Hi. My wife and I will spend two weeks in Portugal in October. We plan to start with four nights in Lisbon (including a day in Sintra) and finish with two or three nights in Porto.
That leaves us with about a week in between. We're looking to fill it with regional variety while minimizing driving and the number of times we have to uproot for different base towns. We figure we should plan to find two or three other regions to explore. We'd like to stay a minium of two nights in each area, three nights if possible.
We'd definitely like to see the Atlantic coast, but probably not the Algarve to reduce driving. We'd also like to see Peneda-Geres National Park, the Duoro Valley and possibly Coimbra.
Can anyone suggest a good, preferably charming base town for exploring an interesting Atlantic coastal area, either between Lisbon and Porto or north of Porto?
And any suggestions for base towns in other regions? We are quite fallible, so advising us to visit different areas than the ones we're considering is totally fine.
Thanks - Alan Fram, Virginia
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7204 posts
We had a longer trip and along with other lodging locations we spent 3 nights in Coimbra and 4 nights in Tomar. We took day trips from Tomar.
Posted by
371 posts
Inland between Lisbon and Porto, Coimbra is the probably the best choice.
Beachfront my choices are:
Peniche
https://myportugalholiday.com/peniche-portugal-tourism-guide.html#google_vignette
The best fish stew I've had , called Caldeirada de Peixe
São Martinho do Porto
https://myportugalholiday.com/portugal-guides/sao-martinho-do-porto-portugal.html
Protected bay with calm water and long beach for walking
Nazare
https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/portugal/nazare-portugal.html
Sometimes it's overrun by tourists
Aveiro is another possible but while it's waterfront it's not beachfront.
https://porto-north-portugal.com/aveiro-portugal-guide.html
More of a working town with motorized Molicelos boats for canal rides.
They have a sweet called Ovos Moles, egg yolk with sugar, that I enjoy but it can be overly sweet.
Posted by
Brooklyn, NY
4295 posts
We are staying in Tomar to visit the nearby sights - 4 nights. Our hotel has parking, Hotel Republica Boutique Hotel.
Posted by
OP
Arlington, VA, USA
58 posts
Thank you all for your suggestions!
Posted by
Lisbon, Portugal
93 posts
Here are my candid views and recommendations for your trip. First I would use one day of the extra week to overnight in Sintra rather than visit as a day trip from Lisbon. That way you will see the charm of the town when it is not overrun with fellow tourists. You will also be able to start early to enjoy the best sites. I highly recommend the Moorish castle and National Palace if you wisely hire an experienced guide in advance. If you want to stay longer than one night you can use Sintra as a base to explore neighboring coastal towns of Cascais/Estoril (which are stunning) and Ericeira. Skip Peniche and Nazare and enjoy several days in Porto. I would then drive north east towards Pineda Geres which is beautiful, though I don't have a specific recommendation where to stay. Then head south to what may be a highlight of your stay the Douro wine region. To me it is probably the most stunning wine region in the world. Boas viagens. And yes try to learn a few words/phrases in Portugues. It will go a long way though most Portuguese speak English, especially in the cities and tourist areas.
Posted by
OP
Arlington, VA, USA
58 posts
And thank you, Scott!