runawaybunny

My husband and I are travelling to Portugal for 12 days at the end of February.

What tours, classes, restaurants, museums might you suggest we make reservations for? (I've taken care of hotels, car, etc.) ( We don't drink alcohol so I'm afraid spirits adventures would not be our thing.)

When we visited Morocco two years ago, we took a half-day language immersion class which was really fun and useful! I wonder if there is anything similar in the areas we are visiting (see title).

Thanks,

mbjl1976

Lisbon:

You can search information here, a lot of thing to do and see:

https://www.visitlisboa.com/pt-pt/Iisboa

1st: FOOD: Portuguese food is one of the most amazing in the world. A food tour of Lisbon is a must:
Culinary Walks: Lisbon - Culinary Backstreets
Portuguese cuisine is all about fresh, simple product cook with perfection.
Lisbon food is all about seafood. There's no better place for that then "Cervejaria Ramiro", is the seafood institution of Lisbon. Book in advance, long queues awaits you otherwise: Cervejaria Ramiro
For simple, traditional food try these ones, they are not fancy, but they are the real things:
https://www.thelisbonconnection.com/...aria-laurinda/
For Michelin stars restaurants try these ones:
Alma, Belcanto, Eleven, Feitoria
Coffee in Lisbon is a institution, same say that the Portuguese do the best expresso in the world, we call it "bica", a small, strong expresso. No better place to take one of this than in "A brasileira" the most famous coffee shop in Lisbon.
Ah, and the pastries, also another thing that Lisbon is famous for, try the custard tart "Pastel de nata", in belem district. Portuguese have a very sweet tooth.
2st: Fado: Fado music is the traditional music of Lisbon and is to Lisbon what Flamenco is to Seville. So a fado venue is obligatory when in lisbon. This world heritage music can be attended in several restaurants in the oldest district of Lisbon, Alfama:
Casa de Linhares
https://www.facebook.com/bela.vinhosepetiscos
Pesquisa Bestguide | BestGuide Portugal
Pesquisa Bestguide | BestGuide Portugal
3th Tiles: Tiles are a Lisbon obsession, they are everywhere, in every pattern possible, in building facades, in murals. The Tiles museum is a must. Also, don't skip the Saint Vicent monastery, it's has the most amazing tiles of Lisbon.
4th Museums: MAAT museum, the "Museu dos coches" , "Museu de arte antiga" and Caloust Gulbeikien museum are the best ones
5th Walk: Lisbon is all about the details, you need to walk in the maze like streets of Alfama to fully understand and appreciate Lisbon

Sintra:

Sintra can be done has a 2 day trip from central Lisbon, it's only 30 minutes away from Lisbon.
There are several highlights in Sintra:
Pena Palace
Moors castle
Regaleira gardens and palace
Monserrate Palace
Sintra city palace, remember the tiles
Roca cape viewpoint westernmost point of Europe
Several amazing beaches and costline
Try the traditional custard tart, different from the one of Lisbon
Colares is very famous for it's red wines that are unique in the world, so sorry you don't drink wine...But you can still visit a wine cellar nevertheless:
https://www.winetourismportugal.com/...al-de-colares/
From Sintra you should also visit the Cascais beach town, it worth your time, believe me, its very close to Lisbon and Sintra.

Évora:
Amazing town, the highlights are, again,
The food, to die for (i think even better then Lisbon)
The wine industry, again you don't drink but you can still visit the cellars and see how the wine is make. It's such an important part of the Portuguese culture...
The cathedral
The chapel of bones
The old square
The walls of the city
The maze streets
The aqueduct
The roman temple
From Évora you MUST do this trip not far from it:
Monsaraz medieval village
Vila Viçosa marble village
Estremoz
The great lake of Alqueva
Arraiolos traditional Alentejo village and it´s famous tapestries

If you need more information, tell me

*

mbjl1976

12

mbjl1976

13

thursdaysd

Aside from the more popular restaurants I have never bothered with reservations in Portugal.

Where are you starting and finishing? Can you fly into Lisbon and out of Porto, or vice versa?

i would start in Lisbon, with one day for Belem and one day for Sintra/Cascais. You might do a half day trip to Obidos which is charming but overrun. On a first trip I would skip Evora, which I found a bit disappointing and head to Coimbra on the way to Porto (by train). Or do you want beaches even though it is unlikely to be beach weather?

My favorite restaurant in Lisbon is a very basic place that sells delicious chicken - Bom Jardim. And try gijinha at one of the little bars nearby.

For my first visit to Lisbon see: Loving Lisbon

denisea