Does anyone dream of going to Portugal? As a European travel enthusiast, I had heard that Portugal was a great place to travel. People seem to enjoy the food and the cities look beautiful. But what is Portugal even famous for? Being next to Spain?
To be completely honest, I decided to visit Portugal partially because 1) I wanted to go to Europe again and 2) there was a group trip with G Adventures that lined up with my schedule. So, I set off on a trip from Lisbon to Porto hoping it would live up to my other European adventures. (Spoilers: it did.)
Looking Around Lisbon
I arrived to Lisbon on a sunny morning, and my first impression was that it’s a great city for walking. It’s compact, the architecture is beautiful, and there are distinct neighborhoods that make it easy to navigate. The central Baixa neighborhood is set up on a grid, with wide streets of mosaic cobblestones between the colorful buildings.
After taking some time to explore the city, I headed out to one of Lisbon’s most famous sights: the Jerónimos Monastery. King Manuel I built this monastery to commemorate the accomplishments of Vasco da Gama and his voyage to India that kicked off Portugal’s age of discovery. The monastery has one of the coolest architectural styles you’ve never heard of, Manueline, which was a unique riff on the gothic style. It was also pretty packed with tourists. Despite the crushing crowds, I was happy to stroll the ornate stone arches and murals of painted tile.
Though Lisbon has many fantastic buildings, one of the “must see” attractions for me was the aquarium. Yes, I am a huge nerd. The Lisbon Oceanarium is a world-class aquarium built around an incredible 1.3 million gallon exhibit that really makes you feel like you’re seeing the open ocean. Sharks glide by the two-story windows while schools of fish dance around in the distance. I could have spent all day there.
Want to know the best things to do in Lisbon? Check out my guide here.
Food Tours and Fado
Soon it was time to join up with my tour group and continue the adventure. We got to do some sightseeing in Lisbon together, and I split from the group to go on a food tour. Food tours are always a great way to cover a lot of cuisine in a short time. And this one had a glass of wine at each stop, so I say it was time well spent!
Later the tour group all met up for a dinner at a fado show. Fado is a uniquely Portuguese musical style. It’s usually a singer called a fadista accompanied by guitars, one of which is a special Portuguese guitar that sounds like a mandolin. It’s overall a nostalgic sort of music rooted in old musical traditions.
We enjoyed dinner and some great wine (this may become a theme) before watching the fado group do their thing. The singer began softly but soon filled the room with sound, sometimes closing his eyes with emotion. Even without understanding any Portuguese, it was a moving performance.
On the Road in Portugal
The next day, we loaded into a bus heading north to Coimbra. The great thing about taking a private bus is that you cover a lot of ground quickly. I have to give credit to G Adventures and our tour leader for making it an action-packed day.
Our first stop was a “secret stop” at the small town of Óbidos about an hour from Lisbon. Óbidos is famous for two things: its well-preserved medieval walls and its cherry liqueur known as ginjinha. Both of these things interested me, of course. We went for the ginjinha first, a shot of liqueur served in a little chocolate cup. It was a delightful treat, even at 11:00 am.
Fortified, I headed out to explore the walls of the medieval town. I went past the looming castle and found a stairway up to what looked like the highest part. As I walked along the narrow path, I enjoyed the sweeping views of the countryside while trying not to think about the sheer drop from the walls. In America, I’m sure the authorities would put up some type of safety rope. Not so in Portugal!
After Óbidos, we made a quick detour to the seaside town of Nazaré. It was basically a photo stop, but the view was worth it. Looking over the Atlantic Ocean from hundreds of feet above was really a “wow” moment.
Next we made our way to Batalha to see its famous monastery. Like Jerónimos Monastery, it features impressive gothic and Manueline stonework. You could definitely film a Harry Potter movie there if you wanted to. The monastery also has important connections to the Portuguese monarchy, but alas, that is too much of a history deep dive even for me.
Coimbra’s Colleges and Cuisine
Our next destination was the city of Coimbra, the home of Portugal’s oldest university. After a day of sightseeing, we were in need of a good dinner.
Fortunately, our tour leader was able to get us a reservation at a local restaurant called Arcada. The restaurant offered a set menu of Portuguese food served tapas-style, which was definitely the right move. They brought out a dish after dish of deliciousness: first a spread of meats and cheeses, then cod with chickpeas, then pork in a red sauce. The finale was whole fried sardines served on a little boat.
The next day, it was time to explore the historic university. A group of us walked up through the botanical gardens, which included a surprisingly large bamboo forest. The botanical garden is part of the university and has lots of trees from around the world.
The university itself has the architecture of a royal palace, with grand gates and rows of columns. I stepped into the university chapel to find an incredible space covered in azulejo tiles and gilded woodwork.
The highlight of the university is its ornately decorated baroque library. Remember the scene from Beauty and the Beast with the library? That’s what the Joanina Library looks like: bookshelves over two stories tall and topped with golden decorations. The wood panels and huge desks are painted with hundreds of tiny scenes. And the library houses a collection of rare books began by King João V back to the 1700s!
Time in Coimbra seemed to move in fast-forward, with scarcely enough time to explore the winding cobblestone streets or stroll along the river. It was a reminder of how much I enjoy visiting smaller cities when I’m traveling.
Porto’s Perfect Views
After Coimbra, it was time to take the train north to Porto, the second city of Portugal. We arrived via Porto’s famous São Bento train station. We left the platforms and entered a hall completely wrapped in azulejo tiles, pausing before we made our way into the busy scene outside.
Porto definitely has a vibe. It’s beautiful, with architecture that rivals Lisbon. But it feels slightly rough around the edges and not as ready made for tourism as the capital. Walking around the hilly streets, it feels like you’re always discovering something new.
And then there’s the bridge. The Dom Luís I Bridge is a huge two-level span across the Duoro River that looks like it was inspired by the Eiffel Tower. Which, it sort of was: the bridge was designed by one of Eiffel’s proteges and completed in 1886. Views from the bridge are mesmerizing, with the river and Porto’s old town curving into the distance. You just have to watch out for the trams that run across the top level!
On the other side is a park where people gather to watch the sunset, and that’s exactly what our group did. I bought a beer from a random vendor and kicked back to enjoy the scene of glowing evening light and the sound of a singer/guitarist belting out 90s classics.
Wanna plan your own trip to Porto? Check out my travel guide here.
Spirits and “Spiritus”
Porto doesn’t have a lot of blockbuster sights, but the thing it’s most famous for is port wine. We went on a tour and tasting at one of the wine lodges to check it out. They explained how winemakers take locally made wine and add a neutral alcohol called aguardente to stop fermentation and leave plenty of sugar behind. The result, after a bit of aging in barrels, is a sweet wine that’s packed with flavor.
After doing some non-wine sightseeing, one of my favorite spots was the Clérigos Tower. The bell tower of Clérigos Church rises high above Porto, and it only takes a couple hundred steps to reach the impressive viewpoint at the top.
While visiting, the tower I was surprised to see that the church puts on a nightly immersive, multimedia light show. Obviously I had to check that out. Called “Spiritus,” the show illuminates the old church sanctuary with projection mapping video and lights. Baroque columns are transformed into pillars of light while multicolored lasers shoot from above the altar! It might be the most spectacular show in Porto.
Final Thoughts
So what have we learned from this trip to Portugal? I think it showed me (or reminded me?) that travel doesn’t have to be about bucket-list sights like the Eiffel Tower or the Vatican. It can be just as worthwhile without them.
To me, visiting Portugal was magical because of the hundreds of little travel moments put together. A glass of port wine, a perfectly cooked sardine, a beautiful wall of azulejo tiles, a heartfelt song.
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