Portugal

How is it possible that more people are not raving about Portugal as a holiday destination…More shocking is that when they do the only place you hear about is the Algarve! Now don’t get me wring the Algarve is an incredibly beautiful and dramatic coast line but seriously people there is so much more to see.

Here’s a quick rundown on the stops we made and the stuff you really cannot afford to miss.

Guimaraes – the original capital of Portugal and once of its oldest cities Guimaraes has everything you might want in a city. It’s beautiful, it has heaps of history, it’s not too touristy, great shopping and amazing value for money. We found this little place that does a buffet lunch with only traditional Portuguese dishes from the north that costs 6euros each including desert! Wander around and get lost down all the small streets.

Serre da Estrela – This is actually only a small part of the interior country but there is a lot to see outside this national park. It’s really worth spending the time to drive along the national roads, although slower its time well spent. The scenery is just fabulous.

Evora – If you’ve been to Rome you might not find this so spectacular although I was still shocked that there is somewhere with so many intact and huge Roman ruins that is so unheard of. Really worth a stop on the way through or a day or so to see the sites and explore the city.

Mertola – This is an odd little place. It’s pretty impressive from the perspective that its basically a walled town built on a cliff overlooking a river but there is not a huge amount to do there. It is however an incredible drive to get there from Evora and then the same again from Mertola onto the Algarve. If you are a biker, petrol head or just like looking at the scenery make sure you don’t miss this countryside are.

Praia do Carvoeiro – If you’re looking for a smaller, quieter town but still with plenty of bars and restaurants this is a pretty good spot. We stayed in a small guesthouse on the cliff so had spectacular views and the luxury of zero noise from the bars.

Sagres – Super cool spot. Surfers paradise for sure and definitely worth a visit or a couple of nights if you want to try some surfing. There is something about standing on the very corner of a continent that just inspires wanderlust. I stood for a good 30 minutes just taking in the view, imagining one day sailing around that point.
Lisbon – Wow. I had heard good things about Lisbon but I wasn’t prepared for what I found. There is an energy and vibrancy about the city that doesn’t have the same intensity as somewhere like Rome. It’s much more bohemian and laid back that Paris and just a lot cooler than London. Really loved it here.

Sintra – How more people do not know about this place I just have no idea. Its like the lost land of fairy tales and fables. It cannot be missed. Where the Royalty and uber wealthy used to live, before all their heads were chopped of that is, Sintra really is a very very special place. There are half a dozen castles and palaces within about 3 miles square, only 30 minutes outside of Lisbon. It wold be a crime not to visit if you are in Lisbon.

Nazare – Another surfers paradise for you but not for the feint hearted. Nazare has some of the biggest waves in the world, although typically when we arrived it was flat calm without even a ripple. Huge white sandy beach, chilled out town and very few foreign tourists.

Douro – I’m not sure if I can say we saved the best for last since so many of the places we visited were great however this was probably one of my favourite spots. The Douro valley follows the Douro river from Porto all the way through the country. This is the wine country and it is stunning. We stayed in a hotel but you can take a river cruise which is supposed to be spectacular. Equally if you only have a day or so there is a train that goes from Porto and winds its way through the valley at river level which is apparently very special. The wine from this region is really fabulous and the best part is if you order just a glass in a restaurant they pour you something the size of a fish bowl :)