tuftsauto

In mid-April, my girlfriend and I will be flying into/out of Lisbon for a 9 day trip. I have never been to Portugal or Spain(other than Madrid/Barcelona), but she studied abroad in Granada and traveled throughout southern Spain.

This is our rough itinerary, detailed below:

As of now, our plan looks something like this, but it is flexible:
Day 1) Arrive in Lisbon. Explore and stay overnight for 1 night.
Day 2) Pick up rental car in Lisbon and drive south. Stop along southern coast of Portugal somewhere. Either for a night(perhaps Tavira) or for lunch on our way to Seville. Stay in either Tavira or Seville.
Days 3-7) TBD. Ideas include Granada, Seville, Cordoba, and a night at an agriturismo. Day trip ideas include the Eastern Coast of Spain for a hike, hiking in the Sierra Nevadas, and a bike ride somewhere. We're looking for ideas here though. Definitely want to take in the sights of Semana Santa, as we'll be in Andalucia for it.
Day 8) Travel back to Lisbon, likely from Cordoba. Travel through the center of Portugal rather than along the coast again, possibly stopping in Evora for lunch/to explore. Sleep in Lisbon
Day 9) Fly out of Lisbon at 12:45 PM, so basically first thing in the morning.

My girlfriend and I are active young people who love to explore a mix of cities and countryside while eating lots of delicious food. In particular, I love bakeries, but will honestly eat anything. I have never tried Bacalhau, and am looking for a great place to try it in.

For lodging, we're looking for small places to rent that are comfortable, but don't need to be spacious. A pool/outdoor space would be nice, but may not be as useful in mid-April. We'd like a fully equipped rental so that we can bring back fresh food from local markets to cook for some of our meals. We're looking in the price range of $60-100 per night for 2 people.

Based on this proposed itinerary and your experiences in these regions, does anyone have any recommendations for us? Thanks for your help!

tuftsauto

Here's a map of our proposed itinerary to give a visual: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tavi...38.7222524!3e0

Robert2533

Bacalhau (Portuguese - bacalao in Spanish) is cod, typically dried and salted, it's been a staple for hundreds of years.

It's a doable route, but with only 7 actual days you'll be spending a lot of time on the road. Personally, I would stick with Portugal, from Lisbon to the Algarve, then up into the Alentejo, before returning to Lisbon for your flight home. Or you can stay in Lisbon and do day-trips.

Finding a fully equipped rental for one or two nights at a time may prove to be a problem, and finding one for less than €70/night will be difficult.

marbleskies

By the end of this proposed trip you will be intimate w the inside of the car and able to accurately describe road conditions. If that is your intent then hve fun. Otherwise, slow down..... Goto fewer places and create better memories.

tuftsauto

Thanks for your input. We considered just doing Portugal given our timeframe, but really wanted to see Granada, so we booked a car for the trip. Here is our updated itinerary:

Day 1) Arrive in Lisbon. Explore Alfama, Belem, Bairro Alto. Stay in Chiado area overnight.
Day 2) Rent car and drive to Granada. Along way, stop for lunch/break for an hour or two. Possibly Sevilla. Possibly somewhere along coast. Sleep in Granada.
Day 3) Explore Granada. Sleep in Granada.
Day 4) Explore Granada, including Alhambra. Sleep in Granada.
Day 5) Day trip from Granada to do day hike in Sierra Nevadas. Sleep in Granada.
Day 6) Drive to Tavira, Portugal. Stay at agriturismo.
Day 7) Explore town of Tavira and Portuguese coast. Stay at agriturismo.
Day 8) Drive to Lisbon. Possibly detour to Sintra first. Stay in Lisbon overnight.
Day 9) Fly back to US.

Based on this itinerary, does anyone have recommendations for the following:
1) Places to see on Portuguese coast.
2) Places to stop on drive to Granada.
3) Any other major attractions that we've missed?

Thanks for your help!

Robert2533

Lisbon to Sevilla will take you just over 4 hours, without stops. Remember, there is a one-hour time difference between Portugal and Spain.

Lunch breaks in Spain tend to be longer than one hour and if you have anything to drink for lunch (wine or beer), it might be a little difficult doing the last two hours to Granada. Just beware of the Guardia Civil. They have stepped up patrols on the highways.

Ozarksbill

Hey, no trip report? We will be in Spain-Portugal this october on a tour.