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Portugal - Pleasure/Work Balance - Lagos. Evora,Porto

Posted by on

Hi,

My husband and I arrive in Lisbon on Saturday, April 16 and return from Lisbon on Monday 4/25. He has work commitments from Tuesday 4/19 through Noon on Thursday 4/20.

We put together the enclosed itinerary but were not able to fit Porto in and wanted to get thoughts about any changes. For example, should we spend 1st weekend in Porto? We would have to skip Evora and hope to get to Sintra on Thursday or come back early from Lagos and do Sintra on Sun (4/24). Obviously it is much more difficult to get to Porto, but we would not rule out flying back and forth to maximize our time, if it is worth the trip. Another option is to skip Lagos completely, and go to Porto for the last weekend instead. We are a little concerned that the weather may be too cold for Lagos, but we don't want to miss the scenery there. Fitting Porto in seems like we will be spending too much time traveling. Is Porto and Douro Valley worth the extra travel time?. We have been back and forth on this and really look forward to your thoughts/suggestions.

Sat and Sun Nights (Lisbon center hotel) - We wanted to be close to metro and city attractions
Sat 4/16 - Arrive and take walking tour of Lisbon
Sun 4/17 - Day trip to Evora

Mon - Thur nights (Work Hotel located in Oeiras)
Mon 4/18 - Bus to Sintra. Sight see in Sintra leaving time to take bus to Cascais for sightseeing and dinner. Check-in late evening at work hotel.

Tues - Thur Noon - Work - I may be doing different day trips on my own

Thu 4/21 - Afternoon trip to Obidos, returning to work hotel)

Fri - Sat nights (Lagos Hotel)
Fri - 4/22 - Arrive in Lagos at noon by train
Sat 4/23 - Sun 4/24 - Lagos (Is it worth driving to other Algarve destinations? Are 2 days too much here?)
Sun - take late train back to Lisbon (check-in at hotel close to airport)
Mon - Return flight home

Thank you for your feedback and apologies if this got posted twice.

Beth

Posted by
6113 posts

The Algarve is all about the beaches and it isn't currently beach weather. I would scrap Lagos for an April trip and go to Porto instead, particularly if taking public transport rather than driving, as it's much slower.

Posted by
570 posts

Hi, we were in Portugal at the same time last year. Wish I could be again. A few comments on your plans and itinerary.

Firstly Sintra- you can take a train from Lisbon, much more convenient. I would plan on a full day in Sintra, and leave your Cascais portion for yourself with a day trip. There is quite a bit to see in Sintra.

Secondly, did you check the train trips. My recollection was that there is no direct train to Lagos, and a quick search shows me 4 1/2 hours to get there. In contrast there is a direct ( and I believe faster ) train to Porto. 2 1/2 hours I think. So in terms of reducing travel I would consider that.

I really liked Evora, and we actually spent 3 nights there ( longer than we had planned). It was also warmer there than in the Algarve. we had a car though and drove around the Alentejo a bit and stopped in the small hill towns.

Have a great trip

Posted by
1828 posts

I totally agree that dropping the Algarve is a good idea. It is lovely, but spending more time in Lisbon and adding Porto will make your trip less hectic, and both are worth spending several days. And, there are beaches and lovely walks along the water in Cascais. Sintra will take an entire day. Be sure to visit Quinta de Regaleira. It is my favorite place in Sintra..

Posted by
238 posts

Would just like to add 2 things, the 1st may help you to decide on Lagos or not:

  • Praia D. Ana (D.Ana beach), the "gem" of Lagos, is not anymore a beutifull beach. Unfortunately it was "improved" last year (for touristic reasons!), and here you can see the final result (or just google "praia d ana antes e depois"):

http://oceanusatlanticus.blogspot.pt/2015/07/praia-de-dona-ana-avanca-queixa-para.html

  • "Palácio da Regaleira" - you should read "il pendulo di Foulcaut" to understand better what you are seing, if you decide to visit. Is was built in this final form a century ago (more ore less) after being bought to a contess widow, by a millionaire who wanted to recriate there some old architectural styles, and a mystic atmosphere.
Posted by
128 posts

You did not indicate your interests. Having said that, it looks to me like you are trying to do way too much traveling between places in your limited time. A one week visit in Lisbon is not too long. I agree with the other recommendations to drop the Algarve and concentrate on the Lisbon area.
I suggest a full day in Sintra, and at least a couple more days to explore Lisbon. Although you can take a bus from Sintra to Cascais, it is a slow municipal bus that can take more than an hour when the traffic is thick.

Cascais is quite nice, and is a pleasant 40 minute train ride from downtown Lisbon. Note that Cascais is a 15 minute train ride from Oeiras. There are several excellent traditional Portuguese restaurants in the Oeiras area including O Pombalino (in central Oreiras), and Borges, which is between Oeiras and Praca do Arcos.

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