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A Portugal itinerary for a Week – Porto to Lisbon
- By Michael Lakus
- Read Time: 10min
Prelude to Portugal
Ah, Portugal. Nice to finally go after being on the list for so long. And to think it’s been 2 years now since I’ve been abroad. This was a much needed jumpstart back to what this blog is all about and travelling with a “new normal” sentiment.
I’m writing this post about a week after returning. I had plans to knock it out while things were fresh, but it didn’t seem right during a time when the world’s eyes were on the Ukrainian-Russian development that took an unfortunate turn the day we arrived back to the states. Simply put, it was a tough, roller coaster type of week. Mila and I had just had an amazing time in Portugal with a few Russian friends, whom all have families now affected by the current events. It’s fascinating and yet deeply concerning how the actions of a few can cause such widespread unrest.
Nevertheless, this is about Portugal and the experiences we had there. So I will end my brief reflection on those affairs and carry on to the good stuff – like this excellent video edited on the flight back home!
Logistics for a week in Portugal
Travel restrictions and COVID-19 definitely had always played a large part in delaying any international trips. However, Portugal was a great pick to test the waters due to its more lenient stance before the majority of Europe. Given we had a week in Portugal, the itinerary was modified slightly to stay on the mainland and exclude the Azores. The best route was then decided upon – Fly into Porto, take a train south to Lisbon, and fly out from there. During the stays in Porto and Lisbon, we had plenty of road trips that took us to vineyards, castles and beaches. The map below gives a good idea of what’s possible.
Porto is a very walkable city, therefore we did not need as much time here. Two days was perfect for the city and it included a tour out to Douro Valley for some Port wine tasting. I didn’t rent a car until Lisbon, so taking a 3.5 hour train was the best option to transfer cities. Once in Lisbon, we met up with our friends and rented a van to head out to the coast and historic towns. The remainder of the 3 days was spent taking another tour and within Lisbon, itself. It may look hectic, but nothing ever felt rushed and we had plenty of wine-downtime.
Travel Logistics
Scored $250 RT flights from JFK to Portugal which kicked this off; Accommodations were a mix of Airbnb ($120) in Porto and Marriott points in Lisbon. Train ticket was $50 and AVIS rental was $120. Because basic logistics were so inexpensive (~$400 to get there and back), most of the expenses went towards the experiences (tours, Michelin-star restuarant, etc).
Logistics for COVID-19
Now the logistics in Portugal are one thing. The logistics leading up to that are another. I’ll paint the best picture of what that experience looked like, as this is probably the new normal of travel. I’m gonna have to engage bullet-list form here because otherwise, it’d be a novel.
- We purchased travel COVID-19 test kits from eMed (Abbott) which simplified things A LOT.
- Online check-in was not available for Iberia Airlines (leaving or returning).
- At the airport check-in, Iberia airlines wanted my physical vaccination card. I got by with a scanned copy.
- They also wanted to see a vaccination app (only for people residing in NYC), which I obviously would not have. This was waived.
- Travel to Portugal required a form (Clean and Safe) to be filled out prior.
- Since our flight connected in Madrid, Spain, a Spanish form was also required (Sthp).
- The Airbnb in Porto also asked for a locator form (not sure if this was different than the Clean and Safe one).
- We did not need to show a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding.
- Leaving Portugal, we needed the Sthp form and a negative COVID-19 test result.
Ok, so I won’t lie, it was a bit of a shit show, but it wasn’t that bad. The important thing was to just be prepared with what we could control and adapt as needed. The verification of records was weak at best. Most of the time, it was just a quick visual check; no scanning of a QR code.
Tl;dr
Get travel COVID-19 test kits. Bring a physical copy of vaccination/booster records, along with COVID-19 test results. Fill out any passenger locator forms ahead of time. Keep digital records together (Apple wallet, photo album, etc.)
The City of Porto
We began our journey in north Portugal in the second largest city, Porto. It was a misty, overcast day upon arrival, so we took a bus straight into the city center with the hopes of staying inside for a bit. Rota do Cha teahouse was an ideal spot for this, letting us recharge and make the short walk to our Airbnb. Our room had full length windows which overlooked the entire square of restaurants and rooftop bars opposite of us. With a grocer two doors down the street, the home base was perfect.
