Portugal TR (no photos)-11 nites based in Lisbon & Porto (& day trips), late March/early April

Background:

I learned at the last minute that I’d be in northern Europe for a solo work trip in mid-March. At the time I realized I could add on 11 nights for a fun trip after I finished my work. In the last few years I’ve had a strong desire to visit Portugal during a cool season (hot weather does not agree with me). I’ve been reading about the incredible food and cultural scene in the country.

I was envious of all of the “digital nomads” and retirees who relocated to the country during and since the pandemic. I had been only to Lisbon and that was for two days several decades ago on a rushed “step your foot into as many countries as possible” Eurorail pass student-era trip. All I remembered of that time was that there were beautiful tiles everywhere in Lisbon.

Given how little time I had to plan this trip (a familiar refrain for me, I know), I relied heavily on direct advice from folks in this forum. I also took a deep dive into many wonderful TRs in this forum and Hungry Onion posts, so many of them full of advice about food and things to do and see. Many thanks to all who helped me directly (and special thanks to the amazing Maribel) and indirectly through wonderful TRs and planning threads. All this to say, without the resources of this forum I could not have pulled off the trip with the time I had to arrange it, let alone experience a truly memorable trip.

I hope this TR will be helpful to some here despite the absence of photos (I don’t take them-strange, I know). My focus is on logistics, the bases question, food (a passion of mine), contemporary art and dance, architecture, parks, and “flaneuring.” For reference, I prefer cities (especially large cities) to small towns and I don’t care for resort areas. I love to walk in cities and parks in urban settings. I also love to people watch. I absolutely loved my time in Portugal—indeed, the trip exceeded my expectations--I simply loved every minute.

It’s been a few months since I returned, and I’m just now finding the time to write up a TR from my scattered notes (along with one on a more recent trip to Italy).

Bases:

I generally avoid bases of fewer than 3 nights. I prefer to really settle in and, if feasible, do some day trips. For this trip I wanted only two bases. I knew I would be a bit worn out by work by the time I got to Portugal, and so I didn’t want the hurried feeling that you get when moving from place to place. I’ve come to see that changing bases drains me and (even under the best of circumstances) it always takes me a few days to get a feel of a place. With all of this in mind and following some excellent advice from folks here and the perspective gained from TRs, I organized my trip around two bases-- Lisbon (6 nights-as there was a better connection to Lisbon from my point of origin, i.e., my work base in France) and then Porto (5 nights). I flew back to the States from Porto. I decided I’d take one day trip from each base.

I could easily have spent a few more nights in Lisbon, had my trip been longer. There are many other places I’d like to visit in future trips to Portugal. Based on what I’ve read to this point, three nights in Coimbra is a high priority for a future trip, though a return to Porto and especially Lisbon is a must for me.

Lisbon (6 nights):

Lisbon lodging: Thanks to Maribel I stayed at the wonderful Hotel Britania Art Deco-Lisbon. I booked a classic double room with a refundable rate and breakfast. I will absolutely stay there again. The hotel was gorgeous. I’m a fan of art deco and this hotel was a masterpiece of the era. It’s my favorite kind of hotel—namely, historical and charming, but very much refreshed and uncluttered. The location was wonderful and the staff were magnificent to a person. Re the latter: I appreciated special touches by the staff, including e.g., a receptionist with whom I’d chatted the previous day about my departure plans coming up to me at breakfast to warn me that earlier that morning there had been an issue with no shows by Bolt and Uber drivers. She advised me—recalling that timing was going to be tight for me--to have her prebook a regular taxi to the train station. Breakfast was a delight—beautifully presented and varied in a lovely main floor dining area and bar. My room (even though just a classic double room) was huge (even by US standards) and there was a tea kettle, mini fridge, large all-marble bathroom, and a large foyer in the room. (I really appreciated the latter as it kept the bathroom and the main part of the room clutter free when I had hand laundry drying.)

Lisbon itself:

I simply loved everything about Lisbon. How I wish I could enjoy a several month stay during spring or fall! I’m a big walker and I’m a mountain hiker. How wonderful to be able to have every walk feel like a hike, given the hills, which really are not to be believed. Lisbon makes San Francisco seem flat. I found the city simply gorgeous, so full of color, charm, views, and great food. Despite being a capital city, it felt somewhat laid back. I was pleased to have heeded the advice to bring great sneakers with a sticky (i.e., not slick), thick sole (I took a pair of Keens brand sneakers) and had another pair of thick, sticky-soled waterproof ankle boots (Ecco brand). Comfortable slip resistant footwear is essential as so many here have mentioned. I’m mentioning brands because there may be others here with “difficult feet.” And while I was very lucky that it was quite dry during my stay, I could see why footwear needs to be both comfortable and slip resistant.

