Where are the best spots in Portugal?
 

I'm considering a 10 day trip to Portugal and have never been. Besides Lisbon, where are the best spots? Beautiful, charming, interesting, different, etc...

Thanks for any advice!

Spent 14 days in Portugal in June and loved Lisbon, Sintra and the Algarve (much more than expected). If you go to the Algarve, try some of the out of the way beaches (Figuera-where the locals take the sign down so that you can't find the beach, Praia do Castelejo).

Sintra--beautful

Fatima--lurid and interesting

Obidos--charming


Thingorjus

Marvao enchanting.

Andywhere along the Lisbon or Alentejo coasts spectacular.

You can start with this albums of photographs and browse on the web site for others on Portugal:

http://tinyurl.com/5bclnq

Ericeira is a great beach resort.

I loved my time in Nazaré. It fits all of your criteria. I was staying with friends in São Martinho do Porto (which I can also recommend) and was able to make day trips to both Fatima and Óbidos.

JES:


Just returned last month from a delightful visit to this gem of a country....after a nice stay in Lisbon/Belem, we drove to Arraiolos, Evora, Vicosa, Estremoz, Marvao, Belmonte, Obidos, Nazare'/Sitio, Sintra/Cascais/ Estoril....each had several pleasing attributes...we liked 'em all.

Here's a passle of pix..just slect the ones you wish to see, or go "slide show"..wherever you go in Portugal you will have a most enjoyable, colorful experience.

http://tiny.cc/Eaw4j

Stu T.

Thank you for all of the wonderful recommendations!
Stu, your photos are wonderful. I have a few questions if you don't mind:
Where is the beautiful pool in photo #137 with the yellow chairs and view?

Where is the balcony in photo #169?

Where is the beach area with the funicular in photo # 237 and do you recommend this area? I know there are SEVERAL beach areas so it would be hard to choose.

Thanks for all of the advice,
JES

Hi Jes:


so you're getting warmed for your Portuguese adventure! It'll be a most rewarding one!

Happy you enjoyed my pix:

#137 is the gorgeous pool with views over the Alentjo landscape, from our balcony at The Pousada "Our Lady of the Assuncion" in Arraiolos, a small town
(arr-ay-oo-loosh), about 15 minutes north of Evora. This Pousada was very impressive, clearly the nicest place we stayed in Portugal.

http://www.pousadasofportugal.com/po...arraiolos.html

#169 was our balcony at the Pousada in Marvao, overlooking the "plain in Spain"....the Pousada was not quite in the same category as the aformentioned, but nevertheless, offers breathtaking views and comfortable lodgings.

http://www.pousadasofportugal.com/po...da/marvao.html

#237 was taken from Sitio, Nazare's "upper district" where the ocean views are superb...we drove up to the Sitio cliffs but the funicular is readily available. All the pics in Sitio were taken from that vantage point.

By the way, JES, if you can qualify (over 55), The Golden Age rates for most of Portugal's Pousadas are 40% discounted. Nothing to do in advance except make the reservation...you may be "carded " when registering...we were asked for proof at only one...a proud moment, indeed!

You will fall in love with this lovely country. Please ask any further questions you may have.

Stu T.
rozstu1@aolcom

Nice pics Stu---brought back memories. We had the same room at Marvao Pousada and we also have stayed at Estalagem Do Covento in Obidos twice. To JES, my favorite places are:
Obidos
Evora
Marvao
Viana do Castelo
Lagos

Bob:

we do seem to cross happy paths in many different places, at nearly the same time! Maybe we can connect one of these days....unless a flyboy officer navigator does not fraternize with a lowly Pfc. infantryman!!

stu t.

Hi Jes, My family and I stayed at the Bussaco Palace, in the Bussaco forest, which is just north of Coimbra. We really loved this old hotel, it had magnificent architecture, and wished we could have stayed another day to explore the walking trails there. You kind find it very easily by googling, and if you click on my name, I mention it in my Portugal trip report. We also enjoyed the Algarve, as a break from all the heavy touring midtrip. When in Lisbon, we took daytrips to Belem and Sintra, both very interesting, and easy to get to. We also enjoyed Porto, which is a bit different than the other places we visited. I mention just those, because the other places we went have already been mentioned! Have fun on your trip! pp

stu,

Thanks so much!! I don't qualify for the Golden Age yet, but what a great program. As I continue with my planning I'm sure I will have many more questions!

Thank you Bob & Patti for your additional suggestions. I will check them all out.

I spent a week in Portugal in March 2007.

Loved Porto (although only spent 1/2 day there) - walking across the bridge was a highlight, as was the port :)

Lisbon was so-so (maybe b/c we didn't spend the night, only 2 days, travelling in from Sintra each time).

Sintra was fanastic. We stayed at the Casa Miradouro which had a lovely garden, great views, and was just 2 minutes walk from the main plaza in Sintra.

Also spent 4 nights in the Mihno region, at Paco de Calheiros (a hotel/villa outside Ponte de Lima). Very pleasant countryside & small towns, but not as nice as the area around Sintra. Viana do Castelo was great though (we spent an afternoon/evening there, watched the sunset, had dinner)

msackton, thanks for the great tips!
All of this is so very helpful.