As the story goes, the first real day in Portugal was the day after arrival. If I’ve learned anything from flying east, it’s to take the first day to rest and acclimate. Our agenda in Porto was ambitious and open-ended. It took us to fantastic restaurants (Brasao Coliseu and KUG), historic places, river walks in Ribeira, nightlife and more. From our Airbnb we walked a sizeable portion of Porto in just the first day. Strolling over the Luís I Bridge with trains whizzing by to oversee Porto captured the moment for me.
Other notable spots were the Livaria Lello – crazy staircase bookstore (selfie concentration ground zero), and this random antique shop which I spent about an hour attempting to locate on google maps to no avail. Overall, I’d agree with Porto being a 2-3 day stay. I felt as though we saw and did all we needed from a tourist’s perspective.
Oh, and buy an azulejos tile from a local artist!
McDonald Nug Taste Test
Porto nugs from Ribeira - soft and succulent.
Douro Valley - Port Wine!
What would a trip to Portugal be without putting some Port wines to sleep? Not much, I’d say. Port wine is fortified wine, meaning it’s stronggg – normally around 20% ABV compared to a ‘normal’ wine being around 12%. It’s also sweet, making it dangerously delicious. The entire history of Port wine is fascinating, hearing about the different methods to preserve the cargo as it made its way up to England and how it became what it is today.
The entire Port wine and Douro Valley experience began with a pickup from our tour guide, Patricia from Portugal Excellence Tours, who was freaking awesome. She was pure, passionate and super knowledgeable about the tour – the type of tour guide that makes the day effortless. The tour was comprised of two vineyard visits, and boat ride on the Douro River and traditional Portuguese lunch at what I’d describe as a family run bed and breakfast.
We had a great group on the tour, and I’m sure the wine helped set the atmosphere. Our Estonian friends were non-stop delivering jokes in a deadpan style which had us all laughing the entire time.
Arriving in Lisbon
The evening train into Lisbon dropped us off not far from our hotel, where we could not escape the complimentary port wine. Now began the second half of the trip where we got to meet some friends to show us around!
One of many activities worth doing in Portugal is discovering the miradouros, or viewpoints, to the city. There are dozens of them and it was a great way to walk the city and connect all our points of interest together. And that’s exactly what we did on the first day. Mila’s friend Lilia, and her husband, helped us with a nice little curated list of places around Lisbon. It included a walk down the main road, Liberdade, to the shore of the Tagus river, where the Rua Augusta Arch gave way to the busy city square, Praça do comércio. We also made stops at Lisbon’s botanical garden and Pastéis de Belém to get those baked goods, of course. We deserved those pastéis after all that walking!
Speaking briefly on the weather, Porto was a little colder than Lisbon, but both cities ranged from high 50’s (°F) in the day to ~40°F at night. Porto started off overcast with some misty rain, but the remaining of our time was clear skies. Windbreakers definitely came in handy, because regardless of where we went, it was windy.
To the Palace and Castle!
The next day, the four of us met up with one more couple, Ilya and Sasha, for a day excursion outside of Lisbon. I was able to snag an upgrade at Avis to one of those automatic Mercedes sprinter vans, so that was clutch. With plenty of room for all, we made our way out to the locations on route – Queluz Palace, the town of Óbidos and the coast.
The Queluz National Palace was quite something, with its long corridors of ornate and lavish rooms, and gardens stretching far beyond. For all the luxury, it was always funny to me how small the beds were back then. As a bonus, the palace apparently had an antique car show out front, so we checked out some classic European car models before heading onward.
We essentially came to Óbidos for two things: the castle and Ginja! The castle of Óbidos was the first time I’ve walked the perimeter walls that encompass the town, which I thought was pretty cool. It made me feel like a medieval archer on guard. Ginja, or ginjinha, is simply cordial cherry in shot form, which gets you tipsy. Fantastic. Ginja, itself, is a dark ruby red cherry liquor taken from a dark chocolate shot glass. I love Portugal for its sweet Port wine, pastéis, and Ginja alone!
To the Coast!