The weather was perfect during my trip. Mornings and evenings were cool (light spring jacket or heavy cotton cardigan weather) and mid day was warm but not uncomfortably hot (usually just a long sleeved cotton top weather). I usually had my unlined, knee-length hooded raincoat with me since showers threatened on several days. Sometimes there was a light drizzle for an hour or two mid day or in the early evening. As many have pointed out, layers are essential. The day before I arrived, two weeks of relentless rain had just ended. Every restaurant employee and hotel staff member mentioned how terrible and dangerous the rain had been, with lots of people tripping on the slippery streets. And flooding had closed roads outside of Lisbon and in Sintra—more on the latter below. I was very lucky to have my arrival coincide with the end of those storms.

Lisbon sites and experiences and day trip (and a quarter) to Sintra:

On my first full day in Lisbon, I walked and walked and walked. It was a wonderful day.

I took three self-guided Rick Steves walking tours in central Lisbon. These were to Alfama and Castelo de S. Jorge; Baixa; and Barrio Alto and Chiado. There were so many wonderful view points in the city (miradouro)—indeed, the whole city felt like a giant view point. I also looked at the wonderful stores in the Chiado neighborhood and Rua Garrett, including the jewelry store with the Alice in Wonderland theme, and bookstore Livraria Bertrand (though I did not go into the bookstore). I didn’t take any of the elevators (lines were long), but I did admire the beauty of some of the iron age elevator structures. I saw taxis (including Bolts) everywhere, along with tuk tuks. I did end up using Bolts on several occasions (easy and cheap, especially when you don’t take the “come immediately” option—and sometimes I used Uber when the rates were better). But I was, in general, in the mood for walking--20,093 steps in my first full day.

I spent my second day in Lisbon enjoying a long (great) day in Belem. I took a Bolt from the hotel to Belem (and then another back). I was surprised that I enjoyed the Coach Museum so much. Ex ante I didn’t think it would be that interesting to me. But it was. Most interesting were the coaches involved in the “Princess exchange,” the Cape of Good Hope coach, and the Prison Coach. I walked all over Belem. I took a look at the Monument to the Discoveries and looked at (but didn’t climb) the Belem Tower. Thanks to Maribel, I booked a private tour of theJeronimos Monastery Tour with Rafael Pereira https://www.thejeronimostour.com/theguide, [email protected]. (It was euro 48 for 2 hours with Rafael; euro 30 was for tour, euro 18 was for the ticket to get into the monastery.) The reason I booked the private tour was that I was a bit worried about what Maribel had said regarding the queuing process not really being a process. Working with Rafael short circuited all of that. He was a very good guide, and he made what might have seemed on the surface to be an uninteresting monastery something that came to life quite vividly with lots of context and attention to detail. I finished my day in Belem with a visit to the MAC/CCB Contemporary Art Museum. There were two great exhibits, one of Nan Goldin photos and the other Peggy Guggenheim’s “31 Women.” The permanent collection was also great-it was organized like a course in modern art history and schools of thought. The Berardo collection was represented in the permanent collection. (The Gulbenkian Collection was closed for renovation—next trip!).

Day trip to Sintra:

For my third day I’d booked a private tour of Sintra with Luisa Gomes of Lisbon Tour Guides. Luisa’s contact info: [email protected]. Once I reserved with her, she gave me her whatsapp number and also advised me on what type of tickets I should buy for the sites of Sintra (the website is confusing). I’d originally booked a 7-hour tour with her (at a cost of euro 270). But two days before the tour (I was already in Lisbon) she contacted me to tell me that many of the sites in Sintra would be closed because of the flooding, downed trees, and washed-out roads in Sintra after nearly two weeks of torrential rain. (I also received a helpful email blast from the public authorities in Sintra saying much the same.) But we decided to leave the booking in place and to stay in touch as the situation evolved. I really appreciated the way she handled this, communicating with me frequently and giving me options.

In the end and after some conversation over whatsapp, Luisa and I changed to a half day tour because Pena Palace was closed, but the National Palace and the Quinta da Regaleira were open. I forget the price—around euro 180, I think. We walked around the old town of Sintra, went into the National Palace, and spent a good deal of time at the Quinta da Regaleira and its amazing gardens. We could see the Moorish Castle and Pena Palace in the distance. I had a wonderful time with Luisa (and it was more than half a day). She was an absolute delight. Full of knowledge, warmth, and a great conversationalist. I would book tours with Luisa or her colleagues again during future stays Lisbon. I absolutely loved the architecture of Quinta da Regaleira, especially the amazing gardens. Luisa really brought the Quinta to life and also regaled me with a lot of Portuguese history (at my request).

I took the commuter train to Sintra from Lisbon—it was easy and cheap (and I bought the tickets at the train station right before boarding the train). Luisa met me at the station in Sintra. (The only thing I’d note is that the train platform doesn’t have a sign indicating what train is there and the train itself doesn’t have a sign on it indicating its final destination. I stood around confused for a while before asking someone.

