PORTUGAL CHALLENGE: Where to spend 6 weeks, with one week stays at each location.
Mar 26th, 2022, 04:04 AM
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PORTUGAL CHALLENGE: Where to spend 6 weeks, with one week stays at each location.
My husband and I will be traveling to Portugal for six weeks in Fall 2022. He will be working remotely Mondays through Thursdays (with three day weekends to travel) so we want to keep the traveling during the work week to a minimum. He will also be taking one full week off so that week we will have a lot more flexibility.
At first blush it seems like a ton of time for such a small country, but I am quickly feeling like overwhelmed by which places to allocate an entire week to and which to bypass. Do we try to include Madeira and the Azores or stay on the mainland? Looking for recommendations. I was going to rent a car after our first week in Porto, but am open to suggestions (we fly in and out of Porto),
This is what we have so far...Which isn't much
Week 1: Porto
Weekend in Monsanto
Week 2:
Week 3: Lisbon
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Fly home from Porto
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas!!!
Stacey
At first blush it seems like a ton of time for such a small country, but I am quickly feeling like overwhelmed by which places to allocate an entire week to and which to bypass. Do we try to include Madeira and the Azores or stay on the mainland? Looking for recommendations. I was going to rent a car after our first week in Porto, but am open to suggestions (we fly in and out of Porto),
This is what we have so far...Which isn't much
Week 1: Porto
Weekend in Monsanto
Week 2:
Week 3: Lisbon
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Fly home from Porto
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and ideas!!!
Stacey
Mar 26th, 2022, 05:43 AM
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We have only been to Lisbon and Sintra. A week in Lisbon is perfect. We spent 5 nights in Lisbon including a day trip to Sintra, and I wished we had more time in both places. I don't know if this would make sense: after a week in Lisbon, you could spend perhaps a week in Sintra and make day trips to Cascais from Sintra.
When I was planning our trip to Lisbon, I had hoped we could have more time in Portugal so I did a lot of research in guidebooks and here on the boards. But we only had time for Lisbon. So my following recommendations are not based on first-hand experience, just my research. You could spend time near Alcobaca and Batalha to visit the monasteries. Not sure where a good base would be for this, perhaps Tomar? Or you could spend a week in or near Coimbra.
Another interesting area is Evora and the Alentejo.
I know many people say you shouldn't go to the Algarve unless you have a lot of time since it is a long drive from Lisbon. Since you do have the time, you could visit the Algarve for a week and enjoy the coastal ambiance and scenery. Other posters can recommend nice places to stay in the Algarve.
I assume Maribel will respond to your post. I think she is in Portugal now and has visited many, many times. She is the expert!
When I was planning our trip to Lisbon, I had hoped we could have more time in Portugal so I did a lot of research in guidebooks and here on the boards. But we only had time for Lisbon. So my following recommendations are not based on first-hand experience, just my research. You could spend time near Alcobaca and Batalha to visit the monasteries. Not sure where a good base would be for this, perhaps Tomar? Or you could spend a week in or near Coimbra.
Another interesting area is Evora and the Alentejo.
I know many people say you shouldn't go to the Algarve unless you have a lot of time since it is a long drive from Lisbon. Since you do have the time, you could visit the Algarve for a week and enjoy the coastal ambiance and scenery. Other posters can recommend nice places to stay in the Algarve.
I assume Maribel will respond to your post. I think she is in Portugal now and has visited many, many times. She is the expert!
Mar 26th, 2022, 10:48 AM
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Stacey,
What a wonderful dilemma to have! The fall is a great time to be in Portugal. We have a 5-week trip planned in Portugal for the fall but to targeted areas for house hunting.
I wouldn't travel to Madeira (as much as I loved it) or to the Azores, as you'll lose a day both ways because of the long flights. I would stay on the mainland.
And I would rent a car after Porto for your other destinations other than Lisbon, where a car becomes a handicap.
Because during the week you want to keep travel to a minimum, it would make sense to me to base in cities large enough to give you sightseeing options within a short distance.
Porto and neighboring Gaia at its port lodges, Foz do Douro and Matosinhos with its Atlantic beaches (all accessible by public transportation) can very easily fill up your first week. We have a week's rental there in late October and will find plenty to keep us busy!
From Porto, if you're set on the idea of changing locations each week, these are some ideas that come to mind.
Week 2:
Tomar or Coimbra
Tomar: Although the town can actually been seen in a day or two, there are many short driving trips you can take from there: As Karen notes, the monasteries of Alcobaça and Batalha, Fatima (for religious reasons), the surfing town of Peniche, Coimbra, the university town an "Oxford" of Portugal is under an hour's drive away.
My only reservation with Tomar is your indicating that during the week you want to keep traveling during the work week to a minimum. Tomar is smaller than Coimbra and might be too small for an entire week.
Coimbra: in the city itself you have the University, the Cathedrals, the wonderful Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, the well-preserved Roman ruins of Conimbriga, within a drive the Buçaco forest and Carmelite convent, the beach town of Figueira da Foz, the art nouveau city of Aveiro with fine architecture and its many canals, the schist village of Talasnal.
