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Trip Report PORTUGAL Aug: Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon (then to Spain)

Posted by (State of Washington, USA) on

My wife and I traveled in Portugal and Spain for 3 weeks, beginning in Porto and ending in Madrid; this report covers our 10 nights in Portugal from Aug 21 to Aug 31, 2023, and is in 4 parts, linked as replies to this Part 1. (Our Spain trip report is posted in the Rick Steves Forum here.) The cities we visited:

  • PORTO 4 nights – Part 2
  • COIMBRA 2 nights – Part 3
  • LISBON 4 nights – Part 4

Despite the hills and road surface qualities, we found all three cities easily walkable. The first 2 days were hot with temperatures in the low 90s F, but dropped to the 80s and 70s for the rest of our stay.

We rode an Alfa Pendular hi-speed train from Porto to Coimbra, and an Intercidades Express hi-speed train from Coimbra to Lisbon. We purchased non-refundable-but-changeable tickets directly from the operator on their website as soon as they became available two months before our travel dates.

We had no disruptions due to strikes, weather, accidents, or illness.

Special thanks to Rick Steves Forum contributor gbrennan for his helpful trip report and replies to my messages.

A FEW OF OUR PLANNING RESOURCES:

OUR 3 FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

NOTES:

  • Paying by credit card in restaurants. We used US-based credit cards. The payment terminals of many restaurants (and some stores) asked if we wanted to pay in Euros or US Dollars, but with a twist: we were presented not one, but TWO questions. Question one was the typical Euros or Dollars question. Question two then repeated the ask, but in a different form. To avoid paying in Dollars (and being charged a disadvantageous exchange rate or commission), one needs to provide the correct response to both questions.
  • (Cellphone) Contactless Payment. Almost everyplace accepted contactless payment. Since I had attached my credit cards to Google Pay, rather than pull out a credit card I was able to simply wave my Android cellphone over the payment terminal.
  • ATMs. We used a US-based debit card. As oft reported on the Rick Steves Forum, to avoid high fees and disadvantageous exchange rates when withdrawing Euros (1) use Multibanco ATMs and (2) answer “NO” to BOTH of the TWO questions querying whether you want to be charged in your own currency. I found Multibanco ATMs to be quite numerous.
  • Cruise ships in Lisbon (and Porto). We strived to avoid the Lisbon cruise ship crowds by planning our day trips to Sintra and Belem for days when cruise ships were visiting Lisbon. Two useful sites are https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/lisbon-port-65?tab=schedule&month=2023-09#schedule and https://www.cruisetimetables.com/lisbonportugalschedule-30aug2023.html.
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PART 2: Aug 21 (Mon) - Aug 25 (Fri) PORTO 4 nights

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:

LODGING: Oporto Street Sá de Noronha, Premium Apartment with Balcony; booked on Booking.com. Quiet 3rd floor room with a view. We were pleased with this lodging (including its clothes washer) and its location (a block away from the Rick Steves Upper Porto Walk).

Other than a metro from Gaia and to/from the airport, we walked almost everywhere. The hills were not difficult. Most trams were not running due to maintenance; the road in front of São Bento Train Station was largely closed off for construction.

Aug 21 (Mon): Arrived PORTO airport (OPO) at 3:40pm via Delta/KLM flights from Seattle, with a 50 min layover at AMS where we were able to easily walk to the connecting flight. However, our check-in luggage did not make the connection. Long story short, we returned to OPO late in the evening to retrieve our luggage.

Aug 22 (Tue): Hottest day during our time in Portugal with a high in the low 90s F. We joined a 10am 3.5 hr Taste Porto Vintage & Port Wine Food Tour. It was great fun despite our jet lag, mainly due to the quality of the tour leader Rita and the interaction among the tour participants. Started with wine and ended with Port Wine tasting. Food was working-class fare such as veggies/meat/fish wrapped in pastry dough, pork sandwiches, canned sardines, sausage, and cheese; though we enjoyed it, one tasting was enough for most of it. (Note that the Taste Porto tour guides do not solicit tips but do appreciate them.)

Aug 23 (Wed): Walked down to the Cais da Ribeira riverfront via the Rick Steves Lower Porto Walk, and then across the lower span of the Ponte Dom Luis I into Gaia. Attended a 12:30 tour/tasting at Porto Augusto’s that we had booked the prior evening; The hour-long visit was enjoyable and educational. After lunch we rode the cable car up to Jardim de Morro and its views, and then crossed the road to the viewpoint of the Serra do Pilar Monastery.

We left Gaia, walking across the upper span of the Ponte Dom Luis I, and down past Porto Cathedral to the Stock Exchange Palace for a 6:15pm tour of its attractive interior. We climbed back to our lodging via stairs and streets, with a stop at the Miradouro de Vitória viewpoint.

Aug 24 (Thu): Walked to the Bonhim neighborhood; enroute we viewed the “Imperial” McDonald's and Majestic Café. Spent a relaxing time in Bonhim visiting some second-hand shops, having a good vegetarian lunch at Suribachi, and coffee with pastry at funky and friendly Combi Coffee Roasters. Should have skipped the disappointing Casa São Roque house.

Ended the night with an excellent set-menu dinner at Emotivo.

Aug 25 (Fri): Walked ten minutes to São Bento station to catch 11am local train to Campanha station (best view was from the right side), where we boarded the 11:32am Alfa Pendular hi-speed train for Coimbra (best view of Porto was from the right side.)