Luisa also stayed in touch with me after our tour to let me know that Pena Palace had reopened several days later. (I appreciated that she updated me in this way.) I returned by train to see Pena Palance (and was able to use my unused Pena Palace ticket) before leaving Lisbon. I spent around two and half hours in the return visit to Sintra. Luisa and her colleagues were already fully booked, so I could not hire her again to guide me through Pena Palace.

Sintra is a frequent topic of discussion in the forum. I’d also raised the matter of Sintra as a base in a planning thread in this forum. For me, the time I had in Sintra was enough. Though I was glad to visit Pena Palace (beyond just seeing it from the outdoors during my day with Luisa), I have to say that I enjoyed Quinta da Regaleira far more. Perhaps that was because of Luisa’s guiding. Or, perhaps I enjoyed Pena Palace less than I imagined because it was jammed when I was there (at the opening and after a week of it having been closed). Or, perhaps it was because I’d seen so many amazing photographs of Pena Palace before visiting. Yes, it was beautiful and striking looking. But it left less of an impact on me than did the gardens and building of Quinta. I know there are some very charming small inns in Sintra that have been discussed in many TRs. But I don’t see Sintra as a town that would be ideal for me to stay in--there were just too many tourist shops, touristy restaurants, and too many people swarming about. So, for me a day trip (and the extra quarter day) were perfect. For others, it can and is very different. And admittedly, one always gets a very different sense of a place walking around at night after the tourist crowds have left. But I was so happy in Lisbon and preferred its vibe to that of Sintra (and then again, I’m a “city person” so that’s a factor in terms of how I viewed Sintra).(In the time I had I didn’t get to see Monserrate—next trip, perhaps. From what I’ve seen of it in TR photos it seems I would relish its tranquility.

I spent my fourth day in Lisbon visiting museums and cathedrals. On that day, I visited Sé Cathedral and Monastery de Sao Vicente de Fora. I didn’t find either to be overwhelmingly special. However, I loved the National Tile Museum. I especially liked the upper floor with 20th century tiles. I also loved the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea (in the Chiado neighborhood). It had an excellent collection of contemporary art by Portuguese artists.

My fifth and final full day in Lisbon I spent some time at the Museum of Ancient Art, which I found quite interesting. Instead of going to the Asian Museum (that was next on my agenda—will go next time!), I enjoyed a slow, long walk and a sit in the gorgeous Eduardo VII park. I spent some time at the charming café on the water in the park. The Eduardo VII park is amazing. I simply cannot get enough of beautiful parks in Europe and love looking at how people use them as their living rooms. I brought my Kindle to the park and sat and read while enjoying a takeout lunch that I’d toted over from Honest Greens down the street from my hotel. Before my final dinner in Lisbon I did some shopping at a marvelous outpost of Corte de Ingles (including looking at the Gourmet foods area on the top floor). I had a mission of buying a new suit (sans tariff and with the VAT refund) in Lisbon for an important work event that would commence shortly after I returned home--mission accomplished.

The morning before I left for Porto I went back to Sintra to see Pena Palace and some of the grounds for an admittedly short visit at its opening. I took a Bolt back from Sintra to Lisbon because I was tight on time and didn’t want to wait for the train because I had to pick up my luggage at my hotel in time to take the train to Porto.

Lisbon Fado show:

I loved my time at the fado show with dinner at Sr. Vinho in the elegant Lapa district. I’m thankful to Maribel for the great recommendation. The dinner began at 8pm and the fado ended at 11pm. There were three different singers, who performed in three acts that were separated by each course of dinner. The food was overall good. I loved the atmosphere of the club. And the music was absolutely magical. It seemed a very good value with the dinner/show package at euro 65 (which included three courses and the cover, but not the service—I was told that up front). The cover was a forgettable bacalao croquette, a paprika spread, crackers, and bread. But the starter of caldo verde (soup) was satisfying, the grilled sea bass with boiled veggies and potatoes were good, and dessert was a good almond cake with an (unfortunately) un-lemony lemon icecream. There were several choices available for each course. The staff and service were wonderful. I highly recommend Sr Vinho for a memorable evening. And BTW it was a very comfortable place for a woman dining solo.

Lisbon food: I very much enjoyed the food in Lisbon. I don’t tend to eat much for lunch, especially when I’m traveling to an unfamiliar place. I want to be out there experiencing the city. My main meal is dinner.

Lunches:

Lisbon lunches:

I had two lunches at the famous Bomjardim. I arrived at around 130/2pm each day and only waited a few minutes for an indoor table. Both times I had a half chicken (impressively juicy) and a green salad with no sides. It was a satisfying, simple lunch and I enjoyed being able to have something light. I’m a big fan of piri piri sauce (and strong or spicy flavors generally) and I’ve made piri piri from scratch. I didn’t find the piri piri at Bomjardim especially delicious—it lacked the complexity that I’m used to (it seemed lacking the usual additions of lemon and smoked paprika—it was thin, and was more of an oil with chiles in it than a blended sauce per se). This is a minor quibble. It was still good to have something simple, served quickly in an unpretentious setting, and well priced. And it was perfect since I don’t like heavy lunches or those that take too much of my time when I want to do is see a city.

