Two active seniors will be staying about 2 weeks in Portugal in May 2018 - trying to pre-plan. Will spend 4 nights in Porto and about 5-7 days in Lisbon. Would like to spend several days in another area. Like exploring historical buildings, gardens, especially walking outside main village to experience the scenery. Not sure which village would be suitable - Nazare, Obidos, Coimbra or other suggestions.
Thought Algarve area too touristy also we live near the beach. Will be relying on public transport then traveling over to Seville in Spain. Would appreciate any suggestions.
Jen
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
OBidos is a nice cobbled walled village we enjoyed very much. nazare more modern and a nice beach town. Have u considered the Douro Valley nr Porto?
U can take a river cruise thereor stay in a village. The train stops there also. Gorgeous area.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Obidos is very touristy, but worth a couple of hours. Nazare is an over-rated beach resort IMO, as there are better in Portugal. I don't care for places with row upon row of beach umbrellas. Early May may or may not be beach weather here.
I like Evora. It's reachable by bus from Lisbon. The ossary is unusual - a chapel lined with bones plus the rest of the walled town is interesting. You can walk along the old aqueduct into the countryside.
Cover the Douro from Porto.
Posted by
Calgary, AB, Canada
567 posts
I would second Evora, it is a lovely town, with lots to see, but still very walkable. We added an extra night to our stay there when we went because we were enjoying it so much. Much less crowded than Obidos, and more to do than Nazare in my opinion.
Posted by
Toronto, Canada
25 posts
Sintra is a must while you are in Lisbon or if you decide to stay there. Covers all your bases and then some.
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
Stay overnight in Sintra, it's wonderful. I am a big fan of Nazare too, though I gather it may have changed a bit since my wife and visited in 2008. We were there in late September and there were no beach umbrellas in sight that I can recall. The sunset in Nazare was sublime, and all time travel memory for us. Obidos is a great visit but more of a day trip, very sleepy even during the day. At night it would be a real snooze. I think two full days, in Porto in plenty. The highlight for me was walking across the top level of the bridge spanning the river. What a view! I did it after dark, but in the future I would go back during the day (and the night too!) Evora is great too, Portugal is really one of the most pleasant countries to visit in all of Europe. I think four full days (five nights) in Lisbon is about right, more is better but you might want to consider the trade off of what else you might be able to see. Tomar is not in Rick's book, but the Templar castle/monastery there is pretty great. Also, the town of Alcobaca with its church is a very nice visit. And Marvao near the Spanish border. So many amazing places to visit, I want to go back!
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
27 posts
We just finished up 3 nights in Evora and loved it. Great walled town, small enough to walk everywhere. It has a nice cathedral, a long aqueduct, a vault where skulls are stored, the Igreja do Lotos - former Arabian castle and Christian convent with great tile works, and a university. The restaurants are small and wonderful, and there are plenty of little side trip options. We had a car, so we were able to get outside of town to Monsaraz (fairytale walled city) and Vila Vicosa for its marble.