Best of Portugal

Snapshot

Jessica visited Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve with her husband on their honeymoon in September 2023, exploring Portugal by train & rental car before venturing into Southern Spain for a total of about 3 weeks.

Highlights

Sample Port wine in Porto
Swim in an epic infinity pool overlooking the Douro River
Explore Lisbon on foot with a local guide, and a cold beer
Visit colourful Pena palace and beach town Cascais on a day trip
Kayak through natural sea caves as the sun rises in the Algarve
Eat some of the freshest seafood & fish the coast has to offer
Lounge on sandy cove beaches surrounded by towering cliffs - then compare with long, wide flat beaches lined with palm trees

“This is the trip [combined with Southern Spain] that we were dreaming of throughout the long, dark months of Covid lockdown. It kept us motivated that something better was coming - eventually. When we finally got to do it, we hadn’t been anywhere in over 2 years, plus we were celebrating our recent wedding in July 2023. So on this trip, we went all out: we stayed at the best hotels, we ate the most delicious food, we drank all the drinks, we did every excursion and activity that we wanted to - and, it was an incredible trip.
I loved every moment of it, and would do it all again in a heartbeat! Sometimes it is worth it to just go for it.
Money will come and go, but memories are forever.”

— Jessica

Porto, 2 nights

The journey begins in Porto, a beautiful city by the Douro river, located in northern Portugal.

I have a special place in my heart for Porto because it was my first layover destination as a flight attendant over 10 years ago. At the time I had never heard of it, but I had an amazing time exploring the city in those 23 hours, and always knew I’d go back for more one day.

I didn’t get a chance to again until now.

My husband and I flew in with Air Transat, who offers a nice overnight direct flight from Toronto. It’s an easy, barely 7-hour flight from Toronto and a perfect place to start off a Portugese adventure from north to south.

I would, ideally, recommend more than 2 nights in Porto - 3 to 4 is best. There is quite a bit to do and see, making it easy to fill the days and nights.

We landed in Porto and had private transfers to our hotel pre-arranged. I had booked a cute boutique hotel located right in the vibrant heart of the Ribeira district, called Hotel Carrís Porto Ribeira-Porto (4*). This is my favourite area of the city, home to a lovely riverside promenade that is often busy with both locals and visitors, and buskers playing music.

It’s a scenic and fun place to walk along, or stop in at one of the many restaurants with tables set up facing the water for a riverside snack or drink.

We were headed to a restaurant on the Gaia side of the river that I had found, called Vinum at Grahams - Restaurant & Wine Bar. It was only open for lunch that day, so we had to boogie to get there on time - and it was quite a walk.

For those who don’t know or forget, Porto is super hilly! There are hills everywhere, and some can be pretty steep, especially in the Gaia area. Good walking shoes are a must - leave the heels at home unless you’re driving (or getting carried).

Vinum restaurant was just wonderful and worth the trek; it’s a beautifully decorated restaurant that feels like a fancy home. It offers a fantastic menu of wines & refined Portugese food, combined with sweeping views of Porto - pictured, right. The prices were also very reasonable. I highly recommend it.

*Reservations are required, book as early as possible as it often gets booked up for special events.

Next we went to a few different bars, sampling Port wine - a specialty of the area, and a must try. I’m not personally a fan of it, but I’m glad I tried it.

After bar-hooping for a bit on the Gaia side of the river, we went back to the Ribeira district and had dinner at Terra Nova, snagging an outdoor table along the promenade that was perfect for people watching.

We started with some bread and some appetizers. For dinner, I had some delicious squid ink pasta with soft-shell crab, and the pizza was simple but very good (says the husband) - pictured, left. Yum.

Quite honestly, I had a bit too much to drink our first night (don’t judge, I was too excited!), and we spent the entire next day being lazy in our hotel room.

On your second day, I would recommend visiting the magical Livraria Lello library - which I had tickets to, bud had to forego… very sadly. As a bibliophile, this library was a long-time dream of mine to visit. It’s stunningly gorgeous, but you’ll need to book tickets in advance, as it is now a popular tourist site in the city. Word has it that JK Rowling drew inspiration from its beautiful design for her Harry Potter book settings, since she lived in Porto while writing the early books.