I had several lunches (one consumed in the park), one dinner, and one boxed lunch (eaten on the train to Porto) at Honest Greens. I learned about Honest Greens from a TR on Hungry Onion. There are several outposts in Lisbon and Porto. There was one in Lisbon just down the street from my hotel. In US parlance, it’s a “fast casual” restaurant where you order at the counter and the food is delivered to your table. It was very attractively plated. The restaurant has a cool, rustic chic design and a wonderful menu that is very “vegetable forward,” though the restaurant is neither vegetarian nor vegan. It has a healthy eating int’l approach to food, and I thought it was an excellent option. The piri piri chicken bowl there (though not a half chicken--it was sliced chicken thighs) was in my view tastier and more complex in re its seasoning than at Bomjardim. I imagine that it would be a great place to eat with a family, especially if one has to accommodate many dietary restrictions, picky eaters, is trying not to spend too much, or wants to spend not too much time in restaurants. Sometimes I was just too tired to engage in a long, late meal in a restaurant; or I wanted something light and simple and where vegetables were a big part of the meal, even though I’m not a vegetarian. I highly recommend this thoughtful chain. I’d eat there often if they were in the US.

Belem lunch:

I had lunch at O Prado--a locals, simple place, but clearly the guidebook set was there, too. I had a good grilled sea bass and salad.

Sintra late lunch:

I asked my guide, Luisa, for a recommendation for a simple place where I could get a big salad. She made an excellent suggestion that I try Cantinho Gourmet (in the old town). I had a very good large salad with beet, sweet potato and a good mixture of greens.

Lisbon Dinners:

My favorite dinners were at Taberna da Rua des Flores. Indeed, there were so many things I wanted to try that I ate their twice. As many know, they don’t take reservations. Both times I arrived at about 545pm and had no trouble getting a table for one. Both times there were already a few people seated – mostly larger family groups, but also some tables of 1 or 2. The early dinner made lunch those days simple. I just had something light, and I showed up at the restaurant straight from long, wonderful days of walking and sightseeing. I loved everything at Taberna da Rua des Flores—and wished I could have tried even more dishes. The service was excellent; the setting very simple; and the staff translated the only-on-a-blackboard patiently. The waiter recommended that I start with 2 dishes (thinking I was probably a small eater). Wrong! I ended up ordering a third during both visits and finished everything. I loved that each dish comes out separately and in an order that made culinary sense. Sometimes small plates restaurants just bring out dishes together or as the chef finishes them. That sort of drives me nuts because the meal feels incoherent. My favorite dishes: sea scallops served in the shell with a miso butter sauce; a saute pan of wonderful shrimp in an orange coconut sauce with some fresh coconut (and it wasn’t too sweet); and finally a okonomiyaki (Japanese savory vegetable pancake), with cabbage in it and topped with a huge mound of crispy large oyster mushrooms. Noting that sometimes putting a meal together at small plate restaurants when dining solo can be challenging because what you really want is a half portion of the not so small, small plates (I asked—it wasn’t possible). That said, I found the meals perfect.

I had two wonderful fish dinners-one at Sea Me (expensive, but well worth it) and the other at Sea Me Nextdoor. The latter a more casual small plates outpost of Sea Me. I highly recommend both restaurants. Everything I had was wonderful. Favorites included a platter of mixed oysters, a scallop ginger dish, and a richly flavored seafood soup. I would definitely return to both Sea Me and Sea Me Nextdoor.

I also had dinner at Lisboa a Noite.While dinner was fine, it was nothing special and I would not return. It was also overpriced and I felt there was a lot of upselling. The restaurant itself is beautiful and highly atmospheric. The sort of setting for a great date night meal or a proposal. The best thing I had was a delicious fried cod croquette (I ordered 1 of them and wished I’d ordered more). The grilled octopus with olive oil and potatoes main was OK. But the octopus was tough, not well seasoned, and the dish needed a sauce. I ordered a side of vegetables (not something on the menu, but I’d asked and the waiter brought them). Unfortunately, they were just the same bland roasted veggies that came with my octopus dish. I wanted something light and bright for dessert after the octopus and ordered a mandarin sorbet, which was not at all bright. I declined the bread basket as it seemed too large for one person.

Lisbon pastry:

I was surprised that I loved the pasteis de nata (custard tarts) so much. I imagined that I would find them too sweet (I’m more of a savory tastes person) and I’m generally not a fan of custards (except for bright lemon custards). Well, was I wrong. They were marvelous. The best ones were those that just came out of the oven with the custard molten hot and deeply carmelized. I always chose to sprinkle cinnamon on the tarts. I sampled them widely. I enjoyed the tarts at Alcoa at Rua Garrett across from Castro; at Atelier de Pastéis de Nata; Castro; and Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata. Each one was delectable.