Week 3: Lisbon
I just spent 7 nights in Lisbon and spent each day re-discovering a different neighborhood. There is so much to see and do! Belém with its many monuments/museums can take an entire day! A week in this city can fly by very very quickly.
Week 4: Cascais and the coast: Estoril (walkable from Cascais), Sintra with its gardens and palaces (bus or uber from Cascais), the lovely beaches and beach walks around Guincho with its fabulous seafood restaurants, Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point in Europe, and the charming, whitewashed seaside village and surfers' Mecca of Ericeira, to me much prettier and more charming than Nazaré. This would be a very relaxing "downtime" week from the busy and bustling city of Lisbon.
Week 5: Alentejo and its capital, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Evora
This is my very favorite region of Portugal, the land of endless cork trees (cork farms that can be visited), olive groves, vineyards, rustic pottery and marble towns, castles, eagles’ nests, big pasture full of cattle, horse farms, megaliths, dolmens and gentle rolling land. And it won't be too hot in the fall. I've based in Evora several times and never tire of exploring the area. I've also enjoyed stays in Estremoz and Elvas, but Evora gives you more options, I think.
I left a number of suggestions of what to do in Evora and environs on this thread:
~ 3 Week Portugal itinerary feedback
Week 6: the Minho capital of Guimarães (instead of the Algarve)
Although from Evora it would be a longer 4.5 drive to the other UNESCO World Heritage city of Guimarães, and to get there you would be retracing your steps on the drive through Coimbra and Porto, it would then be closer for your flight home from Porto, rather than traveling down to the Alentejo coast ("Costa Vicentina") and the western Algarve from Evora.
If you were to drive instead to the western Algarve, you would have an even longer journey to return to Porto. Algarve in the fall can be very quiet (we were there in late Oct. and options were limited) and the Algarve is really all about sun, water sports, golf, cliff walks and beaches, best enjoyed in May summer or September.
The Minho is my second favorite region in Portugal. Guimarães is the cradle of Portuguese nationality and its historic quarter is so pretty and atmospheric. It boasts a castle, a ducal palace, a fine religious arts museum, the Museu Alberto Sampaio, a 12th century monastery turned Pousada on the hill, a funicular.
From there you can explore the ecclesiastical capital of Braga, the staircase of Santuario de Bom Jesus, the ruins of the Celtic settlement, Citânia de Briteiros, and other Minho towns: Ponte de Lima for its huge outdoor market every fortnight on Mondays, Barcelos for its weekly Wed. market, the lovely town of Viana do Castelo. The Minho is the home of the Portuguese vinho verde wine (of the alvarinho grape), if you're a wine fan.
Here are some ideas for Guimarães and the Minho from my favorite blogger, Julie Dawn Fox:
https://juliedawnfox.com/guimaraes/
https://juliedawnfox.com/tag/minho/
Hope the above gives you some ideas and food for thought.
What a wonderful dilemma to have! The fall is a great time to be in Portugal. We have a 5-week trip planned in Portugal for the fall but to targeted areas for house hunting.
I wouldn't travel to Madeira (as much as I loved it) or to the Azores, as you'll lose a day both ways because of the long flights. I would stay on the mainland.
And I would rent a car after Porto for your other destinations other than Lisbon, where a car becomes a handicap.
Because during the week you want to keep travel to a minimum, it would make sense to me to base in cities large enough to give you sightseeing options within a short distance.
Porto and neighboring Gaia at its port lodges, Foz do Douro and Matosinhos with its Atlantic beaches (all accessible by public transportation) can very easily fill up your first week. We have a week's rental there in late October and will find plenty to keep us busy!
From Porto, if you're set on the idea of changing locations each week, these are some ideas that come to mind.
Week 2:
Tomar or Coimbra
Tomar: Although the town can actually been seen in a day or two, there are many short driving trips you can take from there: As Karen notes, the monasteries of Alcobaça and Batalha, Fatima (for religious reasons), the surfing town of Peniche, Coimbra, the university town an "Oxford" of Portugal is under an hour's drive away.
My only reservation with Tomar is your indicating that during the week you want to keep traveling during the work week to a minimum. Tomar is smaller than Coimbra and might be too small for an entire week.
Coimbra: in the city itself you have the University, the Cathedrals, the wonderful Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, the well-preserved Roman ruins of Conimbriga, within a drive the Buçaco forest and Carmelite convent, the beach town of Figueira da Foz, the art nouveau city of Aveiro with fine architecture and its many canals, the schist village of Talasnal.
Week 3: Lisbon
I just spent 7 nights in Lisbon and spent each day re-discovering a different neighborhood. There is so much to see and do! Belém with its many monuments/museums can take an entire day! A week in this city can fly by very very quickly.
Week 4: Cascais and the coast: Estoril (walkable from Cascais), Sintra with its gardens and palaces (bus or uber from Cascais), the lovely beaches and beach walks around Guincho with its fabulous seafood restaurants, Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point in Europe, and the charming, whitewashed seaside village and surfers' Mecca of Ericeira, to me much prettier and more charming than Nazaré. This would be a very relaxing "downtime" week from the busy and bustling city of Lisbon.
