Lisbon and 1 other city. Suggestions?

Val,
I also am planning on going to Lisbon but in early December. I plan to travel to Coimbra to visit Batalha's grand monastery of Santa Maria and the nearby pilgrimage of Fatima. But if that is not of interest, Coimbra is a 700 year old University town.

And of course, go to the Douro wine country!!

This is from someone who has never gone but plans to this year!!

Thank you so much Kathy. I will research your suggestions for sure! Cannot wait to get there late July!

Val,

Hello.

I was in Portugal two weeks ago and stayed in Lisbon. On my way to Spain, the bus stopped in Faro. It is a pleasant, laid-back town on the Mediterranean. I think Faro is considered the capital of the Algarve region. Faro has a beautiful marina and seaport. It appeared to be a good town to relax and use as a stopping point for the Algarve. When traveling, it's good to get out of aggressive cities for a couple nights.

As for Lisbon, be watchful, but not overzealous either, on one thing: pickpockets. My wallet was stolen, but most of my money was in a money belt, so it was not much of an issue. Make sure all your valuables are in a money belt of zipped bag. Aside from that, I like Lisbon. It was great to walk through the Alfama and Baixa-Chiado areas. I heard some authentic, not tourist, Fado in the Alfama. The Jeronimos Monastery and Coach Museum in the Belem area are worth seeing. I wish I had had time to see one of the art museums, but I saw three art museums in Spain.

Cheers, C.

It's been a while since your original question, so plans must be coming together. The Portugal Tourist Office seems to be promoting golf but I don't know what other sports may be on in the summer. July is a good time to enjoy sun and sea at the Algarve, but if you end up focusing north of Lisbon, e.g., adding Coimbra, then you could stop at a beach town in that direction, such as Nazare.