Belem pastry

During my Belem day, I enjoyed pasteis de nata at Pastéis de Belém.

Sintra pastry:

Luisa took me to the Piriquita Café and we both enjoyed (her treat) her favorite pastry there--the Travesseiro (i.e., the pillow). It was delicious!

After 6 wonderful nights in Lisbon, I left for Porto.

Porto (5 nights)

I took a late afternoon high speed train to Porto and booked a seat in first class. The ride was almost too short at about 3 hours. I was comfortable and happy reading on the train.

Porto lodging: Thanks to Maribel I stayed atHotel Pousada do Porto on Rua das Flores 94. I booked a classic room. I booked a refundable rate with breakfast for 4 nights. I opted to exclude breakfast on my check-out day because my flight was leaving at 6am. Breakfast was ample, lovely, and full of great options of all sorts. I loved the hotel and would definitely stay there again. Lots of historical character, but beautifully refreshed and with a gorgeous interior design. The lobby was large, comfortable, and very attractive as a spot to sit and read for a bit. The location was also perfect, as were all the staff.

Porto sites and experiences and a day trip to Guimarães & Braga:

I got into Porto a few hours before dinner. I used an hour or so before and then after dinner to get oriented to the city. I walked around randomly, up and down stairs and along the waterfront. I loved what I saw. The city has a youthful energy and it’s gorgeous. It was a bit smaller than I’d imagined.

My second day was a full one of walking and seeing the main sites. I walked over the bridge (upper level, both ways) and to the Jardim do Moro (just to see people lounging). Of the main sites in the city center my favorites are starred: Sao Bento railway station (amazing tile work)*, Palacio da Bolsa tour* (fascinating, loved all the inlaid wood and staircase, and the Arab Room is breathtaking), Porto City Hall, took a look at Café Majestic, walked in the Ribeiria*, Se, walked along Rua das Flores and Rua de Dom Hugo (and all the pracas around each), Mercado do bolhao (too antiseptic),and went into the Igreja de Sao San Francisco (amazing).*

I spent a third day following the suggestions of many locals and also just wandering around aimlessly. I visited Carmo, Carmelita, Clerigo Church (and enjoyed the free noon organ concert at the Clerigo Church), and walked around the neighborhood where the Clerigo was located (which I liked a lot—and the Vista Allegre shop had beautiful china that I enjoyed browsing). I dropped in at many small modern and folk art galleries along Rua Bombarda. The two highlights of that day were to come—they were the Crystal Palace Garden and the Municipal Art Gallery. The garden was full of peacocks and roosters and beautiful plants and walkways. I spent quite a bit of time there. In the Crystal Palace Garden, I also visited the Municipal Art Gallery (free; with a great exhibit of contemporary Portuguese art and art by artists from or working in the country’s former colonies, and reckoning with the colonial legacy; quite thought provoking; and note I was almost “that person” who knocked over a sculpture in the gallery while watching a school group outside the gallery—the kids were trying to entice peacocks that were nested high up on a metal gate of the museum, and the teachers were unsuccessfully trying to get them to stop–thankfully, for some reason I noticed what was almost about to happen and averted walking into the sculpture with probably an 1/8 of an inch to spare!). The lower level of the municipal building housing the art gallery was a municipal library. It was nice to sit down there for a bit and rest my weary feet.

Day trip to Guimarães & Braga:

Following discussion in this forum, I booked a full day trip with Cool Tour Porto https://cooltouroporto.com that involved a small group van tour to both Guimarães & Braga (Euro 94.50 for the full day, including lunch). I’m too much of an anarchist to be a group tour person. I understood the tradeoffs of trying to see some of two amazing places in one day and with a group. But I didn’t feel like organizing things by train, I really wanted a taste of both places, and I knew it would be tough to navigate the transfer between them on my own and without a car. I was also a bit tired of research and moving myself about by this time in the trip. So, I thought I would take the lazy way out and book the tour. Also, after you have been traveling solo for a while it’s nice to break things up a bit. So, I booked the trip. It turned out wonderfully and I would highly recommend this experience. As it turned out, only one other person was on the tour, and we got along very well, and she and I had much in common. So, it was a semi-private tour for the price of a group tour.

Braga and Guimarães were fascinating. I especially enjoyed the Bom Jesus Staircase in Braga. I really enjoyed the guide’s commentary and learned a lot from him. Both cities are clearly worth a few nights each. But I was very fortunate to see some of the highlights with the context provided by the guide. The guide also gave my new friend and I some time to walk around each town on our own. Lunch was at a nice restaurant and the meal was fine. I had a well-prepared grilled seabass with soup. Dessert was a good passionfruit flan.