After the library visit, grab a leisurely brunch or lunch somewhere, before you hop on a cruise along the Douro river. This cruise offers a very scenic and relaxing tour of this incredible river and its surrounding scenery; many cruises can also be enjoyed with some Port wine.

Alternatively, Porto’s Hop On Hop Off bus is an inexpensive and fun way to explore the top areas & sites of the city, with an audioguide providing some history and information along the way. Most of the buses are double-decker, so try to get a seat on the top deck for the best views! This is a great way to see a lot of Porto, without having to trek up and down the steep cobblestoned roads.

Douro River, 2 nights

After a final breakfast in Porto, we found a taxi near our hotel who took us all the way to our next destination deeper in the Douro River Valley.

This is was one of the most beautiful and crazy drives that I’ve ever experienced! The roads wind and twist and drop, with amazing views of the river and terraced vineyards on both sides. It’s a lot of fun, if you aren’t prone to car-sickness. The drive took about 2 hours or so, and you can also take the train (which is scenic as well, but slower).

We checked in to our next hotel, the Douro Royal Valley Hotel & Spa.

Spoiler alert: I’m a huge pool lover.

This hotel featured a **spectacular infinity pool perched on the cliffside overlooking the river,** with panoramic views in every direction. It is hard to convey how beautiful and peaceful it was.

The weather wasn’t great on our first day - it gets a bit windier and colder in this area than in Porto, be warned. We still enjoyed lounging around the pool and taking occasional dips to look out over the river; it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon, and also the following day.

The rooms are spacious, well-equipped and comfortable, with a sitting area and King size bed; our room also had a balcony with beautiful views of the river (pictured, below left). The balcony was a wonderful, quiet, private little spot to have a drink and enjoy the river views.

There are not a lot of restaurant options nearby: it is a very quiet area, mostly rural. We had dinner at the resort’s restaurant Palato D’ouro both nights, which was delicious - but a bit pricey. I had some of the most fantastic sea bass I’ve ever tasted (pictured, below right), and the wine list is amazing too. No surprise there!

We also took a walk along the Douro River, and even went swimming in the river from a clean and sandy spot. Other than that, our time here was all about relaxing, enjoying the beautiful views and peaceful setting.

A great thing to do in the area is to book a winery tour to sample some delicious local wine varieties, and enjoy accompanying snacks.

Lisbon, 3 nights

We checked out of our Douro River Valley hotel, got a drive back to Porto, and then took the train to Lisbon.

The train system here is very convenient and reliable, not to mention quite well-priced. It’s a great way to get from city to city, and see some countryside in between. You can select your seat in advance, there is free wifi for the whole route, and a little bar/pantry onboard for snacks and drinks. The train journey takes about 2.5-3 hours in total from Porto to Lisbon.

Ahh, Lisbon.

This is easily one of my favourite cities in the world, I’ve been several times and it never gets old or boring. The colourful pastel buildings and ancient trolleys always tug at my heart.

I’d move here in a second if I could.

This time we stayed at a boutique hotel that I had read about & booked several months previously, it was exactly the kind of property that I love - I’m hesitant to share the name of it, since it is such a wonderful secret spot, so you’ll need to contact me to find out!

The sprawling city views alone are reason enough to keep it a secret, but the pool and stunning design made it next level.

For our first full day in Lisbon, we had arranged a city walking tour with a private guide. I have been to Lisbon a few times, but knew very little about the history of this fascinating city, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore and learn some more. It was so much fun walking around, just the three of us, learning stories and bits of history that we would never have known - with cold beers in hand.

He took us through different neighborhoods and showed us many cool spots, such as his favourite pastry shop; a pretty little park with great views; lots of lovely tiles & design; and a stop by the Santa Justa Lift.

My favorite stop was Livraria Bertrand - founded in 1732, it is the world's oldest bookstore that is still in operation, according to the Guinness World Records. It’s housed in a beautiful old building covered with blue tiles (pictured below), with an outdoor book market taking over the walkway next to it. Inside there are different ‘galleries’ for various subjects. I picked up a small book of poetry, and got it stamped by the bookstore.

