A Couples' Guide to Escape to Beautiful Portugal
On the hunt for your next vacation destination? Megan Mack, founder of Heirloom Adventures, joins us this week to discuss all things related to visiting Portugal and creating an amazing vacation.
Why Portugal?
Portugal has it all. There are so many options of things to do here! You can visit beaches, explore wineries, and go on so many adventures!
Portugal is closer to the United States than other European countries. There are a lot of direct flights from Boston, NYC, and San Francisco.
What are the different regions of Portugal?
Porto and the Douro Valley
This is the northern area of the country and it is widely known for its wine.
Take a river cruise down the Douro River!
Ride the commuter rail through the Valley for the most picturesque views.
Lisbon
South of Porto along the west coast is Lisbon!
All of the villages along the coast are so charming. There are also so many castles worth looking at!
Algarve
This is the Southern region of the country that is also known for its wine.
Albufeira
This is one of the Southernmost cities in Portugal. This is a very popular beach location for people from the United Kingdom.
Madeira
You don’t want to miss this island! It has beautiful weather and majestic mountains.
Azores
This is the “Hawaii of Europe”. The islands are beautiful and beachy.
How much time should I spend in Portugal?
Megan recommends 7 days minimum, but typically advocates for 10 days.
If you are wanting to see multiple cities, you will need more time! Take time to stop along the way between cities to eat at cafes and tour smaller towns.
You will probably want to spend 2-3 days in each city.
How do I get around the country?
Trains are a very popular mode of transportation. Almost all Europeans travel this way.
You can also rent a car and take yourself around.
Set up a driver/private transfer ahead of time. This is what Megan recommends, as these drivers will know places along the way that you should stop at.
Portugal is known for wine, where do I need to go?
Quinta Nova is a great option if you are wanting to stay overnight at a winery. You can take a cruise from Porto to the winery’s dock. It is an all day, but amazing experience.
You can also take a boat up the rivers and stop along the way at multiple wineries along the way.
Porto in Northern Italy is known for their Port wine, which is a sweeter option.
The seaside village of Setubal (near Lisbon) has some fantastic winery options as well.
Algarve is known for verde (green) wine.
River cruises in Portugal
River cruises are one of the best ways to see the Douro Valley. You will likely start or end in Spain, as the region connects between countries.
River cruises are a great option if you want to see a lot of places without figuring out all of the logistics at each stop.
The cruises range from 7-10 days. You can also choose to stay extra time in Portugal before and after your cruise!
Azores and Madeira - Islands of Portugal
Both options have lots of hiking and running trails!
Madeira
This is a great option for a very relaxing, island feel vacation.
To get to Madeira, you would fly into Libson and take a boat to the island.
Azores
Be aware that weather in the Azores can change super quickly. Fog rolls in very fast, so driving can be a little sketchy. Only rent a car if you are very confident in driving.
The Azores have a ton of whales and dolphins that pass through! Marine life here is amazing. They also have amazing hot springs!
You can directly fly to the Azores from the U.S.
What to do in Lisbon
Take a cooking class! Megan recommends learning how to make pastel de nata! This is a classic Portuguese egg custard tart.
Take a city sidecar tour around the city! Or any sort of city tour! Megan recommends doing this on your first day so you can get a feel for the city. This is also a good way to get to know what you want to return to.
Visit the tile factory! Lisbon is known for their tiles, so it’s worth checking out! You can also take a class at the factory where they let you paint your own tile to take home.
Go to a fado music concert. This is a very unique style of music, but it gives you a great taste of Portugal.
If you love to shop, Lisbon is a great place to go! Megan recently went on a walking tour that teaches you about the city while taking you to shops around town.
When is the best time to visit Portugal?
Megan’s favorite time of year is to go to the beginning of November. Crowds are low and the weather is good!
But really September-November is shoulder season, making it a great time to go.
January will be rainy and chilly, so it’s not the best time to go.
Other things to know
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get through the Lisbon airport. It is a little bit chaotic, so be early!
Get in touch with Megan
Megan is a travel planner! Her company, Heirloom Adventures, provides a wide variety of services when it comes to planning a vacation!
Some options of how Megan can help:
Run your plans by her and she can give ideas and advice.
Ask her to research the best options of things to do and who to book with, but then you do the planning and booking.
Have Megan plan the entire trip start to finish!