Portugal was one of the few countries in Western Europe neither of us had visited. We had a great two weeks there splitting our time between the rural Douro Valley and the two big cities, Porto and Lisbon. We saw beautiful coastlines, fumbled our way through Portuguese, and learned to love Port wine. Portugal had all of the appeal of other Western European cities, but it was way cheaper!
Sipping Port in the Douro Valley
Portugal is known for its Port wine so we had to head to the source. The Douro Valley is awesome! From amazing reds to sweet ports, the wine was just as wonderful as the stunning rolling hills and picturesque Douro River. We were able to recapture some of the country farm feelings that we had in Mendoza, Argentina but with the added charm of 18th-century cobblestone towns.
Wine taste vicariously through us here.
All of the Feels for Porto
Porto was our favorite! The weather was a little cooler and the city had an all-around great vibe. We spent our days sipping port riverside, bike riding, and working from our favorite cafe. If you can only pick one spot to visit in Portugal, pick Porto!
Read why we loved Porto so much here.
Exploring the Capital, Lisbon
Lisbon is like Porto’s big brother. It is bigger and busier, but it still has charm. Aside from the heat, it had a very San Francisco feel. We took a few day trips to the beach and Sintra, but we mostly enjoyed walking around climbing the city. (The hills are huge!) The cityscape is pretty, but the food and drink scene is the best part!
Read about our time in Lisbon here.
We didn’t make it to the South and the famed Algarve coast this time, so a return trip is in order! Portugal was a great addition to our Europe trip!
Want more information to plan your trip to Lisbon? Check out the Portugal Lonely Planet here.
Missing Port from Portugal,
-Ray
