Seaside village to stay for several weeks

"not too hot" in July in Portugal is going to be difficult.
What part of Portugal will you be visiting? The North (around Oporto), the centre (around Lisbon, or the Algarve in the south.
Two places to consider:

• Cascais, just west of Lisbon. It is the end of a commuter rail line from Lisbon, and near the UNESCO World Heritage site at Sintra.
• Tavira, in the eastern (less developed) end of the Algarve.

But, there are dozens more.

Thanks very much for these suggestions. I can go anywhere and would like to visit different parts of Portugal so am open to any ideas. The next destination on my RTW ticket is Lisbon...so I'll be starting off from there.

Try Cascais for at least a few days. A number of years ago (10?) we spent a week there. We had a car so ranged all over the place but really liked Cascais and its seaside location. We talked to a man one day who asked where we were from. He had no teeth, I remember. When we said "Canada", He said "Canada! Oh, trees, lakes, mountains" and then he put his hand on his heart and sang our National Anthem. I can only assume he was once a fisherman off the coast of Newfoundland!

You might also check into Nazare. We usually stay at Adega Oceano which is a family owned hotel and restaurant right on the beach. There are some interesting sights in the town and many sights nearby. Since we always have a car, I'm not sure if they are easily accessible by bus. Also, not sure of the weather in July as we have never been there in that month.

On the plus side, the Portuguese coast in July was much cooler than Fes, Morocco in July, therefore prompting my travel north. I enjoyed Nazare, but only stayed a couple of nights.

I will key in on some of your words...smaller town, not too hot, inexpensive, and ability to visit different areas...One town on the mainland is Armacao de Pera in the Algarve. We stay here when visiting our family and it is beautiful! Very laid back and low key and has a beautiful beach. Also, if you do not mind a 1 1/2 flight to the Azores, then I can recommend Sao Miguel, Santa Maria, or Terceira. I have written about the Azores on other posts in the Portugal forum, and the islands would definitely fit the bill! Plenty of feasts/festivals going on and maybe a destination you never thought of...the scenery is unbelievable and the lifestyle is slow paced...but there is plenty to do if you are so inclined. If you want out of the ordinary, Azores is it! Have fun with all of your planning!!!

I really appreciate getting these good ideas...thank you. I'd never heard of the Azores and will definitely read about them, as well as the other suggestions. Learning about places to go based on other peoples experiences is so much better than picking up a guidebook and starting blind. Thanks for starting me off in the right direction!

I just replied to your Private Message...just want to make sure you get it😀