Portugal

I love Portugal...

...so much!...

...that we just had to come here twice, two summers in a row! But with as affordable as it is to travel here, how could we not! Beautiful Portugal with it's picture-perfect coastlines, charming cobblestone streets, (called calçadas), the fairytale landscapes of Sintra, etc. There's something magical about this country that just swept us off our feet.

On our first trip, we arrived in the Algarve via a FlixBus from Seville, and then transferring to regional train to Lagos. Lagos was breathtaking. Emerald green water with golden sand, cliffs, Ponte da Piedade! It all lived up to it's hype.

After a few days in the warm, sunny Algarve, we boarded another FlixBus ($5 per person!!) to Lisbon, spent a few days there, before boarding another $5 bus to Porto.

Suggested itinerary:

Algarve:

  • Lagos: Ponte da Piedade, gorgeous golden cliffs, golden sand, emerald water (but wow! it was cold! Even in July).

  • Downtown Lagos with it's gorgeous calçadas, restaurants, live music, and shops.

  • Vilamoura. Here at the marina you can purchase a ticket for a speedboat ride along the coastline, buy tickets to go parasailing, etc. It may not sound budget-friendly, but we paid half of what we would have paid back home in the states. Highly recommend both.

Lisbon--really each of these deserve their own blog page.

  • Jeronimos Monastery. Oh my! I. could. not. believe. how beautiful! This was a complete work of art and history and beauty all rolled up in one. Well worth the time. Next door is a cute cafe where we had lunch for $4 per person. And next door to that was the amazing...Pasteis de Belem!

  • Pasteis de Belem! OK, so the pasteis de nata are the most delicious Portuguese pastry ever! But this place just does them better than anyone else! I didn't know heaven came in the form of a flaky crust and rich custard filling. But it definitely does!

  • Torre de Belem. Right across from Jeronimos Monastery is the Belem Tower. This dates back to the 1500's. It was so amazing to go inside, go on top of the tower, and witness what it was like when the Portuguese explorers' ships would come in and out of port (think Vasco da Gama)

  • Praça do Comércio. This is just a cool place to hang out, people watch, watch the sailboats, etc.

  • 25 de avril bridge and tour.

  • Rossio square

  • Nearby suburb of Cascais

  • Sintra

  • Nearby town of Obidos.

Porto

  • Don Luis Bridge and shops

  • Nearby towns of Coimbra, Braga and Guimaraes.

The Portuguese people are known for their friendliness (they did not disappoint)! Not only is this place friendly, but it is also one of the most budget-friendly destinations in Europe.

Budget tips:

  • Get your Lisboa card for discounts on a variety of Lisbon attractions.

  • FlixBus was my favorite (and most budget friendly) way to travel throughout Portugal. From the Algarve to Lisbon, a 3-hour drive, cost only $5. From Lisbon to Porto, another 3-hour drive, another $5. The seats were comfortable, the kids loved the wifi, and you can't beat the price.

  • Lisbon metro cards were also a great way to get around the city. It allowed us to use Lisbon's famous tram as well.

  • One thing that surprised me was how ultra cheap Uber was. I got taxi rides across the city for so cheap, that I don't even know how the drivers are even making money. So, tip generously.

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