My husband and I will be in Portugal between April 24 and May 6 (we have yet to buy our "hopper tickets" to/from Heathrow and would be open to leaving from a city other than Lisbon), the first several days at a friend's in Lisbon. We have read Rick's Portugal guide and wanted some more personal stories on where to go and stay beyond Lisbon to add romance to our tenth wedding anniversary celebration. Thanks!
Posted by
Golden, CO, USA
5 posts
You will love Portugal. I lived there for a year and did not see everything I had hoped to see. For a bit of romance be sure to check out one of the many Pousada's. (Historic hotels) If you go through their website they often run specials. (Check on a Tuesday for the best deals.) www.pousadas.pt/historic-hotels-portugal/en
We lived in Estroil, and loved the walk along the water to Cascais. (30 min from Lisbon by train) Lots of places to stop for a drink or Meal. The fresh sea food is excellent. Sintra is a good day trip. One of our favorite day trips was Sesimbra. We also loved the Alentejo region.
Posted by
Auburn, Washington, USA
515 posts
The Algarve is a beautiful beach getaway. It is down south from Lisbon.
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
My wife and I were in Portugal in 2008, and it was one of our best trips ever! I highly recommend two nights in Sintra. Rick is right on the mark in recommending Obidos and Nazare sleep in the latter as the former is sleepy even during the day. You want to watch the sunset from Nazare, trust me. Evora is also quite a nice place to visit too. A couple of places not in Rick's guide, though they should be Marvao, way up in the mountains, with incredible views into Spain. And Tomar, with the Convento de Cristo castle/church. Cascais is a nice town to visit during the day, though it can tend to fill up with noisy tourists from nearby countries at night (I suggest visiting as day trip). You need at least four full days in Lisbon. It's the sort of place that you will just want to relax and enjoy, so give yourself time. We were there in September, and the weather was perfect. But I think the weather there is usually good. Portugal gets my vote for the most underrated country to visit in Western Europe enjoy!
Posted by
Nashville, TN, United States
6 posts
I was in Portugal this past October. Lisbon was our home base and we took many side trips. We loved, loved Loved Porto and the beautiful Douro River!
Posted by
maplewood, new jersey, usa
818 posts
We loved Portugal - we picked up car at airport and we stayed in Cascais for two nights and visited Sintra and then we drove out to Evora and stayed at Albergaria do Calvario which I can't say enough good things about. It was Easter and we drove and saw Monsaraz. We had a great meal at some great place. We also drove to Estremoz one day. But Albergaria do Calvario
Is such a special place - great food and the owner is really funny. We sat I the courtyard and drank wine and ate toasted ham and cheese. Next we visited Lisbon and wandered and saw the sights and went to the zoo.