I spent my final day in Porto split in two segments.

During the morning I followed recommendations to visit some very local spots on HelenaFatima’s post #6 on this thread Brass tacks on planning - 4 days in Porto It was a wonderful experience. During the portion of that walk when I was viewing some Jewish history sites, I ran into two people who were searching (like me) but with their guide for a place where a synagogue used to be. We ended up talking and they generously invited me to join the balance of their short tour. It was interesting and I’m sorry I didn’t ask for the guide’s name. I did offer to share part of the cost of the guide, but they wouldn’t let me. So, I just gave him a good tip.

During the afternoon I had a fabulous time at Fundação de Serralves, visiting the museum, the pink house, and especially the grounds. In one of the secondary buildings on the campus there was an interesting exhibit about Portugal’s Mario Soares, which seemed very timely politically and learning about his work was inspiring. I took an Uber toFundação de Serralves and then took one back to my hotel. The experience there was amazing. If you go, absolutely do not miss the tree top canopy walk in the parklike grounds (it’s an expansive walkway hovering over an urban forest--amazing) and be sure to walk around the lake. The grounds were so lovely and tranquil. I would return to the Fundação de Serralves in future trips.

Evening dance performance:

I so enjoyed a contemporary dance performance (with live music) by a young dancer from Angola at the beautiful Casa da Musica. The acoustics and space, as so many have noted, were amazing. I traded that in for a night spent enjoying seafood in Matosinhos (I will do the later next time).

Porto food: it was excellent, as in Lisbon.

Porto Lunch:

Casa Guedes: I had the roast pork sandwich with carmelized onions that had been soaked in port and topped with brie and arugula on a spelt roll, along with a starter of caldo verde soup. I absolutely loved the sandwich. I had the exact sandwich and soup during two other visits to Casa Guedes. I’m not even a big meat eater, but I found the sandwich irresistible (and, as a plus, the pork was not at all fatty).

Pastry and gelato:

Porto pastry and gelato:

I read about the gelato at Gelateria Portuense in a Hungry Onion thread. I had gelato there every day—it’s a small batch, artiginal place, where you can see the gelato being made in the back through a glass window. The first day I had two scoops—one of avocado with lemon and the other an orange and chocolate stracciatella. They were great. Another day I enjoyed the lemon sorbet after quite a large, rich dinner featuring a seafood porridge. It was really tart—a major plus for me. The perfect gelato, however, was called the “pistachio lover” and I had it a few times. They also had traditional (plain) pistachio, but I didn’t try it. The pistachio lovers was a shaggy-looking pistachio gelato full of toasted, chopped pistachios and mixed with pistachio paste and topped with carmelized pistachios. It was the best gelato I’ve had in my life. I think of it still.

I also very much enjoyed the pasteis de nata at the Porto outpost of Manteigaria. I especially enjoyed seeing them made.

Guimarães & Braga pastry:

The guide told us about the special pastries made by the nuns in Guimarães. We took a look at several of them and talked with someone at the bakery about each one and their history. I tried the Tortas de Guimarães—crunchy, firm crescent-shaped dough with crimped edges (like a crisp biscuit dough, then dipped in simple syrup after baking) filled with a creamy paste of egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, and to my delight spaghetti squash. Delicious!

Porto dinners:

Cantinho do Avillez: I had the bread cover (served with a tomato spread, truffled butter; and several types of bread—all wonderful—a cornbread, olive oil/sea salt toasted bread slivers, and a crusty sourdough); a fish soup starter; and a main of flaked cod with cabbage and exploding olives (the latter were prepared sous vide); and a dessert called “hazelnut3 “ (toasted hazelnuts, hazelnut foam, and hazelnut icecream—note: I’m usually skeptical of and just “over” foams of any sort, but the hazelnut foam was described to me by my very charming waiter as something that you would feed to any angel on a tiny silver spoon—he was not wrong). I enjoyed the Cantinho do Avillez so much that I returned there another evening and had another delightful meal. At the second meal I had a great scallops starter on a bed of avocado cream and a cod-potato stew that was terrific. And I had the hazelnut dessert again.

Dinner at the tiny, very plain looking (perhaps just six tables?) Taberna dos Mercadores was a great experience. I ate their twice. Following some advice in a Hungry Onion thread, I lined up outside the closed restaurant at 445pm (there was one person there when I got there). I took my Kindle and just waited and read until the door magically opened at 525pm, and I was then ushered in, along with a few lucky others that had joined the line. By 545pm all the tables were gone and by 730/745pm folks with reservations were poking in and I released my table (as did the other early diners). I loved the food and the feel. I had bacalao croquettes (wonderful) and the mixed seafood porridge for my first dinner (the latter felt something like an Asian congee). The porridge was a little rich for my taste and very large for one person—it would have been great to share with a group of four. But it was certainly delicious. My second dinner at Taberna dos Mercados was the night before my crazily, early flight. That one I enjoyed even more because of what I’d ordered. This time I had 4 starters for dinner. The cod fritters again, clams with garlic and cilantro cooked in olive oil, octopus salad, and fish soup. Everything was great—truly perfect.

