My wife and I are planning our first trip to Portugal April 20-May 18. We are attending a yoga retreat at a resort near Faro April 25-May 2. We fly into and out of Lisbon. Initially we thought we would begin our trip in Lisbon for 5 days and do day trips to Evora, Alcobaca and maybe Sintra. After our week near Faro, we would pick up a rental car and spend a week in the Algarve and then make our way up to Porto for 5 days before making our way back to Lisbon to head home. But, I’m wondering if we should start in Porto and pick from the Douro Wine Region, Guarda, Coimbra, Tomar and end up in Lisbon to make our way to Faro. Our preference is to only use a larger city as a home base and spend most of our time visiting smaller towns. I would appreciate any input on what route makes the most sense given the 28 days we will be in Portugal
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
2038 posts
Your idea of starting in Porto sounds better to me. Be aware you do not need or want a car in either Porto or Lisbon. The parking in the big cities is very expensive and not abundant. Unless your accommodation offers parking, which I don’t think is very common.
A couple of nights in the Douro at a wine Quinta is a lovely experience but there are only smaller towns in that area. It’s too far to drive from Porto, IMO. My first time in the Douro was a small group day trip and it was way too much driving.
Coimbra could be used as a base and from there, explore some of the smaller towns in the area. There is a Roman settlement (Conimbriga) outside of Coimbra with surprisingly intact mosaic floors that is very much worth your time. Tomar is a nice town and Knights of Templar convent is worth a look.
There are a number of towns on the Silver Coast that are very nice, but since you will be in the Algarve, I would suggest waiting for your beach fix.
Between Lisbon and the Algarve (sort of), is Evora. There are a number of other small towns in the Alentejo that are charming.
With a month here, you can slow down and really experience the country. And , it’s a good time of the year. But, be prepared for rain as it still can rain during that month.