Say Olá to Portugal!
Portugal is one of our favorite countries in Europe…and it’s not even on most people’s travel radar yet!
Ultra affordable by Western European standards, Portugal has fewer crowds than its next door neighbor (Spain), and just as many beautiful places to visit.
The Algarve in the south is a package vacation hotspot for UK tourists and northern Europeans, but there are still many authentic and interesting towns. Central Portugal is the country’s wine and agricultural heartland, full of sweeping green, ancient Roman ruins, and beautiful towns. Head north, and you’ll find a unique character and culture to the places and people.
Posts About Portugal
- Where to Stay in Lisbon — Find the best area to stay in Lisbon, no matter your travel style. We’ve enlisted the help of an expat in Portugal to outline Lisbon’s best neighborhoods to stay in.
- If you need some help deciding Where to Go in Portugal, we’ve outlined 23 beautiful places we think you should consider.
- Obidos, Portugal, is a lovely little town that makes a perfect day trip from Lisbon or Coimbra. Check out this post about Our Day Trip to Obidos!
- We spent one month house-sitting in a tiny village in central Portugal called Arrouquelas. Read about our experience getting off-the-beaten path in Portugal!
- While house-sitting in the Algarve, we did loads of different day trips, driving from east to west across southern Portugal. One of the most beautiful trips was Driving to Beja and Mértola.
- Silves, Portugal, is a lovely little castle town in the Algarve, that’s worth your time if you’re in the region.
- Tavira, Portugal, was our favorite town in the Algarve. Lacking the crowds of Albufeira, we found it to be pretty and authentic, and worth a morning, afternoon, or full day of your time. We also visited Albufeira, which you can read about here.
- Castro Marim and Vila Real Santo Antonio are two other interesting spots in the Algarve, with Vila Real showcasing the Pombaline-style urban architecture that has saved Portugal from destruction in many earthquakes, and Castro Marim offering beautiful views.
- If you want to see a typical Algarve village, Alte is a lovely spot to do it. All of the houses have the picture-perfect Algarve chimneys, and the whole village is very photo-worthy!
- We drove to Sagres, Portugal, while we were staying in the Algarve, and learned all about Portugal’s age of exploration. Read about our trip to A Fort at the End of the World in Portugal’s extreme southwest.
- If you’re travelling in the north of Portugal on a bit of a budget, check out where we stayed, and our opinions of Collector’s Hostel in Bragaand Tattva Design Hostel Review in Porto.
- If you want to check out some Fado Music while in Portugal, read this post about our experience, and where to go to see Fado in Lisbon.
- A quick musing on something we found a bit different about Portugal, as compared to Canada. A quick musing about drinking a beer at the grocery store.
- Another personal musing about Portugal’s Pretty Little Details, and the lovely Azulejos tiles.
- Our very first house-sitting gig was in a lovely home in Portugal’s Algarve region.
Alfama Lisbon (and Mouraria): An Insider’s Guide to Old Town Lisbon
Alfama Lisbon and Mouraria neighborhood guide. Insider tips to make the most of your time in Old Town Lisbon popular, including where to eat, drink, stay and shop. Disclosure: This Mouraria and Alfama Lisbon district guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you use the links on this site to book
2 Days in Porto Portugal: What to See, Do and Eat on Your First Trip to Porto
Taking a trip to Portugal? Chances are Porto is part of your itinerary. Here’s how to get the most of 2 days in Porto Portugal! This is a guest post by Joe of JKGO Disclosure: This 2 Days in Porto Portugal travel guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you
Insider’s Guide to Bairro Alto Lisbon
Bairro Alto Lisbon neighborhood guide. Insider tips to make the most of your time in this popular area including where to eat, drink, stay and shop. Disclosure: This Bairro Alto Lisbon district guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you use the links on this site to book a hotel, buy
Insider’s Guide to Avenida da Liberdade Lisbon: Avenida da Liberdade Area Guide
Avenida da Liberdade Lisbon district guide. Insider tips to make the most of your time in this luxurious area including where to eat, drink, stay and shop. Disclosure: This Avenida da Liberdade Lisbon district guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you use the links on this site to book
Insider’s Guide to Baixa and Chiado Lisbon
Baixa-Chiado District Guide: Baixa Lisbon and Chiado Lisbon are some of the most visited areas of the city, and make a great introduction to Lisbon. Get to know Baixa and Chiado with this insider’s guide to these two central Lisbon neighborhoods. Disclosure: This Lisbon Baixa / Chiado district guide contains affiliate links. That means
A Day in Sintra: The Best Spots to Visit on a Lisbon Day Trip to Sintra
The Perfect One Day Trip to Sintra: The Best Spots to Visit if You Only Have a Day in Sintra. A Sintra itinerary for those who are short on time or want to spend one day in Sintra Portugal as a side trip from Lisbon. This is a guest post from Sabrina Bos of Backpacking Like
The Best Things to Do in Evora Portugal
What to See in Evora, Portugal, and how to spend 2 or 3 days in Evora. If you’re planning a trip to Portugal’s Alentejo region, check out our recommendations for the best things to do in Evora Portugal, including where to stay, what to eat and the best Evora things to do on your trip!
