I hope my previous attempt just vanished and didn't get sent.
Travelling with my wife and this is our first trip to Portugal. I have booked my fights and the car. We arrive in Lisbon 1Nov2016 and dep 22Nov. We will be flying to Azores 4 Nov and returning to LIS on 9 Nov and pick up the car at the airport to head south taking 3 or 4 nights to get to Algarve.
We are both retired like to do a lot of walking / hiking both in cities and countryside. We also don't want to change hotels / B&B s every night. National Geo recently had an interesting trip south along the coast to Cape Sagres but their accommodation looked a little pricey and they relocated every day. Our room budget is typically about €75 per night. We don't need 5 star hotels but we do want our private bathroom so no hostels. I also see that some people on this forum don't like Rick S's recommendation to stay in Salema. We proposed to stay about 6 night on Algarve coast, 3 in Sagres and 3 in Salema but now I'm wondering.
I was proposing when in Lisbon to stay in the Alfama area (or Bairro Alto) and may get an apartment using AirBnB or Rick's suggested cross-pollinate.com as this seems to give better value than hotels recommended.
Any suggestions so that we can get our best possible trip would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hugh
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1669 posts
Staying in Sagres would enable you to drive north up the coast and the area is lovely. I wasn't that impressed with Sagres itself. Lagos is really my favorite (so far). It's a good size town with lots of restaurants and likely apartment rentals ( I was house sitting). In November, the hotel rates would likely be better. There are lovely hikes in the area and beautiful beaches. I am one of the people that was very disappointed in Salema.
When in Lisbon, I would say a word of caution about the Alfama. The public transport is limited and the hills are unbelievable! I'm retired also and don't go often because the hills and stairs kill me! That said, it's beautiful and should be visited. I would not want those hills every time I walked out the door. The Chiado/Barrio Alto and Baixa areas have much better public transport options. Chiado still has hills but not quite as bad. Baixa is pretty flat but not as picturesque. At that time of the year you should be able to find a vacation rental in your price range.
Evora is a lovely city to visit on your way to the Algarve.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I too think that Salema has been ruined by over-development in the past decade. I found Sagres to be bleak, cold and windy in July, so November would be awful!
I am another fan of Lagos - it stays open throughout the winter and is big enough to have plenty going on, whilst retailing the old parts of the town. I would combine a few days here with somewhere quieter on the Atlantic coast for some walking - somewhere such as Odemira/Vila Nova de Milfontes or Zambujeira do Mar.
Evora is definitely worth a day trip too.
Posted by
OP
Calgary, AB
154 posts
Thanks for comments on Lisbon and Alfama. Alfama looks interesting with old narrow streets and possible Fado bars, but no-one else mentioned the hills although I guess it should have been obvious.
We definitely will go to Evora and will probably stay for 2 nights on way back to Lisbon. We may visit Monchique for a night on way to Evora.
With comments about Salema, we may change to 4 nights, 3 whole days, in Sagres for walking and visiting the coastal areas and we will definitely take some warmer, wind-proof clothing. We know that it isn't the optimum time (about 5 weeks later than we originally planned) but we have some other personal commitments.
Thanks,
Hugh
Posted by
119 posts
Both the Alfama and the Barrio Alto are on hills, but the Barrio Alto is better served by public transportation, partly because the streets are on a grid. The Alfama was rebuilt on the medieval foot print after the 1755 earthquake. If you like to hike and are in good shape, the hills in the Alfama may not be a problem. There are some great views of the city from that hill. Note that Lisbon taxis are relatively inexpensive, and they can usually get you to within a block or two of any place in the Alfama.
I recommend the walking tours of Lisbon mentioned in Rick's book, particularly the Alfama tour.
There are many Fado clubs in both neighborhoods.
There is a nice paved beach-side walk from Estoril to Cascais, and from Cascais all the way to Gincho. This is a city walk, not a wilderness trail, but there is good scenery.