Portugal beach recommendation and a Rough itinerary - No. of nights?

It’s going to be difficult to only use public transport in the silver coast area. The trains are very slow if they exist in those places. Buses might be an option. Flix bus and Gypsy are two long distance buses that you might check out. Of the ones you mention Figueira would be my choice. I’m not a fan of Nazaré. Ericeira is also quite nice but the public transport is still going to be an issue.

FYI - there are some nice beaches outside of Sintra and between Sintra and Cascais.

If you stay three nights in Coimbra, you would have time to go out to Conimbriga. An old Roman settlement with amazingly intact mosaic floors. You could likely Uber out there.

If you have five nights for Porto and Douro, you might want to stay a couple of nights in the Douro. There are many Quintas right on the river. I’ve stayed at Quinta de la Rosa in Pinhao twice and really enjoyed it. From Pinhao you can do a couple hours cruise on the river, which has been enough for me. The train from Porto to Pinhao has some great river views the last hour.

Kathryn, maybe I should consider a car rental for the day trips and exploring the Duoro area. I’m traveling solo and that is why I hesitate. I appreciate your tips on favorite beaches too.

Hi

The beaches north of Lisbon have strong currents and cold water, the exception is São Martinho do Porto because it's in a almost enclosed bay.

As Kathrynj mentioned some of the beaches between Lisbon and Cascais are also very nice, Carcavelos beach is the biggest and has bechfront restaurants.

If you go to Nazaré take the funicular to Sítio, great views of Nazaré.

Happy travels

Renting a car for the days in central Portugal would be good. It’s very easy driving in that area because there aren’t large cities.

I would not in the Douro, though. The roads are winding and small. And, you would miss being able to see the views - or drink the wine! Basing in either Pinhao or Régua and hiring a taxi is easy.

Wow, this information on the beaches, especially near Porto and Cascais is quite helpful and I appreciate the recommendation for a stay at a quinta. I have looked at a couple of them so far - Quinta de Marrocos and Quinta do Tedo. So on a car rental would you recommend picking it up in Lisbon and returning it in Porto before my stay in the Duoro, possibly in Pinhao?

Also, do you have suggestions for a Duoro River cruise company? Nothing fancy, but I like the English narrated tours of no more than 2-3 hours. Not interested in lunch or dinner service while on the boat

I would recommend picking up the car outside of Lisbon. My first trip, I picked up the car in Coimbra and returned it in Cascais. That way I could avoid driving in either large city. That said, I think the traffic in Cascais is pretty bad! If you don’t mind driving in big cities, pick it up in Lisbon and return in Coimbra. The train from Coimbra to Porto is quite easy and inexpensive. It will be much less expensive than the tolls.

If you are staying in the Douro, there will likely only be one company doing short cruises from that town. They are usually a couple of hours and, frankly, enough for me. From Porto, there are a number. It will depend on what kind of boat you prefer.