My husband and I (70) are going to Portugal. In March. We don’t want to move around but would like mostly day trips. I like old and charming with squares and churches. He likes that as well but also wants to hike and rent electric bikes. Where is the best place to center ourselves?
Posted by
Chicago
505 posts
I've only seen Lisbon and Faro in Portugal.
Though Lisbon is the capital and the big city (pop. 550,000 people) of the country, it didn't feel all that big to me, though I live in a very big city. If you like old and charming with squares and churches, Lisbon has plenty of neighborhoods boasting those very qualities.
Faro is the capital of the Algarve region in the southern part of the country. Given your preferences, I would avoid Faro as a place for a long-term stay, though it is worth visiting. It has the feel of a coastal town with a lot of nightlife.
Two towns you might want to consider are Coimbra and Porto, but I have never been to either. Coimbra is a university town. Rick has a video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFQ8mymaGVs.
Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal. Historically, it was a hardscrabble town, but today is very charming. Here is a Rick's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z33hDgMq39U
Wherever you go, Portugal is a great place.
Posted by
11175 posts
Evora, Coimbra, Tomar
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1026 posts
Lisbon and Porto are both very hilly so not ideal for cycling, and they’re large cities so hiking is not going to be on your doorstep. Also, Porto is not that warm and it could rain quite a bit in March. I think a smaller town may suit you better.
Posted by
Connecticut
57 posts
Hammondlmk,
We did a week in March in Porto and would not recommend it. Cold and rainy. Our AirBnB host said Spring does not arrive before April.
As stated elsewhere, Lisbon is wonderful but quite hilly (is that a word?). Very conducive to interesting and, at time challenging, walks but not for biking of any kind.
Cascais (outside of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast) might be good. Maby Kathrynj will chime in.
Cumprimentos,
Dennis
Posted by
Renton, WA
131 posts
Braga is wonderful. Small town feel, big city amenities.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1680 posts
You are really spoiled for choice. As mentioned earlier, Coimbra, Tomar, or Evora if you want to be inland. The area around Evora is quite flat with lots of vineyards and cork trees. Coimbra is quite hilly, as is Tomar out of the downtown area. But as mentioned they are inland.
If you want to be close to the coast, might check out Cascais, Estoril or look along with the silver coast. The advantage to Cascais or Estoril is the proximity to Lisbon. It’s a 30 to 40 minute train ride. The Sintra hills are easily accessible for wonderful hikes and bike rides.
The Cascais area also has many groups and activities for English-speaking immigrants, if you don’t want to just be on your own for the entire month. And a significant percentage of the people in these areas speak English.