I always know what my favorite places are because I forget to take a lot of pictures or videos. The beaches and coasts of Portugal hit that mark, no doubt. We made our way to Bom Sucesso Beach and worked our way back south. This area of Portugal could be described as the resort and summer house region. It’s fairly disconnected from the metropolitan areas, and time is of no concern.
Most of the coast is a cliff line, but there are sections of beach which you can make your way down to the Atlantic ocean. At Bom Sucesso, the wind was incredible, and the waves more so. There were several kite landboarders and the waves were relentlessly crashing in (took Lilia, Sasha and Ilya victim as the waves chased us inland 😀 ). Just north of where we were was Nazare, where some of the world’s biggest waves are, too. It was a sight too see, really at any location on the coast. The vastness of the Atlantic makes you feel small.
Eleven - Michelin Star experience
Ok, ok. I broke character and went bouche with as Michelin star restaurant Eleven. Joined by Mila and Lilia, I knew we were in trouble immediately when we couldn’t find the entrance to the damn restaurant and jogged across the front lawn – where all the people inside could clearly see us out the full glass walls. Mind you this restaurant sits on the top of a hill and overlooks a park and the main road, Liberdade. Great views.
This was absolutely my first time doing anything like this, so there was big time fake it ’till you make it. All in all, I was feeling pretty on top being more properly dressed than my two Russian acquaintances without their high heels on. Haha! What can I say though? I suppose you are paying for the presentation, ambiance and sourced food? Ah, the finer things in life. I’m sure someone knows what to look for and what to discover in a taste profile as a ‘connoisseur’ of sorts. Jokes aside, it’s not like I’m gonna say the entrees weren’t excellent; obviously they were! I’ll let the photos show them off.
To top it off, our waitress was good company to deal with our banter, too. She was Mozambican, white African, making up roughly 2% of Mozambique’s population. Hearing her backstory and Mozembique’s ties to Portugal was like a mini history lesson!
A Tour outside of Lisbon
For the last day in Lisbon, it was back down to Mila and I. We had another tour booked to visit the remaining spots on our list – Sintra, Cabo do Roca and Cascais. When people talk about Sintra, there is no way the Palace of Pena is not brought up. Look, this place is as eclectic as it gets. The garden has plant species from a multitude of countries, and the palace itself, well it’s like Disney, circa 19th century. Thank you, Ferdinand II the artist king, for this unique historic site.
On our way to Cascais, the tour stopped at Cabo do Roca, the most western part on continental Europe. Not much to say here – there’s a lighthouse, a monument and lots of ocean. It’s more of the been there, done that. Still cool to stand there on that point in Europe.
Cascais is apparently the ritzy part of Portugal. You could tell it was catering as a premier holiday destination. We had an hour or so to meander around, so I opted to finish off the Ginja, beer myself and neander around. I could see why people like it there. The beach is close. It’s quaint and charming, yet a train ride away from Lisbon. Right on.
Final Thoughts
You know how difficult it is to condense a week of activities into one post? Difficult. But mainly because there are so many little things that happened along the way which could be a post in itself. We had a blast in this country. The people were friendly and helpful. English is spoken widespread. Cities and towns are kept clean and nowhere felt unsafe (especially true after arriving back in NYC for our connection). We had good company, a good mix of weather, and a good mix of food – definitely the best I’ve eaten on vacation.
From my perspective, Portugal could be a good place to have a little home base. Portugal would also not be good for my health. I’d simply drink Port wine and Ginja while scarfing down pastéis each day! A sweet tooth’s haven. And I never even mentioned the cheesy goodness of francesinha…
-ML
Recap of Places
Check out the MAP for links!
- Rota do Cha – teahouse in Porto
- Brasao Coliseu and KUG – restaurants in Porto
- Livaria Lello – the IG bookstore in Porto
- Portugal Excellence Tours – where to book Douro Valley tours
- Miradouros – the viewpoints in Lisbon
- Pastéis de Belém – the baked goods in Lisbon
- Queluz National Palace – big time palace in Lisbon
- Óbidos – castle town with the Ginja (though you can really get it anywhere)
- Eleven – Michelin star experience in Lisbon
- Bom Sucesso Beach – just awesomeness
- Sintra / Palace of Pena – the eclectic palace and town
- Cabo do Roca – western most point in continental Europe
- Cascais – the vacation spot
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Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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