Leaving Soon for Portugal, & Looking for Last-Minute Tips
 

Next weekend, I’m departing on a two-week trip to Portugal. The itinerary is largely set (although an adjustment of a day or two here or there isn’t out of the question), but I would be interested in any last-minute tips or recommendations (other than hotels) for the places I’m going, or other places along my planned route. So: special things to see, tours, restaurants, great viewpoints (I love the Panorama feature on my IPhone!), places with characteristic or unusual Portuguese souvenirs.

I will be renting a car, and one other question I have is: is a mid-size OK, or should I look for something smaller? I’m traveling solo.

Day 1: Depart U.S.
Day 2: arrive Lisbon (Sunday)
Day 3: in Lisbon (Monday)
Day 4: in Lisbon (Tuesday)
Day 5: pick up rental car; drive through Queluz and Mafra to Obidos (Wednesday)
Day 6: drive from Obidos to Coimbra (Thursday)
Day 7: around Coimbra (Bussaco) (Friday)
Day 8: drive from Coimbra through Tomar to Marvao (Saturday)
Day 9: drive from Marvao to Evora (Sunday)
Day 10: drive from Evora to Albufeira (Monday)
Day 11: explore the Algarve (Tuesday)
Day 12: explore the Algarve (Wednesday)
Day 13: drive back to Lisbon (Thursday)
Day 14: fly home (Friday)

Looks good - Porto to me was a fantastic place for a day or two - nice Port wine tours in caves along river - but you've probably considered that already.

Thanks ! I did think about Porto and the North, but I figure it would take another 3 days at least to begin to do it justice, and even in a country the size of Portugal, you can't always manage everything. Maybe I could combine Portugal's Minho with Spain's Galicia and Santiago de Compostela on some future trip.

If you have the time make a short stop at "Castelo de Almourol", between Tomar and Marvão.

I did, thanks! I got there at about 5:30, so the castle was locked, but the boat was still taking people out to the island as late as 6:15, when I left. And the water was so low that I was actually able to cross to the island on stepping stones and then found a trail leading around to the entrance to the castle.