Portugal ..Places to Go?

Wish we could have spent more time in the Algarve region. Spent 3 days in Salema as a base and traveled up into the hills- but would have spent time in more of the smaller towns but we headed to Spain instead. Read RS book on this small town and others in the Algarve.

Courtney, we spent 2 weeks in Portugal last Fall. We arrived in Porto (3 days - no car - it's a mess to drive there), then rented a car as we left town. We drove into the Douro (2 days), staying at a Quinta. It's a beautiful area and a car is an absolute must. We then drove south to Evora (3 days), probably the most beautiful town that we experienced in Portugal. We then drove to the Lisbon airport to return our car and taxied into Lisbon (an apartment for 6 days) - no need for a car there. We skipped the Algarve because we'd just spent a week on the Spanish Costa del Sol.

You really have a lot of choices, I agree the Algarve area is wonderful. I spent a couple of days in Lagos (the beaches were great, the town itself was packed with younger folks-I am in my mid thirties) and I think the atmosphere there is more party than quaint fishing village.

Also, consider going north, on our trip to Portugal we also went to Oporto, and toured some of the port lodges, I would have loved to also have gone into the more agricultural regions and vineyards, friends of mine have and they loved it.

Hello Courtney,we went to Portugal in 2005. A few days in Lisbon (you do not need a car)Belem, Sintra can be done by bus/tram/train. Train to Porto and a week's cruise on the Douro river. Rented a car in Porto and drove down the coast. Stayed in a beautiful B&B outside Nazare. On to Obidos and then for a few days in Evora.From Evora we took day trips touring the Alentejo and it was beautiful Old castle's, fortresse's small villages, with hardly any tourist's. The "real" Portugal. If you want a beach vacation though, than the Algarve is the place to be. If you like more info, e-mail me. Karin