Has anyone been to Madiera? My mother went about 40 years ago and loved it...but I'd love an update;-)

bookmarking

Not sure when you are going, but if you stay a couple days in Lisbon, one of my old friends from Michigan has several great little rental villas and they are incredibly hospitable. One overlooks the square and you can walk down a short hill and be in the middle of everything. www.visitingportugal.com. Jordan and Debbie Kleber operate them, and they do a great job of pointing you in the right direction, the villas are neat as a pin, and they also have one in the Algarve. One night, we ate in this little Nepalese restaurant on a sidestreet near our apartment, and it was fantastic...things don't get going in the morning til a bit later as an FYI.

In Lisbon, the Moorish castle, the aquarium, and the square are great. We took a cab up to the castle and walked down, it seemed like a million steps but a great way to see the town on the way back down. A couple great areas with outdoor Bistros, etc.

We took the train up to Sintra, its an hour or so, and a great site, definitely do the castles, they are incredible.....we wished we'd spent more time up the coast as it looks fantastic. Obidos, etc.

Hi again Jes! Just posting a comment in response to Chewy. We stayed in one of Deb and Jordan's places called "Casa Patria" in Lisbon, and LOVED it. It was spotlessly clean,beautiful decor, and had a great terrace with a beautiful view that we barbecued on, had our vinho verde on(!) and really enjoyed. It's also in a great location. They are really nice people, who were very helpful, and live only two doors down, so readily available for help. Can't say enough nice things about them, and the rental. Have a great time on your trip! pp

@pp-

Small world indeed. I've known Jord since we were 8....He's done African mission work for Habitat, etc. when he's not managing his properties. Great to hear you enjoyed your stay with he and Deb.

rj

Jes-Even though you are not old enough for a golden age passport-the Pousadas have different passports. We got 4 nights & 5 days car rentals for 480E. We are staying at all the places Stu reccomended. We are going to Portugal in Sept & even though we could qualify for the Golden Age passport it was not available that month. We are also spending a week in Madeira-We leave September 12th Can't wait-Chris
I have a daughter named Jessica

These suggestions are fantastic! Chewy, your friends places look really great and how nice to have an endorsement with it following your posting from Patti.

Any thoughts on Madiera? Is it worth the extra trip or should we just stay with the mainland this time around? Thanks again for all of the wonderful advice.

Didn't plan it that way of course, but I've rented on VRBO many times and Jord and Deb's places are as nice or nicer than many I've stayed in, and being American expats its nice to ask questions, etc.....another thing we got a huge kick out of in Lisbon, was when we went up to the Moorish Castle, we went down a little side street just off the backside of the entrance at the top, and hit this alley bistro for lunch, where this guy (Augusto Pinho) who sings Fadu (Portugese music)and his staff, sang out of the windows and at your table....He was like the Portugese Perry Como..CD's and everything. My kids thought it was a hoot so we bought a CD, got an autograph, and donated it to the CD collection in Jord and Deb's Casa Santana that we stayed in...

We loved Nazare too - we stayed in a B&B in Sitio. The seafood is lovely and incredibly cheap. It's a good base for daytrips to Alcobaca, Tomar and Fatima.

Lisbon is a beautiful city - Cascais is a good base for visiting Lisbon and Sintra. Public transport is excellent. It's more upmarket than Nazare/Sitio but we didn't find it as charming.

Great suggestions above. But I also loved Porto, which is almost the antithesis of many of the other places. We sat and had lunch at a gritty little place under some arches down by the river. Laundry was hanging out over our heads. One woman brought her bucket of mop water out and dumped it practically at our feet. They were cleaning fish at the fish market next to us and dumping out the "remains" in the river. Ethereal? No. Colorful? Very!

Do consider spending some time in the north. Porto, definitely (don't miss the port caves!), also as a base for Braga, and Coimbra, maybe my favorite place in Portugal (visit the Roman ruins at Conimbriga). I enjoyed a couple of days up the Duoro valley, riding some scenic mountain railways, although I heard the railways might have closed. Further south I enjoyed Alcobaca and Batalha in addition to Obidos.

Some more tips here (for Portugal as well as Andalucia, an easy drive across the border from the Algarve)...

http://www.easyjetinflight.com/featu...r/iberian.html

for info on towns and villages in central Portugal try
http://www.gekkoportugal.com/central%20portugal.htm

peppermintpatti writes: "Hi Jes, My family and I stayed at the Bussaco Palace, in the Bussaco forest, which is just north of Coimbra. We really loved this old hotel, it had magnificent architecture, and wished we could have stayed another day ... "
I am surprised and disappointed that so few people have mentioned Coimbra as one of the best spots in Portugal (other than a geographical reference point).
I rate Coimbra in the same class as Santiago (in Spain) with its 16th Century University and its History.

How many of us know that the song 'April in Portugal' used to be entitled 'Coimbra?'

bookmarking for our upcoming trip.