Central and South

Do a search for Tomar Castle. If possible I would continue to return. Do not stay in Tomar. We did have an excellent meal in Tomar, we checked out where the locals were and the staff we peeling potatoes.! We stayed in Torres Novas and drove to the Tomar castle. If you would like to go south Burgau for those who are laid back and Luz for those who would like upscale.

For the Algarve, Lagos is my favorite. It's fairly central for the more western areas, which are preferable IMO. It's a good size town with a cute downtown area and has the most beautiful rock formations right outside of town. From Lagos you can easily visit Sagres and the western coast if you want and it's not a high rise enclave like Faro.

For central Portugal, you might want to google Silver Coast. There are a number of smaller towns from which you can do day trips to Alcobaça, Batalha, Óbidos, etc. I stayed in São Martinho do Porto a couple years ago and thought it was a nice town and enabled us to do a number of day trips. That said, there would be more to see in Coimbra than a smaller town. I'm not certain of the distances from Coimbra to other central Portugal attractions but that is easily researched.

Thank you for the advice -- I will certainly consider all options suggested.

Sorry for all my following questions but this would help me helping you the best I can. How many days will you dedicate to the Algarve itself and what kind of accomodation are you looking for? Big group, small group?

Plus, are you looking into explore the most you can of the Algarve or do you want just to see a few spots and relax for most of the time (which the Algarve is perfect for nonetheless)?

Jon, we are a small group of two with own car. We will be spending 9 days between Lisbon ( tour completed) and Porto ( tour to start at end of the nine days). Our accommodation needs are basic - the minimum we require is parking, wi-fi and private bathroom. as long as its clean we do not really mind - accommodation , in our view is primarily for sleeping and refreshing ourselves. We no not need to explore every nook and cranny of the Algarve, Would of course like to visit the wild west facing the Atlantic. We are history buffs more than anything else. As mentioned earlier, an extra hour of driving is preferred to having to change ( and look for) hotels. We are hoping for two places - somewhere in the Algarve - and somewhere central between the Algarve and Porto - maybe Coimbra. Thank you for your interest.

It seems you'll likely be spending 4/5 days in the Algarve once you'll then go to the central, right?

Considering you are interested in visiting the wild Atlantic and that you are history buffs I would recommend the following spots (never forgetting that portuguese/algarve gastronomy is phenomenal):

-> Algarve west coast ("wild Atlantic" and beautiful landscape on the beaches)

-> Sagres, its São Vicente cape and its fort (the most western point in Europe, full of history. A long time ago people thought this was the last piece of land in the world, that nothing more existed after it. It was a base where portuguese navy was developed to find the Americas. The area is still pretty wild with only the small village of Sagres)

-> Lagos (also a beautiful and historic city in the coast. Different monuments to see and the town had a great role in the discovering of many parts of the world. From here many portuguese boats left to discover the Americas, Africa, India etc)

-> Monchique mountains: From the top you have a fantastic view over the Algarve and the ocean. This is pure nature and relaxation. The mountains are beautiful, you have waterfalls going down the mountains and some spots where you can drink it.

-> Silves (also a truly historic town a bit more to the countryside. Had an important role during mourish invasion. it was the former capital of the Algarve by that time. Castle and Church must be seen. You can also go down or up the Arade river from Silves by boat up to Portimão or the opposite. It is a beautiful and calm boat trip with beautiful landscapes). If you want to have a tasteful seafood meal take the opportunity to go to Marisqueira Rui, one of the oldest and most famous seafood restaurants in the Algarve.

-> Alvor (a traditional fisherman village with a great atmosphere, a river bay, a long beautiful beach and fantastic restaurants as well. just to name a few, Àbabuja or Restinga. This last one is on the beach)

-> Portimão (if you want to have fun at night you have some bars there and also great beaches around). This is not a very historic city in terms of monuments etc but it is the 2nd largest city in the Algarve.

-> Carvoeiro: Another small fisherman village with great restaurants (The Wolf or Villa Medici) and a picturesque beach. Close to Carvoeiro you'll find other extraordinary beaches in the middle of the rocks. Some have caves to visit by boat as well.

-> Albufeira: Nightlife and beach spot basically. Lots of restaurants, shops, etc.

-> Vilamoura: Glamorous spot (the Monaco of the Algarve).

-> Tavira: another historical town that deserves to be visited

Exploring the countryside is also nice and you can do some "safaris". There are companies doing it. for instance Algarve Safaris

If the weather permits and if you have time to you should visit the caves and/or do some boat trip along the coast.

Lastly, regarding the accommodation and location, I would recommend staying somewhere in between Alvor and Albufeira as this would be more central (this is like a 35km range). If hotel is not the 1st option for you, you'll certainly find lots of apartments on Airbnb, VRBO/Homeaway etc. However, if your budget permits Springvillas has fantastic villas to rent (with pool etc) that I would recommend which may also be a great choice.

Many more could be said but this should be a guideline and should keep you more than entertained for those days.

I hope this helps. Any doubt or question, feel free!

Jon Wesley. You are a gem! You have just answered all of the questions for us. I have just copied all of your points onto my iPad notes. Thank you so much. Very much appreciated. Kind Regards. Ray.

You're welcome Ray. I'm happy it helped! :)

If you have any other particular doubt or question let me know.