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PART 3: Aug 25 (Fri) - Aug 27 (Sun) COIMBRA 2 nights

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Mario Rio. Rustic and simple, recommended by our lodging host

LODGING: Casas da Alegria, Studio Apartment (not the Ground Floor unit). For a college town, this was nice lodging in an excellent location, clean and furnished with a clothes washer and dryer. Best of all, Ismael of this family business volunteered to pick us up at the Coimbra-B train station (thus avoiding transfer to local train); he also transported us to the station when we departed.

Aug 25 (Fri): Arrived at Coimbra-B train station at 12:44pm, where Ismael picked us up and gave us a quick town tour on the way to our lodging. My wife and I then walked most of the short Rick Steves Coimbra Town Walk, ending in the Mercado Municipal. We attended a 50 min Fado performance from 6pm at Fado au Centro in an intimate setting; we enjoyed it, unlike the style we later encountered in Lisbon. After dinner we walked across the Ponte de Santa Clara and had a pretty view of the old town of Coimbra from the far end.

Aug 26 (Sat): The day’s activities revolved around our 11am advance-purchase tickets at the Baroque Library (Joanina Library) at the University of Coimbra. We spent about nine minutes climbing the staircases near our lodging up to the library. Though library visits are limited to ten minutes, this was one of the highlights of our Portugal vacation, especially after we asked the woman escorting our group the meaning of some of the paintings on the ceiling. Two colonies of bats have been living in the library for a few centuries; their mission is to eliminate insects harmful to books.

Afterwards we visited other sites in or near the university: gorgeous Saint Michael’s Chapel – just before it was closed for a wedding, the worthwhile Royal Palace, the interesting Science Museum, (followed by lunch on the scenic terrace of Loggia restaurant), the ok Botanical Garden, the fascinating Roman-built “cryptoporticus” subterranean gallery below the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, and the Old Cathedral (Sé Velha)’s pleasant cloister.

We had a good dinner 1 min from our lodging at family-run, rustic Mario Rio, recommended by our lodging host. Our table was at the open entryway with a beautiful view of the river under a slowly setting sun. Afterwards we walked through town before returning to our lodging. There was a small outdoor concert in the Praça do Comércio, with beautiful music performed by a guitar-playing woman with a wonderful voice.

Aug 27 (Sun): Ismael drove us to the Coimbra-B train station, from whence we departed on the noon Lisbon-bound Intercidades Express Train.

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PART 4: Aug 27 (Sun) - Aug 31 (Thu) LISBON 4 nights.

FAVORITE ACTIVITIES:

LODGING: Apt in Historic City Center AirBNB. Modern apt in old blding in outstanding location; equipped with clothes washer. TIP: if arriving with luggage via the metro, get off at the Baixa-Chiado Station for a flat 6 min walk to the apt via 2 possible routes: (1) the upper (Chiado) Largo do Cameos exit via escalators and a short stairwell; or (2) the lower (Baixa) exit and then walk to the Amazéns do Chiado Shopping Mall a few yards downhill to ride the mall's elevator/escalators to the top.

Aug 27 (Sun): Arrived Lisbon 2pm. After checking in, we walked a loop around Rossio Station by doing parts of the Rick Steves Baixa and Bairro Alto Strolls, and riding the Elevador da Glória funicular up to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântra viewpoint.

Aug 28 (Mon): Day trip to Sintra. Followed the advice of a tour guide to skip Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle. Instead we went (without a tour guide) to the newly-opened Beister Palace (where we also had lunch) and to the National Palace of Sintra (good audioguide/app). Both are walkable from the station. At Casa Priquita I we had pastries and espressos.

In the evening we attended a fado performance at Fado in Chiado. Unlike our Coimbra experience, the style did not appeal to us.

Aug 29 (Tue): In the morning we hiked to Castilo de São Jorge via Elevator Castelo and Elevator Parque do Chão do Loureiro. Skipping the castle viewpoint, we did the Rick Steves Alfama Stroll.

After a good, simple lunch at Lisbon Tu e Eu we walked to the flea market near Santa Apolónia Station, and then visited the low-energy Fado Museum; you need to be a dedicated Fado fan to enjoy this museum, and we aren't.

We then walked the waterfront to Praça do Comércio and up to Chiado where we had excellent pastries at Pastelaria Orion, popular with locals. During the walk back to our lodging we stopped at the viewpoint atop Elevador Santa Justa.

Aug 30 (Wed): Day trip to Belém. Visited Jerónimos Monastery, a highlight of our Portugal trip. Arrived at opening time and queued for 30 min before entering. By noon the line was three times longer and the sun was hot.

We walked by Monument to the Discoveries and Belém Tower, had delicious pastries at Pastéis de Belém, and then visited the interesting National Coach Museum.

After returning to Lisbon we visited the Convento do Carmo archeological museum and both Ginginha Bars near Rossio (one before and one after dinner).

Aug 31 (Thu): Departed Lisbon at 1:30pm on a direct flight to Seville, Spain. Spain trip report here.

Posted by
1418 posts

Geoff. Thank you for the nicely detailed trip report.. you have given me some ideas for my trip coming up in 8 days. I’ve been to Lisbon on a previous trip but never to places north and I appreciated your tips for Porto and Coimbra.

Posted by
1028 posts

Thank Geoff for the trip report. We leave next Wednesday for 2 weeks and your practical suggestions are very helpful. I also appreciate the restaurant recommendations.

Posted by
4254 posts

Bookmarking this report for our trip next September. Thanks for putting in so many details.

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