Where to Stay in Lisbon: Lisbon’s Coolest Neighborhoods and Best Areas to Stay
Where to Stay in Lisbon: Advice from a local British expat and travel blogger about the best neighborhoods to stay in Lisbon, Portugal! Includes recommendations for 21 of the best apartments and hotels to stay in Lisbon. Disclosure: This Where to Stay in Lisbon guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you use
Where to Stay in Braga, Portugal: Collector’s Hostel
After a month staying in a teensy tiny Portuguese village of Arrouquelas, by the beginning of July, we were ready for some urban therapy. Having already visited Lisbon and Porto on a previous trip (and re-visiting Porto before our trip to Braga), we wanted to go somewhere we’d never been before in Portugal, and landed
23 Beautiful Places to Visit in Portugal
23 beautiful places to visit in Portugal, including the best places to visit in the north, central and south part of Portugal! Disclosure: This Portugal travel guide contains affiliate links. That means we may earn a small commission when you use the links on this site to book a hotel, buy your travel insurance, shop for travel essentials, etc..
40 Photos of Obidos Portugal
Looking down at the sheer drop to my right, my stomach falls and my step wavers ever so slightly. Up ahead, the wall widens, and I can see the stairs leading down to the town just beyond. As I put one foot in front of the other, pushing past the treetops that scratch my ankles,
On Time Travel and Mind-Expanding Boredom: A Month in a Portuguese Village
As we pull back the vinyl tendrils of the flyscreen covering the supermarket’s door and step out of the heavy midday heat, the low buzz of chatter falls away, and every head cocks slightly towards us: the strangers who’ve just arrived in town. It’s dark inside, and our eyes struggle to adjust for the first few moments. When they
Tattva Design Hostel: Porto Hostel Review
**2019 Update – Tattva is now called Cats Porto! When we quit our jobs to travel back in 2013, our first stop was Portugal. After a few jet-lagged days in Lisbon, we took the train to Porto, a smallish city in the north that’s famous for Port wine, beautiful architecture, and a lovely
Fado Music: The Spirit of Lisbon
The struggle for freedom and a deep underlying sadness make up the soul of Lisbon and it’s expressed through the hauntingly beautiful but sorrowful music of Fado. Art is definitely an expression of the times and the impact it has on the people, an impact which may not be fully realized until decades later. Whether
When Life Gets Cold, We Get Nostalgic: Dreaming of Portugal’s Algarve!
Last night, Geoff and I were talking, and we came to the conclusion that we may have made a major tactical error in coming to Edinburgh after our time in Southern Portugal: for one, the UK is shockingly expensive. Even though we’re housesitting, and thus saving money by not paying for accommodation, it feels like
Sagres, Portugal: Fort at the End of the World
Happy Valentine’s Day! We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s — it’s just not our thang — but I am excited to say I contributed something to the Travel Underwriter’s blog to mark the occasion. The post highlights some of the buildings and monuments inspired by love around the world; I tried to include something for everyone, so you’re
Groceries and Beer
It’s funny the things that seem surprising when you’re staying in a foreign country, especially those countries where you have to carry out everyday chores, like banking or groceries. In both Denmark and Japan, I had a cartoon character on my ATM card. Maybe it’s just me, but Felix the Cat doesn’t seem to be
Another Day, Another Castle (Beja and Mértola, Portugal)
As our restlessness to get moving grows, we seem to be trying to compensate with road trips. We’ve got a week-and-a-half before we’re out of here — the plan as of today is to head straight up to Lisbon for a little urban therapy before going to Seville — and I’m determined to see everything
Silves, Portugal
The day before yesterday we were feeling antsy, and so decided to take a trip to the town of Silves. Silves is most well-known because of its castle, which is one of the best preserved and most interesting castles in the Algarve region of Portugal. We decided to take the toll road, because we were
Tavira, Portugal
When we woke up this morning, we realized we had a weather window of several hours before the rain we’ve been experiencing for what feels like weeks came back in full force. It was a nice temperature, with a moody, overcast sky, but we figured today was as good as any to drive about 30
The Town of Alte, Portugal
Last Saturday, we decided to take advantage of a streak of nice weather: sunny, cloudless skies, light wind, and warm(ish). We drove northwest from Loulé to the tiny town of Alte, Portugal, which is known as being one of the prettiest villages in the Algarve, and pretty typical of Algarvian towns and villages. One of
Portugal’s Pretty Details – Azulejos and Others
As noted, I’m working on writing about things as they happen, which is likely much easier than trying to recall several weeks later what I thought of a place. Novel, I know. One of the things that has struck me about Portugal is just how decorative it is. Not necessarily the people, or the landscape, which
Albufeira, Portugal
We awoke to a beautiful day in the Algarve, and decided to drive to Albufeira, one of Southern Portugal’s resort towns… One of the things I can’t get over about our life in the house we’re sitting is how quiet it is. Most mornings, I wake to the sound of a fleeting nothingness, broken
Day Trip to Castro Marim and Vila Real Santo Antonio, Portugal
Today we woke up to a damp world; it had rained over night, and there was mist shrouding the green rolling hills surrounding the house we’re sitting. We decided to wait a bit longer than usual to take Bella the dog for a walk, and just as we finished eating our breakfast, the sky opened
Photographs from Lisbon, Portugal (Plus Some History of Lisbon)
We’ve been in Portugal for just two weeks now, having arrived in Lisbon at the end of November. Knowing that we had a firm date to start our house sit, we worked backwards to schedule a few days to check out Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, and Porto, the largest city in the north of the country,
