Portugal Highlights
Immerse yourself in sunlit Lisbon carefreeness, the peace of Douro Valley vineyards and the history of Porto.
Day 1 — Welcome to Portugal!
See for yourself: there is no place like Lisbon
The blue vastness of the Tagus River stretches under the Portuguese sunshine. You stand in Praça do Comércio, an immense square right on the water’s edge and remember in awe: from here Columbus’ ships sailed away to discover the New World.
Walk the streets of the Baixa, admiring the small traditional shops that make a brave stand against the invasion of big foreign brands.
Lose yourself in the narrow, steep streets of the Alfama. You will come to secret courts, fountains, orange trees… There is so much light here among the old white houses.
On and on you climb, until a high stone wall bars your way. Find the castle gates and enter. From the courtyard of Castelo de São Jorge you will see the whole of lovely Lisbon, far below.
Surrender to Portuguese cuisine and music
Now the restaurant’s electric lights are out, and only the candles are left. While you sigh over every last bit of that delicious dinner, the fado singers arrive. Enjoy your wine, and just listen. Now plaintively, now passionately, they sing to the accompaniment of the Portuguese guitar. The strangely melancholic songs will touch you. You will recognize something of the Arabic or Northern African sounds in the high tremulous notes, but the nostalgia of it is unmistakably Portuguese. And you have not heard anything like it.
Yes, Lisbon has great local restaurants and this, O Faia Fado, is among the best.
If you prefer the fine dining experience, Belcanto and Alma have both two Michelin stars — one need say nothing more.
Day 2 — Travel back to Portugal’s past
Meet the Manueline style at Belém
Admire the intricate stonework of the Jerónimos Monastery. This is the inimitable Manueline, the Portuguese late Gothic style. As you wander through corridors and halls and cloisters, enjoy the silence that allows you to travel back in time. Silence? Indeed: you are visiting during special, private hours, and the monastery is closed to the wider public.
Back to the bustle of public gardens and avenues, a short walk along the banks of the Tagus will bring you to Torre de Belém. Fortress, watchtower, prison. It is also a jewel of Manueline. The carved white stone is pure and luminous. Blue river, azure sky, and the continual breeze on your face and hair. White gulls fly by. You feel you could almost fly off with them.
Have an extraordinary seaside lunch in Cascais
Sitting in the restaurant terrace, you hear the waves break on the rocks right below. Your eyes rest on the blue Atlantic, stretching all the way to the perfect line of the horizon. (Who knows what strange lands may lie far beyond, towards the setting sun?) At Furnas do Guincho in Cascais, you will have deliciously prepared seafood dishes right next the very waters they came from. If you prefer to sit inside, it will be impossible not to think of the large windows as picture frames. The ocean beyond is the painting. Admire this work of art while you delight in the scrumptious food of your choice.
Discover the Sintra fairyland
Palaces of royalty and nobility are strewn over the wooded hills of Sintra. You will feel in fairyland: pine woods grow around immense boulders, and amid the trees elegant houses peek from behind stone walls.
Pena, Monserrate, Seteais are jewels of the eclectic Portuguese Romantic style.
But you will find the crowning glory of Sintra is the intact ring of embattled walls and towers of Castelo dos Mouros. Proudly, the vast fortress stands atop a high hill. There the Moors left it, and there it stays, a faithful guardsman watching the faraway seacoast.
Wander among the trees and rocks inside the fortress, hear the flags fluttering in the high wind, and feel the magic of this ancient place. It does not get any more Narnian than this.
Let your fancy float away on the Tagus
White sandy beaches pass before your eyes. Then the town of Estoril. Like Cascais, where your sailboat trip started, Estoril was a den of spies during the Second World War. Nowadays it is known for its casino and its lovely beaches.
Leaving the ocean, your sailboat now glides on the Tagus River, on its way upstream to Belém. Maybe you see the tágides pulling it along. They are the nymphs of the Tagus, created in poetry by Camões, Portugal’s greatest poet. So, why shouldn’t you be able to see them in your mind’s eye?
You will listen to the sound of the wind in the sails, and spot the seventeenth-century fortresses that sit along the coast. Then you will just lean back and relax: the tágides will get you safely to Belém.