Another night I was quite tired and had dinner at Honest Greens.

In sum: It was a wonderful trip. I cannot wait to return to Portugal, revisiting both Lisbon and Porto (especially Lisbon). I’d also like to experience some new places (with Coimbra at the top of that list). I would note that I found Portugal relatively inexpensive, compared, e.g., to Spain and Italy. Thanks again to everyone who helped me directly and indirectly.

Lovely trip report! Thanks for taking the time to write it

Thank you, very helpful - am seriously contemplating a trip to Portugal next year, so bookmarking.

Is central Lisbon easily walkable or is some form of transport (elevators, trams etc) inevitable? Looks like Sintra is perpetually busy, will need to plan that carefully (maybe an overnighter would help?).

Thanks for the detailed TR. Our trip to Portugal planned for May 2020 didn’t happen of course, DH and I will probably go to Lisbon this October for a few days. Business trip, but I will try to squeeze a weekend in for some sightseeing.

I am a little wary of Lisbon, all those hills going up and down would be hard in my husband with his double knee replacement. Though I believe Uber is a relatively cheap option.

My second concern is food, we are vegetarians and I think we’ll find meager pickings in Portugal!

So wonderfully detailed, studenttobe. Thank you for sharing. Will keep this report in mind when planning a future Portugal trip.

yk, ANUJ, geetika, and Janeyre--many thanks-glad the TR is useful.

ANUJ re your questions: Is central Lisbon easily walkable or is some form of transport (elevators, trams etc) inevitable?

Yes, central Lisbon is definitely very walkable, though ranging from hilly to very hilly and much of it with beautiful cobbled streets. (I believe the cobblestones are made of limestone and are necessarily uneven in places and slippery when wet. I recall a fall discussed with grace and humor in Maitai Tom's TR. I kept his experience in mind and tried not to be my usual distracted self when walking.)

There are of course also flat areas, too, such as the very walkable, tree-lined, elegant, and flat main shopping boulevard that was just a block from the hotel I stayed at --that shopping blvd is Avenida da Liberdade, I walked there often after dinner. It felt safe and peaceful and was a nice way to walk off dinner.

I recall as well a few threads (I can't put my hands on them just now) where Maribel (and I believe some other folks, too) gave helpful guidance to potential Lisbon travelers concerned about the hills (eg., in re what hotel to stay at, what areas would be flatter for walking etc)

In terms of transport around the city--there are lots and lots of trams. Often at the bottom of a steep hill there is a tram that simply goes up and down the hill. I didn't take any trams, but certainly they were very well utilized. There are also a good number of elevators (many of which were really beautiful Iron Age designs worth seeing just for their beauty). Lines seemed a bit long for some of them, and I stopped to admire their beauty, but I didn't use them.

What I did use was Bolt and Uber. They are everywhere--I've never seen a city with so many Bolts and Ubers (there were also a few other companies for which I didn't have the apps, such as one with tiny lime green cars). I never waited--even during rush hour--more than 15 mins for a Bolt or an Uber. Most of the time I waited 5-7 mins and that was using the "wait and save" rate. Prices were very low, at least by US standards. Probably the most expensive ride I took was from Belem to central Lisbon during rush hour and that was probably Euro 14. For little trips across Lisbon it was usually more like Euro 5. So, I think using Bolt or Uber is an excellent, easy, cost efficient option --it's a good idea to have both apps on your phone, bec the pricing can vary ,

Looks like Sintra is perpetually busy, will need to plan that carefully (maybe an overnighter would help?).

That seems worthwhile because of the busyness. I do recall that in several TRs there are discussions of charming small B&Bs in Sintra. I don't think that I would love staying overnight in Sintra - it just didn't have the feel that I tend to love. But for many others here that is very different. One other option that I remember reading about in some TRs and threads discussing Sintra is the idea of staying in Cascais for a few nights and taking an Uber/Bolt to Sintra (meeting a guide there). That idea appealed to me --had I had three more nights I probably would have done Cascais stay/see Sintra option as it would have been nice to stay by the water in a quiet setting, especially as a "soft entry" to Portugal. (I was coming from Europe so didn't need the soft entry option. But two years ago when I was traveling in Andalucia directly from the US, Maribel advised a soft entry to Andalucia with a few nights in Malaga, and that worked very well. So, that might be a good model if you are arriving in Portugal after a long flight.

geetika, re your questions: I am a little wary of Lisbon, all those hills going up and down would be hard in my husband with his double knee replacement. Though I believe Uber is a relatively cheap option.

