Portugal: What to See + Where to Eat
In this blog post, Olivia + Laura share all the spots they think are worth visiting and eating at after their latest trip to Portugal!
If you follow us on Instagram, you will have seen that we recently took a trip to Portugal! Portugal is quickly becoming THE country to visit in Europe and we cannot recommend it enough. You get the best of both worlds with tourist attractions and warm beaches to relax on. Our trip included the perfect mix of just that. Read through our loose itinerary to see what we were up to in each city!
We landed in Lisbon, where we spent the first 4 days of our trip. The biggest of the 3 cities that we visited but we had plenty of time to hit all the spots!
Lisbon
What to See + Do
Miradouro da Santa Luzia
Rua Augusta
Arco da Rua Augusta — Head to the top for just €3.50!
Alfama Neighborhood (Old Town)
Tile Museum
Santa Justa Elevator — Avoid taking the elevator and just head to the lookout to see the amazing view from the top!
Sintra Palace
LX Factory — For cute shops and restaurants!
Belem Tower
Jeronimos Monastery
Cascais (30-45 minute train, cute beach town!)
Note from Olivia + Laura:
As much as we love to do all the touristy things, we don't think it is worth waiting the lines of Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery. They are definitely beautiful to see and are the perfect pit stop on the way to Cascais but save yourself the 2-hour wait!
We definitely recommend booking a free walking tour, it hits all of the major tourist attractions in the city as well as teaching you about the history behind each one! We booked this one that comes with a free pastel de nata tasting as well as a lovely visit to a local avó who makes homemade Ginjinha!
Where to Eat
O’Corrido — traditional fado house (one of our absolute favourites!)
O Trevo — for bifana and prego sandwich
Copenhagen Coffee Lab
Try Ginginha (cherry liquor in chocolate cup)
After Lisbon, we headed to the Algarves to a town called Albufeira — known for it's amazing beaches and lively nightlife. It's the perfect place to take a break from all the walking and tourist activities.
Albufeira
What to See + Do
Benagil Cave
Praia do Peneco
Praia da Marinha
Where to Eat
Tres Coroas
Cafe Mane — the best breakfast/brunch (we went everyday!)
Sugar Rabbit Kaffe
Tiger Street Sushi
Note from Olivia + Laura:
If you're planning on going out at night, there's no need to buy drinks! Walk up and down the strip and the "promoters" will hand out free shot coupons which you can redeem at the bar. Trust us, they won't remember you so stock up on the coupons!
From Albufeira, we hopped on a 6-hour train ride north to Porto! Though it may be smaller than Lisbon, it truly was one of our favourite stops on the trip.
Porto
What to See + Do
San Bento Train Station
Mercado do Bolhao
McDonalds Imperial — yes, McDonalds
Lello Bookstore
Douro Valley Wine Tour
Sunset on Dom Luis Bridge
Gaia — across the water from Porto
Igreja do Carmo
Note from Olivia + Laura:
Just like Lisbon, we definitely recommend booking a free walking tour! It truly is the best way to see all the best parts of the city while learning more about it. Some of our favourite moments are just from walking around and exploring the city!
Be sure to catch the sunset on the Dom Luis Bridge at least once! The whole city gathers in Gaia (across the bridge) to see the sun set over the Douro River and see why it is famously nicknamed River of Gold.
Where to Eat
Tasco — another one of our absolute favourites!)
Boa Bao
Casa Guedes
Casa Adao — in Gaia
Brasao Bistro
O Diplomata
Pedro Dos Frangos
Thank you for reading this week's blog post! If you are taking a trip to Portugal soon or were inspired to book a flight after reading this post, let us know on Instagram! We love to see how we've inspired you!
Adeus,