Day 3 — Free Day & Local Dinner
Day at leisure
Today, you’ll have some free time to enjoy on your own. Take the opportunity to relax and enjoy the amenities of your hotel, or to discover the city!
Dine like a Lisbon local — with locals
You will smile all through dinner, and for three reasons.
First, the meal is delicious. Your Portuguese hosts love cooking great dishes, and they love Portuguese food. When it comes to seafood — Portugal’s obvious strong point — some Portuguese simply refuse to eat any when they are abroad. In what country will they find fish, clams and lobster as fresh as the ones in Portugal?
Then, you will smile because your hosts are friendly, communicative, and so happy to be offering you this meal they cooked themselves.
And third — well, this is something you won’t forget. You smile because guess what they are talking about all the time while you share this meal?
You got it. They talk of food — past, present and future. So Portuguese.
Day 4 — Take the high road to Douro Valley
Steep yourself in Coimbra’s history
Your eyes are dazed by the sunlight reflecting off the white buildings of Coimbra. But you don’t want to put your sunglasses on; you want to enjoy, bathe, revel in the light, and take in the blue Portuguese sky.
As you walk around, all historic architectural styles pass before you: from the square Romanesque purity of the Old Cathedral, to the late Portuguese Baroque of the University Tower. You will admire the University of Coimbra, a beautiful complex that houses the oldest university in the Portuguese-speaking world.
And in the Manueline-style Monastery of Santa Cruz, you will stop for a moment before a tomb. Crowned heads may lie uneasy, yet here there is nothing but peace about the grave of Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first King.
Gaze in wonder at the Douro Valley
Let your eyes rest on the round hills that slope down to the winding river. Admire the vineyards lining the hillsides as far as you can see. They have been here since Roman times, thriving thanks to the humidity from the river, the light, the climate.
The road takes you from bend to bend, from one breath-taking view to another. You readily agree that this valley deserves its status as a World Heritage Site.
Some say Douro means “golden”. Others say that — as is the case with the Golden Valley in Herefordshire — it comes from the old Celic word dur, meaning “water”. But whatever may be the origin of the river’s name, the vine-covered slopes will indeed look golden at the time of harvesting. Your eyes will never forget the sight.
Day 5 — Explore the wondrous Douro Valley
Discover the Douro wines
For four hundred years, vines have been lovingly planted and tended to in Quinta do Crasto. Today, you will fully understand what this means.
Wander through the vineyards in a guided tour, admiring the splendid landscape and learning everything about wine production here.
See the steep slopes covered by vines going all the way down to the blue river. Watch the Douro glide at its own sweet will far below. Feel the peace that hovers about this place, were wine making is a passion and an art.
Then, taste the fiery drink itself. You will delight in the aromatic complexity that is the distinctive mark of the Douro wines, and agree: it’s hard to beat four centuries of wine making expertise.
Cruise the cliff-enclosed Douro
The boat glides silently on the waters. You throw your head back to look all the way to the top of the sheer rocky walls on either side of the river. Here the Douro runs at the bottom of a deep gorge, and the cliffs on both sides are severely majestic.
You will see the griffin and the eagle fly by, undisturbed the boat. Indeed, this is an electric-powered cruise boat, so it goes on noiselessly, in harmony with the stunning nature around you.
In olden days rabelos, a centuries-old Portuguese boat, used to sail down the Douro all the way to Porto. They carried the precious wine barrels produced in the region, to be sold in the large city.
Today, you are the one to sail down this river, which is both a historic waterway and a wonder of nature.
Day 6 — Explore the wondrous Douro Valley
Hike the hills above the Douro
Lace your shoes, check your water bottle, and start off. The wind rustles in the grass and in the foliage. The vines are a golden green under sun; and far above and far below are the azure of the sky and the river’s blue.
You will enjoy the silence, the sounds of nature, the gentle exercise that makes you feel more alive and cheerful. For five hours you will be steeped in beauty. The vine-clad hills are always alike and always different. The air is scented and pure. You will feel you could walk on forever.
