In the early stages of planning a trip to Portugal and Spain for February/March next year.

I know very little about either country, but have found some potential itineraries for Portugal online, which seems as good a starting point as any.

Thus far, the initial plan is to fly into Faro, head to Lagos for a few nights (is this a good idea in February?, then work our way to Lisbon, from which we'd also explore Sintra, then detour to Nazare for a few nights (not sure if this is a good idea in February either), then work our way to Porto.

Spouse will depart from Porto and I will take a flight to Madrid to meet up with a friend for the next eight nights (she's working on that part of the itinerary, Madrid and Barcelona).

So, my main questions at this point are 1) Does visiting the beach areas make sense in February? We're not typically beach goers, but I see there might be some nice hikes on offer. Cool weather is a perk for us, so that's not an issue. Will these areas be ghost towns that time of year? 2) How many days do we need for the above itinerary? We're slow travelers, and generally have no issues filling our time, regardless of where we go. My initial thought was 14 nights, but I'm waffling.

Oh, and this might be a weird question, but as a non-meat, non-seafood eater am I going to have trouble eating in the seafood mecca of Portugal?

Suggestions and insight much appreciated.

I haven't been to Portugal yet, but the trip I've planned would take 2.5 to 3 weeks.

For the parts of Spain you mention:
10 to 12 days for central Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca)
10 to 12 days for Catalonya (Barcelona, the Costa Brava) -- maybe less at that time of year.

Thanks for the comments.

The itinerary I've found online is self-guided, traveling by train and bus which is our preferred method. It was just a means of getting started, trying to figure out what to see and do, as I've always wanted to visit Portugal, but couldn't specifically say why.

An opportunity has presented itself, because a friend wants to visit Spain, and with Portugal being so close, well, it seemed a good time, especially for those of us who hate the heat.

The itinerary suggests three nights Lagos, at least three nights in Lisbon, two nights Nazare and three in Porto. I'm not sure if it would be a good fit for a February trip, but would let us see some beach towns as well as cities, hence my interest. Perhaps we should choose between Lagos or Nazare, not try to do both.

Four nights each in Madrid and Barcelona is what my friend and I had in mind. Good to know about the advance bookings, as that's exactly what's attracted her to Spain - Gaudi. I've never had an interest in Spain, but heck, a trip is a trip...and who doesn't like wine and tapas?

I'm sure you can see some wonderful things with just 4 nights in Madrid and in Barcelona, but you would need to be very selective. My time in Barcelona is included in this trip report:
Four Awesome Weeks in the North of Spain and Catalunya

Thanks kja, I'll take a look. The hazards of traveling with someone who only has two weeks of vacation! I love retirement!

I would visit one country or the other. Spain has a wider range of sites and charms, however, it will be very cool to cold depending on where or when.

As far as veggie food is concerned, the number of restaurants is growing in both countries but in other restaurants you will ask about preparation. Spaniards are contrarians and who will surprised how many smoke, knowing the hazards.

Madrid has world class museums and is an excellent base to visit surrounding towns. Barcelona has an usual joie de vivre and the art is the streets.

I visited Portugal and Spain last year. I went to Lagos. I would skip it. I would fly directly to Lisbon. Lisbon and surrounds are a better choice IMO.
and it will be cold in February.

Hi melnq8, many, many years ago my partner and I visited Peneda Geres National Park which we enjoyed, although we didn't spend long enough. It might be worth looking into to see if it appeals.

Long distance walk Rota Vicentina is on my wish-list for the future. You can do just a section or two if unable to tackle the whole lot.

Nazaré in February: you have a good probability to see the giant waves.*

We had 8 nights when we were in Portugal so had 5 nights in Lisbon and then did 3 nights in Cascais. We felt that was a good mix and were pleased with our decision. It was very easy to visit Sintra from Cascais.

Cool to cold is not a deterrent, in fact it's preferred.

millie2112 - curious about your comment regarding Lagos - would you mind sharing why you didn't care for it? How long did you stay there? Flying into Lisbon vs Faro makes a lot of sense if we skip Lagos.

dreamon - now you're talking! Thank you, I will look those up.

Helena - yes, I'd read about those ginormous waves. Sounds like fun.

mms - thank you, I'll take a look at Cascals - hadn't run across it yet.

The time in Spain is finite, but I made a mistake, it's nine nights instead of eight. My friend is working on that part of the trip, at this point I'm more concerned about Portugal and how much time we should allow there - it'll be my husband and myself and we have no time constraints.

