fun by the same amount of money.
Waiters must change plates and forks and knives between each order (and glasses if you start with white and end with red).
If there is meat and fish combo, fish always comes first. In this situation a nice tip (5 to 10% is recommended).
This strategy must be used with common sense (Not to be used in a rush hour in Lisbon with lots of people waiting for a table).

Wow, great thread, found some new places for our trip in March.

Sandralist, l knew nothing about Convent do Carmo, and it's right up the street from our apartment. It looks awesome!

Eat fish! I have never had so much good fish as I did on our visits to Portugal - the very best was a streetside grilled fish flavored with olive oil and salt. We never tried the salted cod (bachalo?) tho. Chicken with piri-piri sauce, also excellent. And the Belem pastries - yum. Not sure I can remember what sightseeing we did, but the food was to die for!

I also appreciate this thread for my late spring trip planning.

Regarding neighborhoods mentioned above (for vacation rental)-- If Chiado and Barrio Alto are too generic, which neighborhood would the Fodorites recommend? I am partial to great views and interesting architecture, which is why the Alfama area looked attractive to me. We also would like an area where we can walk to lots of restaurants and shops. Any further insight on this would be appreciated. (I've read through most of the "neighborhood" question threads on both here and TA, and I'm still not getting a good feel for the pros and cons of each area.)

We stayed in an apt in Barrio Alta and loved it. It was a good location to get around Lisbon and the area itself was filled with little cafes and bars. I did not think it was horribly gentrified at all. I thought the chiado ok, but not to my liking which is just a personal preference.