We discovered some of the secrets of the city (hidden elevators!) and also learned about what it’s like to grow up and live in Lisbon. The private guide walking tour is such a great way to get to know a city, I highly recommend it.

Our tour ended at the Museu da Cerveja, which is a restaurant with a large outdoor terrace and also a museum chronicling Portuguese beer history. Inside the restaurant is beautiful - plus it features a woman in a mechanic cyberpunk box making fresh pastel de bacalhau, a.k.a. cod cakes. We sat on the terrace and had some beers and cod cakes, which were both excellent.

This area is right by the water, and a short(ish) walk over to the Pink Street, whiich is very cute but can get super crowded and busy at night. We were there around mid-day and it was pretty quiet.

Our next stop was the Time Out Market, which I’ve been recommended by several friends. It is basically a large marketplace with an indoor food hall with tons of different stalls, selling everything you can imagine (pictured below). There are so many delicious options. Again, we were visiting right at mid-day, but unlike the Pink Street the Market was absolutely packed with people grabbing lunch. We walked around a bit and ate some croquettes at the Croqueteria stall (sampled 3 different kinds!) and some delectable donuts. We took them to a nearby park to eat them, since it was so busy inside.

Then it was back to our hotel to have a swim & relax.

For dinner, you have the choice of so many different options, from budget-but-delicious to fancy-pancy (and also delicious). Lisbon is just the most amazing foodie city! We went with our guide’s recommendation for a simple yet delicious - and cheap - fresh fish dinner. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name…

On our 2nd full day in Lisbon, we had nothing planned. We had brunch and then walked around the city a bit more, and did some shopping.

Then we spent the afternoon relaxing on the terrace and by the gorgeous pool at our hotel (this was our view, pictured left).

In the evening, we went to a fado performance that our concierge had recommended and booked for us. It was fantastic, so soulful and beautiful, and not very long - leaving time to head to Gin Lovers Bar for some gin & tonics afterwards. The restaurant is also supposed to be quite excellent, and I would love to try it some time. It is a beautiful, romantic setting.

The 3rd day was my birthday, and I had booked us a small-group tour to visit Sintra, Pena Palace, and Caiscais.

After breakfast at our hotel, we met the group and were taken to Pena Palace, which is about a 30-40 minute drive from Lisbon. Even though we arrived before 9am, there was already a lineup - we quickly learned that this place was all about lining up.

I’ll summarize our visit to Pena by saying it was cool to see and quite pretty, but it was very busy, people and lineups everywhere (for hours), and don’t even bother going inside. It’s even more lining up, and there is not much to see. Overall I felt like Pena was a bit over-rated - mostly because of the crowds and lineups, making the experience less than amazing. I’m glad I saw it but will not be back.

After Pena we were taken to the small town of Sintra, where we had time to walk around and get lunch. It is very hilly and touristy - busloads of people get dropped off there at the same spot. We walked away from the main drag and down to the bottom of the hill, where we found a bakery with great pizza and some cold beers. We drank them looking out across the beautiful views.

Next on the tour we went to Cabo da Roca, a cape that forms the westernmost point of mainland Europe (pictured below). It was windy and hot and dry, so we only stayed about 15 minutes here. Long enough to walk around, enjoy the views, and snap some pictures.

Lastly we went to Caiscais, a pretty little ex-fishing village along the coast outside of Lisbon (pictured below). We walked around the downtown and stopped at Santini for some amazing fresh gelato, then went down to the beach to people-watch as we ate it.

After the tour, we relaxed at the hotel until it was time for dinner. My birthday dinner!

I booked dinner at Azul e Branco, a high-end restaurant inside the H10 hotel that has a gorgeous rooftop bar above it that I very much wanted to visit (but the bar didn’t allow reservations). We tried to go for a drink before dinner, and were so disappointed to find that it was already at 100% capacity - a group of 40 people had come in, and basically taken over. Not much we could do, unfortunately.

The dinner, however, was a very wonderful experience. We shared a pitcher of sangria, and I had beef cheeks that were absolutely scrumptious (pictured above). But the best part was, at the end of our dinner they brought out a cake for my birthday! No embarrassing singing, I just made a little wish and we enjoyed the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had in my life. Seriously, I still think about this cake to this day… It had layers of chocolate cake between caramel, and topped with marshmallow and nuts and berries. Wow.