Week 5: Alentejo and its capital, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Evora
This is my very favorite region of Portugal, the land of endless cork trees (cork farms that can be visited), olive groves, vineyards, rustic pottery and marble towns, castles, eagles’ nests, big pasture full of cattle, horse farms, megaliths, dolmens and gentle rolling land. And it won't be too hot in the fall. I've based in Evora several times and never tire of exploring the area. I've also enjoyed stays in Estremoz and Elvas, but Evora gives you more options, I think.
I left a number of suggestions of what to do in Evora and environs on this thread:
~ 3 Week Portugal itinerary feedback
Week 6: the Minho capital of Guimarães (instead of the Algarve)
Although from Evora it would be a longer 4.5 drive to the other UNESCO World Heritage city of Guimarães, and to get there you would be retracing your steps on the drive through Coimbra and Porto, it would then be closer for your flight home from Porto, rather than traveling down to the Alentejo coast ("Costa Vicentina") and the western Algarve from Evora.
If you were to drive instead to the western Algarve, you would have an even longer journey to return to Porto. Algarve in the fall can be very quiet (we were there in late Oct. and options were limited) and the Algarve is really all about sun, water sports, golf, cliff walks and beaches, best enjoyed in May summer or September.
The Minho is my second favorite region in Portugal. Guimarães is the cradle of Portuguese nationality and its historic quarter is so pretty and atmospheric. It boasts a castle, a ducal palace, a fine religious arts museum, the Museu Alberto Sampaio, a 12th century monastery turned Pousada on the hill, a funicular.
From there you can explore the ecclesiastical capital of Braga, the staircase of Santuario de Bom Jesus, the ruins of the Celtic settlement, Citânia de Briteiros, and other Minho towns: Ponte de Lima for its huge outdoor market every fortnight on Mondays, Barcelos for its weekly Wed. market, the lovely town of Viana do Castelo. The Minho is the home of the Portuguese vinho verde wine (of the alvarinho grape), if you're a wine fan.
Here are some ideas for Guimarães and the Minho from my favorite blogger, Julie Dawn Fox:
https://juliedawnfox.com/guimaraes/
https://juliedawnfox.com/tag/minho/
Hope the above gives you some ideas and food for thought.
Mar 26th, 2022, 11:32 AM
#4
Maribel,
I love your descriptions of each of the regions! Having gotten such wonderful Maribel advice, I knew you'd chime in here. I know that the OP will have a wonderful experience. And how exciting, too, that you are house hunting!!
I love your descriptions of each of the regions! Having gotten such wonderful Maribel advice, I knew you'd chime in here. I know that the OP will have a wonderful experience. And how exciting, too, that you are house hunting!!
Mar 28th, 2022, 05:21 PM
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Wow Maribel and Karen! You've given me A LOT of gems to consider and research! Thank you SO much for your thoughtful and detailed responses. I will start doing some more work and then respond back again. One change that I may have convinced my husband of is for "week 2" to allow for a couple of moves so we can base out of a couple different places. I was thinking of Aveiro for part of the week and possibly one of those towns/cities you mention in "week 2"
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!
Mar 29th, 2022, 07:57 AM
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One could use Lagos as a base to visit the Algarve.
With the exception of Tavira where we stopped on our way to Lagos, this album represents our visit to the Algarve anchored in Lagos:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmENSCvb
With the exception of Tavira where we stopped on our way to Lagos, this album represents our visit to the Algarve anchored in Lagos:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmENSCvb
Mar 29th, 2022, 08:26 AM
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I’ve used Lagos as a base for the Western Algarve and Tavira for an Eastern base, but found the Lagos area with its cliff walks and rock formations far more interesting. But again, it’s a 5 and a half to 6 hour drive from Porto. And the Algarve in the fall is for hiking, water sports when the Atlantic is not choppy and golf, lots and lots of golf. We did enjoy our beach walks along the beautiful and almost deserted beaches of the Costa Vicentina, great seafood, and our visit to the wet and windy and dramatically perched Cape Vincent north of laidback Sagres.
The central Algarve has parts that are extremely and unattractively overdeveloped. The elite section, or Golden Triangle, where the luxury golf and spa resorts sit are found around Quinta do Lago and Villamouro.
The eastern Algarve is less dramatic looking and the beaches are island ones, reachable by boat. Whitewashed Tavira has a Moorish look. We stayed outside of town in a lovely villa hotel, Villa Campina, which we loved for the accomodations, service, quiet and amazingly copious breakfasts. That said, we were far more visually impressed with the western Algarve.
The central Algarve has parts that are extremely and unattractively overdeveloped. The elite section, or Golden Triangle, where the luxury golf and spa resorts sit are found around Quinta do Lago and Villamouro.
The eastern Algarve is less dramatic looking and the beaches are island ones, reachable by boat. Whitewashed Tavira has a Moorish look. We stayed outside of town in a lovely villa hotel, Villa Campina, which we loved for the accomodations, service, quiet and amazingly copious breakfasts. That said, we were far more visually impressed with the western Algarve.
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