Totally understood—I think with the Bolt/Uber option (as I note above) is relatively cheap and also easy, plus some care in planning where to stay and perhaps booking one or two days with a private guide who might drive you around the city a bit. (The company that my Sintra guide, Luisa (suggested by Maribel), might be a great place to start. S Under these conditions, a visit would be workable and not overly taxing. There are also a lot of tuc tucks (and I mean a lot), so booking one of them to take you between certain sites also seems a very good option. I saw lots of people (esp family groups w small children) who seemed to have the same driver for the day bec I criss crossed a few groups and saw their waiting tuc tucks at various sites.

My second concern is food, we are vegetarians and I think we’ll find meager pickings in Portugal!

I understand this as a concern. But I think you will be fine and will have more options than you think. Granted, some restaurants may be definite noes bec they might have just one vegetarian option — perhaps very focused on a pasta or something with potatoes. But Honest Greens really has a terrific, varied vegetarian menu (with cooked vegetarian starters and hot and cold vegetarian dishes, so you would not be stuck having just a green salad for dinner-that’s not very satisying). The Corte de Ingles (large dept store) has a kind of gourmet food court w/varied int’l foods and you’d be able to find some options there. Also, I saw a lot of pizza places, Indian and Chinese restaurants in the city and that would give you some nice vegetarian options. And there are also Spanish tapas restaurants where you might find beans and tortilla espanola (potato omelette/cake). Finally, I did a quick “reddit” google search and there are a lot of informative threads on vegetarian and even vegan restaurants in Lisbon. I don’t know if these links will work in this forum, but here are some that I found. This suggests that there are many good, interesting sounding options for vegetarian restaurants (even some that are interpreting trad'l Portuguese dishes).

https://www.reddit.com/r/PortugalExp...an_restaurant/

https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan_trave...gan_in_lisbon/

https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/...ound_portugal/

Thank you for the detailed response, very helpful.

studenttobe, I really appreciate your taking the time to write this detailed reply. Am saving this thread in my travel folder, thanks a bunch!

What a wonderful TR. Thank you. How did you find the area in Lisbon? Did you feel safe and comfortable walking around at night?

Most welcome, ANUJ and geetika. Kelsey22–thanks very much. I felt very safe in Lisbon at all times, including walking late in the evening (that is, for strolls after dinner around 10pm or so). Of course in crowded areas during the day (that is, around main sites) I was very careful with my crossbody purse (and I carry only a photo of my passport, phone, one of my credit cards, and just a little cash, with the other credit cards and my passport in the safe in my hotel room). At night I’m never inclined to walk around train stations or on quiet streets, but these are just general city precautions that I take when alone outdoors in any city. As in so many cities in Europe, so many streets in Lisbon are full of life at night with people eating outdoors, lots of people walking and talking, and groups of young people sitting around in big groups talking. For me, that makes it such a pleasure to walk at night in many European cities. Lisbon was no exception in these regards, and so I felt very comfortable at night walking to/from dinner and then taking a bit of a stroll before turning in for the night (along the Ave. Liberdad, which is really nice walking street with lots of folks similiarly strolling and right by my hotel).

studenttobe, I really enjoyed your report. In 2018 we spent 5 nights in Lisbon that included a daytrip to Sintra. That was all we had time for. We would love to return to visit Porto, Guimaraes and Braga some day so your report is very interesting and helpful.

To ANUJ and Geetika, I agree with studenttobe's description and assessment of Avenida da Liberdade. It's a very pretty tree-lined, flat avenue that is safe and easy for walking.

When we were in Lisbon in 2018, that was a year before I had hip replacement surgery. I did have some difficulty walking so many times we took taxis, which at the time were very easy to get and very, very inexpensive. So that's another option as well.

Thanks, KarenWoo—as a master TRer, your feedback means a lot . I hope you can get back to Portugal at some point. I am savoring your epic Italy TR…just read the Venice segment—wow—I will be relying on your report for many years—thank you!

Thank you so much for an excellent trip report! Having never been, and finding these 2 cities a bit overwhelming when looking for hotels and restaurants in Porto and Lisbon.
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share such a detailed TR; I hope it will spur me on to 'pay it forward' and share my previous trips to Iceland in August and Switzerland in October.

Thanks very much for a great TR! I’ll use it as a reference when I’m researching a trip to Portugal.

gailscout and joannyc, I'm so glad my TR is helpful to you both. thanks for taking the time to let me know. I wish you both great trips to beautiful Portugal whenever you get to go. I'd love a return trip. (Apologies for just acknowledging your nice notes now-I missed the notification.) Best wishes to you both,

Thank you for this raport, I had once a lay over in Lisbon for 10 hours so I decided to explore the centre of the city which I found outstanding though it was only a short time.

Thanks, sannakallio0369--that's great that you made the most of your layover in Lisbon. Hope you can get back there in the future (I'd like to do so).