I highly recommend this restaurant and would definitely be back! (Hopefully also to visit the rooftop bar).

Carvoeiro, 4 nights

After 3 wonderful days in Lisbon, we got back on the train and went down another couple of hours to the Algarve - the southernmost coastal area of Portugal, and arguably the most beautiful. It is a popular holiday destination, especially for Brits, given its many wonderful beaches and stunning coastline made up of unique rock formations, caves, and cliffs.

We were staying in the small beach town of Carvoeiro, at another very special hotel that I had been looking forward to for months:

Tivoli Carvoeiro Algarve Resort (4*) - Can you guess why I fell in love?

We spent the day lounging by the pool, which had service to bring us drinks and snacks. The samosa trio is amazing.

We also took a walk along the coastal trail along the water in front of our hotel, which from this picture (above left) extends in both directions for a scenic but not overly challenging hike.

We walked along a short way, and stumbled across a very cool area that we later learned was called Algar Seco. This is a natural area of rocky oceanfront coastline with rock formations, pathways and caves, with different areas connected by boardwalks. It was just beautiful! We grabbed some beers and enjoyed them in a secluded spot as the sun set. It was glorious.

We took the hotel’s complimentary shuttle into Carvoeiro town, full of cobblestone streets lined with little shops & restaurants.

We picked up some drinks, and then hit Carvoeiro beach (pictured right, and below) where we basically spent the entire day. It is a beautiful golden-sand sand beach next to Carvoeiro town, surrounded by whitewashed buildings and towering cliffs on both sides.

We got a nice spot, but note that there is very little shade at all for the majority of the day; most locals know this, and bring their own sun umbrella.

The water is a beautiful clear blue, but was freezing cold (at least to me) so I didn’t fully go in. But my husband did, as well as many Portugese people did - including young kids!

It was definitely refreshing to dip your feet in the cold water, since it did get very hot without any shade.

For dinner, we went to a local little restaurant in Carvoeiro town called A Velha that was recommended by a video blogger I had watched. It was slightly pricier than other spots, but still very reasonable (compared to prices back home, at least; we found that food in the Algarve was overall pretty inexpensive).

Swordfish ‘Algarvia style’ at A Velha Restaurant, Carvoeiro

The food was exceptionally amazing, this was one of the top 3 meals of the whole trip. I had swordfish ‘Algarvia style’ topped with a prawn, accompanied by salad and potatoes. It was simple, super fresh, and just delicious - I ate the entire thing. The server was also super friendly and funny, joking with us and making us feel at home. It was a great experience overall. I highly recommend this little spot! It is located right near the downtown, and has a nice outdoor terrace (great for people-watching).

*Reservations recommended, especially for the terrace; we got lucky without one because it was a weeknight.

The next morning, we were up bright and early for a special experience: kayaking to the Benagil sea cave at sunrise. I was dying to see the famous Benagil sea cave, but knew that it gets overly crowded with visitors coming by boat throughout most of the day. Kayaking seemed like a great alternative: something active and outdoorsy, and a great way to explore the coastline from the water. It just required foregoing a sleep-in and getting to the beach at the crack of dawn - we were one of only two groups doing a tour at this time; it was pretty deserted.

I am not a very strong kayaker, or athlete in general, but I had no problem doing this activity. I shared the kayak with my husband (who is athletic) and our group of about 10 people was guided along the coast. A few of us had never kayaked before. We stopped at Benagil cave first, which was a fairly easy paddle from the beach since the water wasn’t too rough that day; but we got soaking wet and the sun was just starting to rise, so it was pretty cold.

We stopped off and got to actually explore inside the Benagil sea cave, which was just so amazing to see in real life! I loved it.

After Benagil, the guide took us to several other smaller sea caves in the area, and to some scenic spots like Praia da Marinha, another one of the famous beaches of the Algarve (pictured below, left).

After that, the guide took us to several other smaller sea caves in the area, and to some scenic spots, like Praia da Marinha - another one of the famous beaches of the Algarve, pictured above.

It was really beautiful, and overall such a fun, unique experience in nature.

