Hi and thank you in advance for your help. I would greatly appreciate some itinerary advise. A few notes about our desire and schedule. We are two couples in good health traveling to Portugal landing in Porto on June 12th for 12 nights. We love food, beaches, wine, nature, castles and cool villages. Not afraid of walking lots but don't want to be hot. While Lisbon definitely looks like a great city we are not interested in spending the majority of our time there. So far Lisbon (which are flying out of) day trip to Sintra, Porto, and Duoro Valley are on on our itinerary. Obidos was a thought and we would like to find somewhere for a lovely but not overcrowded beach. It seems like there is not enough time for any of the beaches down south. While Evora looks interesting, i read it is hot so that has been crossed off my list. I know i can't see everything so if i could just get a good representation of some of our interest I would be happy. We don't mind putting in effort but we also don't want to be rushed. We will have a car for transportation. Thoughts on worthwhile cities, beaches and time in each is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1680 posts
I would suggest you do a bit more research then ask more specific questions on this forum. I’m guessing that would help you get responses.
Posted by
Vancouver
16 posts
I suggest read the RS Portugal guide book, so many gems. I'm also reading the FODORS and Lonely Planet guides and watching lots of YouTube videos and taking notes. I found this great YouTube channel: "ROAD TRIP Spain and Portugal" and this website from a previous post in this forum: "https://myportugalholiday.com/ "
Good luck and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. I'll be in Portugal in March,
Posted by
7688 posts
I have been to Portugal twice and love it.
The second time there, our tour included a 7 night river cruise on the Douro Valley. The valley is amazing, probably one of the most scenic in Europe.
Porto deserves at least two nights. We loved the InPatio Guesthouse, a small BnB that was amazing, book early. If you don't do the cruise up the river, take the train to Regua and/or Pinhao and visit some wineries.
Lisbon is worth at least three days. Both Porto and Lisbon are hilly. You can do Porto on your own with a good guidebook.
Lisbon, suggest taking at least a city tour first. Also, Caiscas is great.
Between Porto and Lisbon you find Sintra (can do on day trip from Lisbon), Obidos (a great little city with ancient walls) and other places like Coimbra or Nazare.
Evora is east of Lisbon and worth at least a day. It has a lot of Roman history.
I wouldn't focus much on beaches, they are OK, but not as nice as in California or Florida. The water can still be chilly in June.
Posted by
Portugal
17 posts
Hi,
As Portuguese and regarding your details i would suggest you this options:
-Douro boat trip, with gastronomy and wine, full of nature
-Tuk tuk in Porto for city daytrip
-Porto do Lisbon is 3.5 hour trip
-Go down to Lisbon passing by " Aveiro" the Portuguese Veneza like city,
-Then pass by Nazaré, world record of the biggest surfed wave and very beauty place,
-Go to Obidos, you can see it all in 3 hours enought
-Check Fátima, second most catholic place on earth, where lady of Fátima appeared,
-Santarem to eat, very gastronomic city
-Lisbon day trip, walk by and a tuk tuk
-Sintra day trip, careful about you cannot park there free, and very difficult to park also, you have a direct train from Lisbon and cheap
-Look for Fado dinner in Lisbon
-You can see Porto-Covo on the way to Evora, very beauty sea costline called " costa vincentina"
-Evora see the "Portuguese Stonehenge"
-You can also go to Seville,4.5h from Lisbon driving on national road.
Any tip from Portugal feel free.
Posted by
OP
Monrovia, CA, USA
60 posts
Thank you to those who were kind and helpful in their reply. Exactly the information I was looking for. I really appreciate it! Cascais looks very beautiful! Does anyone have a recommendation for how long to stay? I also appreciated the recommendation for the place in Porto! As well as the Portuguese venice and coast on the way to Evora. Does this itinerary sound reasonable?
Land in Porto in the late afternoon/evening 3 nights
Duoro Valley 3 nights on way to Cascias stop for lunch in Aveiro stay in Cascias 4 nights (including day trip to Sintra)
Lisbon 3 nights
I would love to visit Costa Vincenta as suggested. Would it be crazy to try and do as a day trip from Lisbon and perhaps take away a night from Cascias or would it make more sense as a destination instead of Cascias? Thank you so much for your tips!
Posted by
WA USA
1103 posts
Another resource for ideas is Julie Dawn Fox Blog.
https://juliedawnfox.com/
North of Porto is Braga and Guimarães which are worth seeing. And between Porto and Lisbon are the monasteries Batalha and Alcobaça which are impressive and very much worth seeing.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15593 posts
Maybe 4N in Porto. First, because you are likely to be jetlagged and sleep-deprived on your first and second days. Second, because there's a lot to see in Porto.
3N in the Douro Valley feels like one too many for me.
Equating Aveiro with Venice is likely to lead to great disappointment. I spent one day/night there and enjoyed it because of the Art Nouveau architecture. The canals aren't scenic. Coimbra is much more interesting and attractive if you want a stop on the way.
Cascais is indeed very scenic. A day trip sufficed for me, though. On the other hand, I very much enjoyed 3N in Sintra (but my trip was twice as long a yours) which has several good sights and is mostly walkable.
Like Porto, Lisbon has tons to see and do. 3N is the minimum.
You originally wrote that you have 12 nights, but your plan adds up to 13 nights.