Didn’t someone say stepping out of the door is a dangerous business? In this enchanted landscape, you will feel there is indeed no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Dine at an incredible riverside site
From the glass-panelled room or from the terrace overhanging the river, the view takes your breath away. Stone terraces and vineyards, the simplicity of the white riverside villages. On the faraway margin, an occasional train passes, momentarily breaking the stillness of the valley. Large boats go by, taking people to the other side of the Douro. The DOC restaurant is a window open onto this incredible scenery, which since 2011 is a World Heritage Site. Here you will taste an inventive, modern cuisine, delighting your palate as well as your eyes.
Day 7 — Stop at wonderful sites on the way to Porto
Visit a charming, centuries-old manor
Breathe in the scents in the extensive gardens, and listen to the sounds of nature. Admire the tall ivy-covered walls and the variety of plants and flowers.
Then, climb the steps of the stone staircase and enter Casa de Juste. Let the kind, receptive owners take you on a tour, and tell you the story of this 600 year-old manor house.
You will taste local wine and food, and then choose from a number of different available workshops to take part in. What about cooking a meal from entrée to dessert, in a typical, charming kitchen? Maybe you prefer a Porto wine workshop, where you learn about the diversity of Porto styles and qualities? With these and other options, you will feel that your stay at Casa de Juste was only too short.
Look up to eleven centuries of history at Guimarães
Your heroic, history-loving heart will find Guimarães the perfect city. Just go to Guimarães Castle. Raise your eyes to the square, embattled walls and towers, built to defend the region against Normans and Moors. From those battlements, eleven centuries look down on you.
This is called the birthplace of Portugal. Indeed, this city was the see of the County of Portucale, which in 1143 was to separate from Galiza and become the independent Kingdom of Portugal. Wander through the historic centre. You will see houses and palaces, squares, churches, chapels. Every one of them tells you a story, and every story is a piece of Portuguese history.
Welcome to Porto!
Stroll through the streets of Porto in the late afternoon. You will see once again how Portugal, albeit small, is quite diverse. For instance, you notice at once the livelier, stronger colours of the buildings. They make for quite a change from Lisbon’s predominant white, salmon and light yellow. Your walk takes you to the Ribeira neighbourhood by the riverside. As night approaches, the Ribeira is all lit up, and full of life: people sit in cafés and restaurants, enjoying their meal, a glass of wine, and the reflection of the city lights on the calm Douro waters.
There’s something so special about wandering through a beautiful city at night. It might be quite late before you decide to turn in.
Day 8 — Discover the wonders of Porto
Visit Porto’s splendid buildings
You agree that few experiences beat walking leisurely through a new city. You see the sights, hear the sounds, take it all in one step at a time. It’s better still when you are in company with a friendly and knowledgeable guide. There you go, walking through the historical centre of Porto, one more UNESCO World Heritage Site. (You don’t seem to be able to escape them in Portugal!) You will visit the impressive Cathedral, Romanesque in origin and Baroque in decoration. You will admire the splendid Neoclassical Stock Exchange Palace, and the São Bento Railway Station, with its amazing painted tiles. Your guide will tell you all the fascinating facts about them. And you wait till you get to the wine lodges!
Have a delicious riverside lunch
Try the cod cakes for appetizers: they are delicious. But then, you will find that so is every single dish at Adega São Nicolau. And the homemade desserts as well. There’s no way you can go wrong here: you sit outside, at the tables facing the Douro River, and enjoy a view of the city and the caress of the river breeze. Or else you are inside, in the cosy ambience created by a vaulted wooden ceiling. No matter where you sit, you will be served and eat to your heart’s content, and drink the best wines. But then, this is Porto. What else would you expect?
Taste the best Port at Taylor’s Wine Lodges
Enjoy tasting the sweet Ports and learning about them right here, in the city they take their name from. In the semi-obscurity of the wine cellars, among the large wooden barrels, listen to your private guide tell you how these amazing wines are created. Then, ask about the story of Taylor’s. You will hear how, four hundred years ago, an Englishman came to Porto… The Marquis of Pombal, Napoleon’s troops, the Duke of Wellington: the story of this winery is more exciting than you suspect.
Then, go to the winery’s restaurant, Barão de Fladgate. You will have a wonderful dinner accompanied by the best wines, in an elegant room overlooking the city and the Douro. And after dinner, a glass of Port. That goes without saying.