When the tour wrapped up it was only about 9am or so, and upon heading back to the beach we could see how packed it was getting already - there were cars parked for miles back from the beach! So many tours were just starting out at that time, heading to the same place, instead of about 1 other group when we left. I can’t imagine how busy it would get throughout the day.

We went back to the resort to have breakfast and relax.

In the afternoon we walked around Carvoeiro more. I loved checking out the local’s houses, which were Portugese style in light colours with orange roofs, and often abundant with palm trees, cactuses, and other plants. I like to think that we were scoping out a future home!

There are several other amazing beaches nearby to visit, but some require a longer drive that might be better suited to a day trip. I would recommend visiting the beaches near Lagos: Ponta da Piedade, Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo, etc.

A bit more about the Tivoli Carvoeiro:

They knew it was our honeymoon, so on our first night, they surprised us with a gift of Espumante (Portuguese sparkling wine) and fruits with chocolate! This small touch was so thoughtful and kind - it was indicative of the type of service we received here.
The resort is beautiful inside and out; the design throughout is modern & chic.
Our room was very spacious and modern, but did not have balcony or a good view. Many of the rooms don’t, you have to pay for a room with a view.
There is a rooftop bar on top of the hotel that serves sushi and cocktails. It’s a lovely chilled out lounge, with live DJ music (at least when we went) and sweeping views - see video, right.
I highly recommend it, even if not staying at this hotel; we liked it so much that we went here twice for drinks.
We had an amazing buffet breakfast at the hotel every day, included in our rate. Everything was fresh and delicious, with great coffee.
However, part of the breakfast restaurant features a terrace with a few tables that face the pool and ocean, so you are treated to some amazing views as you eat - however, you can’t hold or book these tables. They are just first come first serve, and this was my biggest complaint of the trip: for 4 days in a row, we watched the same family of about 11 people completely take over that area. They obviously came early to get it each morning and then just stay there as long as they can (we came at different times ffor breakfast each day). I wish the resort wouldn’t allow any one group of people to hog it for multiple days, or that guests could book one of those tables for at least once during their stay, so that greedy people like that don’t take advantage.

View from ***Sky Bar***, the *Tivoli’s* rooftop bar

Cabanas with seaside views are available for rent for the day

This spot was located right in front of the *Tivoli*, but is only accessible when the tide is out

Overall, I absolutely loved this hotel.

The amenities, grounds, design, service, and food were all exceptional; but the location/setting of this resort is was what made it so extra-special.

I will definitely be back one day, and highly recommend it. I was sad to leave this place at the end of our stay.

Quarteira, 1 night

Our final stop before heading into Spain was Quarteira, which I chose largely for its proximity to the airport, where we were picking up our rental car. It was still a lovely spot that offered a completely different side of the Algarve to see.

This part of the area had long, flat beaches that stretch on for miles, instead of the dramatic cliffs and smaller beaches of the Western Algarve. It was an interesting comparison to have, in such a short distance.

Quarteira has a long beachfront promenade that is lined with restaurants, shops, and bars facing the beach. Many are touristy, but some are quite nice (more on that later) and the promenade is nice to walk along.

We stayed for one night at Dom Jose Boutique Hotel (3.5*) located right on the main promenade and across from the nicest stretch of beach in town, Dom Jose beach.

This simple little hotel had a nice outdoor pool and sun terrace, and of course that sealed the deal for me.

We spent the remainder of the day, and the following morning on the beach. The water was somehow a bit warmer than in Carvoeiro, a nice surprise!

For or final dinner in Portugal, we found this wonderful seafood restaurant right on the promenade, just a short walk from our hotel that was very highly recommended. Tico Tico turned out to be one of the other best meals of the trip! It was a chic & modern beachside restaurant with exceptional fresh seafood, and the server we had was amazing - so fun, engaging, and just the best guy ever! He really made the night special, but also the food was delicious.

We ordered a bottle of local Portuguese wine (Lacru sauvignon blanc, pictured below), tomato salad, and fresh-caught garlic shrimps by the pound. Then, we shared a fantastic stew with rice, a saucy tomato broth, and tons of seafood - lobster, clams, fish, mussels, prawns... It was all quite amazing.