I've done two trips to Portugal, one 9 nights (3 Lagos, 3 Faro, 3 Lisbon) and one two weeks including Lisbon, Evora, Obidos, Coimbra - didn't get as far as Porto). In just two weeks you'll need to pick and choose. I thought the cliffs west of Lagos were wonderful, the rest of the Algarve not so much (not bad, just not a highlight). I was there in March. The other trip was in July. Here's my photos - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/f334280890

Beautiful photos isabel, thank you for sharing! After more research this morning, I see that two weeks will barely scratch the surface. Now if I can just narrow things down...and sort out the flights.

Portugal and Spain are very different countries, with very different languages (at least for us), and transport links between them are not great. For this reason, it may make more sense to focus on Spain alone rather than split your time, especially if you have the opportunity to return another time. I've never visited but the northern coastal area of Spain looks fabulous.

But if you decide on Portugal, you could perhaps travel from Porto (or Peneda Geres) to Santiago de Compostela then onwards to Salamanca before meeting your friend in Madrid.

Actually, the transportation links between the two countries seems to be pretty clear cut - at least on paper. I'm now considering flying into Lisbon and departing from Barcelona, and taking a one way TAP flight from Lisbon to Madrid to meet up with my friend (we'll be traveling by train between Madrid and Barcelona).

The headache is coordinating the flights amongst three people with three different itineraries - two of us flying together from Colorado to Lisbon, one departing from Lisbon back to CO, the other flying from Lisbon to Madrid, then departing from Barcelona, and the third flying from Colorado to Madrid and also departing from Barcelona, but to a different CO airport.

At any rate, I think I have that part sorted. Just need to work on an actual itinerary for Portugal.

Melnq8, it'll be so easy to find these common vegetarian dishes in Spain: tortilla de patata, gazpacho, salmorejo, ajo blanco, champiñones al ajillo, pimientos de Padrón, and various types of vegetarian croquetas. In the In the Catalan region (Barcelona, Costa Brava), you'll also commonly come across pa amb tomaquet (pan con tomate), patatas bravas, and escalivada (though some might contain seafood).

Do you like olives? Because one of the first things I do after arriving in Spain is go the local market or the food section of the nearest El Corte Ingles (a large department store) and stock up on cheese, olives (huge olive bars), gazpacho (which is sold in milk carton-like containers), and, of course, wine. Spanish cheese is fantastic!

I've been to Portugal a few times, but I tend to eat seafood while there. You're probably aware that the port lodges (wine cellars, tasting rooms) are in Porto (actually in Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side of the Douro river, but easy to walk to from Porto). But the vineyards where the grapes are grown (or quintas) are up along the Douro valley. I think you'll want to see this area where the quintas are.

While in Porto (Vila Nova de Gaia), try to do a tour of Graham's Port Lodge as they have beautiful views (it's the hill from the river, an easy walk). They also have a lovely restaurant, Vinum, though I'm not sure of their vegetarian offers or if they will be open in February. I love the ports of Ramos Pinto, whose tasting cellar is close to the riverfront, along with Sandeman, Calem, and Ferreira.

I know you are not bothered by cold, but how about rain?

I flew from Porto to Madrid. It might save you time to do this as well.Because this will be your last destination in Portugal; is this not so?

My guess would be by going in March instead of February, you'll tend to find more businesses open, but I can't be sure.

Port tasting at Grahams' in Vila Nova de Gaia:

Oh my Diamantina...olives, cheese and port - you know me too well.

Rain isn't a deal breaker unless it's relentless, day-after-day torrential (as we've experienced in NZ and Oregon!) But even then we've always managed to have a good time, so no it's not a big deal.

We're looking at very late February.

Melnq8, I knew about your fondness of wine and cheese, but wasn't sure about the olives. You'll be awed by the selection! Just something to watch out for--some olives might be stuffed with meat (especially chorizo) or fish (such as anchovies or salmon)..

It might be useful to have a car to see the areas north and south of Barcelona, especially if you want to walk in natural surroundings or visit wineries. Without knowing how busy you'll be in Barcelona itself, my guess is you could use for more time than 8 days to see some of these surrounding regions. The Costa Brava is beautiful. I also enjoyed visiting wineries south of Barcelona. But maybe this is not on your agenda for this trip. Of course, the train goes to places like Girona, Figueres, Tarragona, Montserrat. So you can still have a wonderful, interesting trip.