How to spend 48 hours in Porto
Porto is the ultimate weekend city. In two days you see and taste it all – from the tile-covered churches to port wine tasting to the city’s famous hearty sandwiches. The architecture and tiles are different to Lisbon, the city is cooler (in temperature) but the people are perhaps a little warmer. There’s not much […]
31 best things to do in Sintra
Sintra is Lisbon’s best day trip, for sure. Each year millions of visitors flock to the UNESCO World Heritage Sintra village to explore enchanting 19th-century palaces and eat a travesseiro. But there’s much more to do here than tick off the top sights and twirl around a palace (though there are plenty of opportunities to […]
15 best things to do in Olhão, an Algarve gem
Fisherman, locals and tourists move at the same slow pace through the narrow, whitewashed streets of Olhão. Charming and full of character, this town perched on the edge of the Ria Formosa feels as though time has paused. Ornate chimneys and flat, Moorish-style roof terraces make the old centre of the small city feel closer […]
Where to Find the Best Views in Lisbon: 11 Top Miradouros
They say Lisbon is the city of seven hills, which is a lie. There’s more than seven, a fact you quickly learn while walking up what feels like non-stop staircases on your first day in the city. But many hills means many viewpoints and lookouts. At the top of any Lisbon hill you’ll almost always […]
Local’s Guide to Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s Famous Flea Market
If I have a free Saturday morning in Lisbon I love to venture over to Alfama and kick around the Feira da Ladra market. You never know what you’ll find at Lisbon’s oldest flea market – it’s been in existence since the 12th century – and that’s the joy of the hunt. Vendors at Feira […]
11 best things to do and see in Aveiro
Aveiro is a petite old city where traditional brightly coloured moliceiro boats traverse a wide canals lined with picture-perfect pastel art nouveau buildings. University students clink beers in the sunshine, tourists snack on golden ovos moles sweets, fishermen bring in the catch of the day and locals pile into cars headed for the seaside.
15 best things to do in Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo is a place closely intertwined with the sea. Fishing boats destined for the cod-rich waters near Greenland once left the port of this small city in the northwest of Portugal, and their legacy has left its mark on the people, culture and cuisine. Feel the warmth of the locals who call this […]
36 hours in Coimbra
You won’t see the inside of Coimbra’s most stunning building on this blog, or almost anywhere. So concerned is the leadership of Portugal’s oldest — and for hundreds of years only — university with protecting the bibliophilic treasures enshrined on the holiest floor of its ancient library that no photos are allowed. Think of it […]
Itinerary: Our magical 5-day Madeira Island road trip
Life on much of Madeira is a battle between man and nature. Moments from the coastline, sharp, jagged mountains rise out of the earth covered in thick, green foliage that few manage to tame. A scattering of typical Portuguese houses with terracotta roofs dot the ridges and valleys. We catch but a glimpse as we […]
Sardines & pimba: Your 2024 guide to Lisbon’s Santo António Festival
Every June the smell of sardines and sound of pimba music ricochets through the narrow cobbled streets of the city’s most traditional neighbourhoods. The start of summer is a wild and wonderful time to be in Lisbon. In late May locals start constructing temporary bars and barbecues, and hang colourful streamers and decorations ahead of […]
9 best things to do in Figueira da Foz
Have you ever been ice skating on the beach? For Jorge’s birthday in January I wanted to get away somewhere north of Lisbon, ideally where his family in Aveiro could meet us for lunch and Jorge could enjoy a winter surf. I landed on Figueira da Foz. The small city lies where the River Mondego […]
10 things to do and see in Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha, a small city about one-hour drive north of Lisbon, is known for two things: hot springs and ceramics. Sometime in the 15th century, Portugal’s Queen Leonor established a hospital and church here, hence the name, which means “Queen’s hot springs”. By the 19th and 20th centuries spa towns had become all the […]