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Suggestions for April 9-14 in northern Portugal, departing Porto 4/14

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We're an active, mid-60s Alaskan couple who will be concluding three weeks in Portugal in mid-April. We have some open dates at the end of our trip. I'm looking for suggestions. We'll have been 5 days/4 nights in a Douro Valley quinta immediately prior. The earlier part of our trip has us in Lisbon, then along the silver coast, then exploring from a base in Serra de Estrela. What do you recommend or suggest. We have a rental car, which we'll turn in at the start of our stay in Porto.

Questions include: How would you suggest dividing the time between Porto and another location to use as a base? What's the base you'd recommend for varied destinations? Where to stay in Porto?

Thanks so much. We didn't feel any need to cover the whole of the country. That's just another reason to return. History, culture, nature, outdoor activities, food & wine are all appealing to us.

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2016 posts

You might do a bit of research on the Minho region. It’s the area for Vinho Verde and is quite nice. The larger towns are Braga and Guimarães. I stayed several nights in Braga and drove around the region. It’s different from the Douro as the Minho River isn’t as prominent a feature. And the towns are more attractive IMO and more charming to explore.

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232 posts

Since you mentioned the Serra de Estrela, you may want to consider the beautiful medieval town of Guarda, where I spent a few days last December. For outdoor activities, consider the Serra de Estrela Nature Park a little south-west of Guarda. I didn't visit the park myself, for the rainy weather I encountered made this impractical, but a map I got from the friendly Guarda tourist information office showed hiking trails (the "Mondego Walkways"), several old churches, some small museums, and other attractions.

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Thanks for the suggestions. Kathrynj: We have been thinking that Ponte de Lima could serve as the base, giving us options to spend time at leisure there. We're interested in exploring in Braga and Guimaraes to the south, but also the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres for something more rugged. So your thinking Kathrynj is spot on -- wine, market, interesting monuments for and small towns for explorations.

As for the Serra de Estrela area -- we're there three nights in Mantiegas, and have a planned stop in Gaurda on our way to the quinta outside Pinhao. I really appreciate the insights, Fadeus.

We didn't want to be constantly on the move, so have 3-5 nights at each destination. I really appreciate the guidance. This is our first trip to Portugal and I put a premium on my husband's enjoyment (so we'll travel more!) while planning it. He's not keen on crowds, so I've tried to minimize some places that might have been more obvious choices.

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