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Lisbon & Alentejo

Hello!

My husband and I have been looking for a destination to pair with his visit to his family in France. We live in South Africa, and he is visiting France again this year due to a serious illness in his family. With the thought of trying to find some lightheartedness in a difficult time, I thought that around a week in Portugal could be fun... Neither of us have been to Portugal before, but it appeals to us. It would be in July though, which is our least favourite time in Europe. We thought of some time in a quieter part of Lisbon, then maybe the Alentejo countryside, and then possibly Comporta. But I also have Caiscais in the back of my mind, which is popular for whatever reason for South Africans from our part of the country. I’m worried though about the busy-ness at that time of year, and possibly also the dry-ness of the vegetation in Alentejo. Am I worrying too much? Is there anywhere else that could be a possibility in Portugal at that time of year? We love pretty places to stay, lovely walks, great local food (but not fine dining), good wine, warm locals…

Any suggestions would be very welcome!

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1909 posts

You can easily fill a week in the Lisbon area. The problem with the Alentejo in July is the heat. Unless you enjoy very hot weather, I would suggest you skip it. Comporta has become big in recent years, but I have not been. Cascais will be busy, as will Lisbon. Cascais will be less crowded and cooler. If you don’t stay in the main tourist area, it’s ok. I just don’t go downtown much on the weekends and still enjoy the town.

Further up the coast in the Silver Coast area, some of the smaller towns are quite nice and are not on the crazy tourist track like Lisbon. Staying close to the coast will keep things a bit cooler.