In the 7 months we’ve lived in Portugal, we discovered so many beautiful places. The country is way too big for us to discover everything, but we must say, we have some great memories we want to share with you! These are 15 places we have been, to visit in Portugal:
1. Cabo da Roca
This place is about 40 minutes by car from Lisbon, the coastline here is just amazing. Whenever we had a free moment and it was sunny, we loved to discover all the beaches here. We even slept on the beaches with our tent, which you can read in this blog post! In winter it was also the perfect place to hike.
2. Lisbon
The place we lived for 6 months, we loved it! We must say, we had to get used to it. We both always said we are not city people, but after a while we started to love living in the city, also because Lisbon doesn’t feel like a massive city. The vibe is super relaxed and we never saw weird things. We mostly just walked around, went to the miradouros, discovered new food on terraces and drove around on our electric scooter. Lisbon is amazing!
3. Carvoeiro coastline
We stayed for a midweek in the Algarve and we really loved all the beaches around Carvoeiro the most here. Like the Benagil area and Albandeira. We visited around 5-6 beaches in 1 day, because they are all so close to each other!
4. Azores
We have only been to 1 island: São Miguel, but it was amazing. The nature here is something else than we are used to in South Europe. Everything was so green and clean, we loved it. The views were amazing and we especially liked the hot springs.
5. costa da caparica
This area is under the bridge of Lisbon, and has 26km of coastline. We came here to surf since the waves were perfect for beginners, but it was also super nice to hang around. There is a part with a boulevard full of terraces, but also a beach with nothing but nature. And at the cliffs behind the beach is a forest with a super nice view over the area.
6. serra da estrela
More in the North-East of Portugal are the highest mountains of Portugal: Serra da Estrela. In winter you can go on wintersport here, but this year it was too warm for snow. The area was still super beautiful to hike around, and it’s wild!
7. porto
Porto felt even older than Lisbon with all the colorful houses. It’s such a nice city to walk around and has many beautiful viewpoints over the river, the bridge and the city. Especially the river looked nice. You can go with a boat to the port fields, we didn’t do this but I think this must be special!
8. lagos
Another beautiful part of the Algarve, Lagos! The city is small and cute and has some nice places to eat. But we went for the rocky formations: Ponta da Piedade. The cliffs are super high and dramatic haha so beautiful to see. You can walk around the coastline, or longboard like we did.
9. cascais
Close to Lisbon is the coastal town Cascais. The beaches here are surrounded by rocks so it’s never windy, and the sea is super calm. The town is super cute and smaller than Lisbon, but has everything.
10. ericeira
Surf town of Portugal: Ericeira. As surf beginners we had to check this out. On literally every corner you crossed someone with a surfboard, and the sea was full with them. The vibe in this city was everything if you love surfing.
11. Nazaré
Another surftown in Portugal: Nazaré. Everybody knows this town for the monster waves. We checked the wave forecast almost every day because we really wanted to see the big waves. In January it was finally the time: waves between 20 and 30 meters. It’s mind blowing how these surfers just go in there. If you are in Portugal during the winter months, make sure to check out the forecast! Every 2-3 weeks you’ll have the chance to see big waves during winter.
12. Évora
This town is more inland and 1,5 hours from Lisbon. It’s small, but enough to see. It’s surrounded by city walls and inside you’ll find a Roman Temple, multiple churches, parks and a lot of restaurants. Really liked to just wander around here.
13. Sintra
About 30 minutes from Lisbon, you’ll find Sintra. It’s mostly famous for the castles, but Sintra is a big area full with castles, forest, the most beautiful beaches and cute towns. Make sure to check out the castles, but also the beaches Praia das Azenhas do Mar and Magoito beach.
14. Parque Natural da Arrábida
Around 1 hour from Lisbon, you’ll find the national park Parque Natural da Arrábida. The park has green mountains, super nice coastal villages and the most beautiful blue water. We’ve been here a couple of times to hike, to supboard, to visit the coastal place Sesimbra and to snorkel. The water is much calmer here, so it’s better to snorkel. Because of this, the water is also super bright.
15. Óbidos
This is a medieval town surrounded by walls. It’s car free and the streets are super narrow, perfect to walk around. You can see the city in a couple of hours and enjoy the views (it’s on the top of a hill), drink the famous cherry liqueur called Ginjinha d’Obidos and walk on the city walls.
What was your favorite place in Portugal? We definitely are coming back to discover more in this beautiful country!
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