Portugal

Visiting

Portugal can be accessed via train and car from Spain, and by air into the major airports of Lisbon,  Oporto, Madeira and the Azores. The major airlines flying are TAP,  British Airways, Lufthansa and the US carriers United, Delta and American Airlines

Stopping over = 

What to do/see on a stopover?

Portugal should be on everyone’s bucket list. Whether you can only stop for a few days or plan to spend a couple of weeks there is so much to see, explore, eat and drink you won’t be disappointed.

Despite being on the Euro it is surprisingly inexpensive to live and eat well. What to do with a week or more?

Spend at least 3 or 4 days in Lisbon and the surrounding areas.

• Explore Lisbon on foot – an eating walking tour is a great way to learn about the food and the city.
• Don’t miss the Alfama, riding the trams, definitely visit the Time Out Market – eat there any time of day and you won’t be disappointed, many of the top chefs have stalls.
• Drop in and listen to some Fado music
• Enjoy the superb food – pasteis de nata, incredible seafood and shellfish. Even the coffee is delicious
• Taste wines – not just Port but also the Ginja (sour cherry wine that is delicious and unique) from Obidos and light and delicious Vino Verde and some well made reds from the Duoro. Sweet Moscatel from
• Go north to Sintra to see the fabulous Palacio de Pena . If you can, stop Estoril and Cascais, in the latter visit the Museum Conde Castro de Guimaraes  it’s quite amazing  – see right.

Destination ( 1 week +) ? = 

Having explored the city of Lisbon and its environs for a few days, when you have longer there is so much to see!

Go north

• Sintra if you didn’t do a day trip. See the castle, walk the little town. Eat pastries on the square. There are some great seafood restaurants on the way.
• Obidos to see the spectacular Moorish castle and buy Ginja
• Porto – a beautiful city with a marvelous history, great food, a romantic setting and of course the wine. Walk around,  see the library/oldest bookshop in the world – it’s quite spectacular. Take a river cruise. Go wine tasting.

Go south

• Setubal for wine
• The Algarve for beautiful beaches
• Cork forests and see the dolphins around Sines
• Faro, the capital of the Algarve. A good base for exploring the surrounding areas, which include golf courses galore and small fishing villages.

The Islands – Azores and Madeira

• Spectacular vistas
• Great surfing
• Interesting hikes
• Fabulous wines (Maderia)

What to eat and drink

The food in Portugal is fantastic – see a bit more in 10,000 calories in Lisbon-  personally I think it’s far better than Spanish cuisine (Anthony Bourdain agreed!) In addition to the foods I note below, try the curries (think Goa) North African and Arab street foods.

Seafood

• Bacalhau (cod) prepared multiple ways: bacalhau con natas includes cream or bacalhau à bras with onions, potatoes and egg are good starting points
• Turbot, sea bass and sea bream (Dourada)
• Shell fish not to be missed include clams and the strange local delicacy Percebes aka goose barnacles.  Percebes are strange little crustaceans, harvested from the wild, tasting of seaweed and very expensive. An acquired taste!
• Arroz de Marisco, similar to Seafood Paella
• If you eat Octopus it’s delicious here
• Sardines – freshly grilled and served on bread by street vendors, accompanied by Sangria, was my favorite preparation.

Meats

• Pata Negra aka Iberian ham.  Produced from black pigs, the best is from pigs fed on acorns ( I saw some of them foraging when I was riding!)  and is usually black labeled. Absolutely delicious, available from many restaurants and in the Time Out market.
• Bife – beef sliced thin and usually fried, often served with an egg.
• Chouriço and Linguiça are similar to chorizo
• Morcela is blood sausage, apparently very good if you like that type of thing

Pastries/desserts

• Pasteis de nata – personally these tasty little pastries and an espresso are perfect for breakfast, dessert, mid afternoon pick me up and evening fortification. My favorite baker was the Manteigaria on Rua de Lorento not the touristy one in Belem.
• Travesseiro de Sintra. A puff pastry with egg, almond cream, sugar and spice , served with whipped cream.
• Molotov – a light and airy meringue, made in a bundt tin – finished with caramel. (very easy to make at home)
• Gelato- the Portuguese make fabulous gelato.

Drinking

• Ginja de Óbidos – sour cherry liqueur – the Mariquinhas brand was my favorite
• There are lots of wine bars in Lisbon and Porto so you can go tasting.
  • Vino Verde from Minho (region) and red from the Douro, Alentejo and Bairrada. Most whites are light and fresh, most reds are quite robust.
  • Ports – Tawny, ruby, vintage, colheitas from every shipper and vintner. Everyone has their favorite, your palate, budget and interest will help you determine which one’s to drink there and which ones to bring home.

What to bring home:

• Ginja de Óbidos – get the bottles with the cherries in the bottom. Drink neat, or pour on ice-cream
• Cork items – handbags, wallets, purses baseball hats, umbrellas, shoes. Cork for wine bottles comes from 40 year old trees. Cork is harvested every 9 years, the bark  from younger trees is used for clothing, accessories, floors and furniture. Handbags come with leather and vegan trim.
• Wines – Port, white and red – see above
• Canned fish – believe me, they are quite delicious, and some have very pretty packages, so you can gift them.
• Tiles – the tile art is everywhere, floors, walls, ceilings. There are many shops you can buy from and street fairs also seem to have a large supplies

What you should know before you go

• Lisbon is a vibrant city. Families are out socializing together until well after midnight.
• Lisbonites are all slender, how is this possible in a city that has so many superb restaurants, cafes and stalls/kiosks?
• Buskers set up in many of the squares, they are remarkably good and you can sit and enjoy a coffee or wine/beer from the kiosks while you listen
• Saint days in both Porto and Lisbon are huge celebrations – check the calendar, though June is a key month.
• It’s dog friendly, but no poo anywhere – there are even watering troughs provided.
• The little pavers are beautiful but quite slippery and could wreck an ankle, wear flats or sneakers.
• Some of the streets get a bit whiffy in the afternoon.
• There are more sushi bars than anyone can imagine: I’m told Arigato was a derivative of Obrigado- true or false, I don’t know.
• There are 7 hills, but they aren’t as steep as SF.
• All the streets created after the quake are wide and straight, designed to enable water to flow quickly, with minimal damage, if another tsunami hits – luckily untested during my visit.
• Many old buildings are being refurbished, Lisbon is booming. Even the Chiado Palace is now a foodie concept, with an acclaimed sushi bar and 6 other cuisines.
• All the races and cultures blend; Indians have been here since Portugal ‘ran’ Goa, the Arabs date back to the moors, Germans, Africans French, Italian, Swedish, and of course Britain, I’ve heard dozens of languages spoken in just one day.