It had been several months since I last packed my bags and raced off to explore another destination around the world. I had considered multiple paths including working remotely from somewhere in Europe for a month. Ultimately, the decision was made when my company mandated a week a leave for US based employees. So I set off and found a great deal for a 6 Night stay in Portugal with stops in Lisbon and Porto. Naturally, with a few tweaks I made this a wonderful sprint around Portugal.
My journey started in Lisbon and in a similar twist of fate to my trip to South Korea, I was welcome with a live concert in the square. Music transcends language barriers; while I didn’t comprehend every word, I found the music and crowd experience inviting after a long day of travel. On my first full day in Lisbon I made it a priority to walk around all the major landmarks. What is truly amusing when in Europe is how google maps stresses the walking directions as relatively flat. I assure you when you see this, just laugh and look at the steep inclines in your path. If walking isn’t your preferred means, Uber is alive and well in Lisbon. Some of the great sites I visited in Lisbon include:
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Miradouro de Santa Luzia
- Jerónimos Monastery
- Belém Tower
- Monument to the Discoveries
For my second day I hired a driver on ToursbyLocal for a tour out to Sintra with stops at Queluz National Palace, National Palace of Pena and concluded with a stop at Miradouro do Cabo da Roca which is the western most point of Europe. The immersion of history which unfolded on this day was spectacular. From the stroll around the Queluz Palace and learning about the feud between brothers on the various philosophies of leadership which led to modern day Portugal to the beautiful architecture at the Pena Palace, there was no moment where I was not humbled to be where I was.
After 3 days in Lisbon, it was finally time to head north so I packed my bags and heading for the train station. After a 3 hour journey through the country side and down the coast, I made it to undoubtedly my favorite place in Portugal. Porto is a majestic port city in the north of Portugal which offered a smaller footprint than Lisbon, with just as much history packed in. Relaxation was the only feeling I felt each night while overlooking the Douro River. If you find yourself in Porto, I highly recommend walking to Jardim do Morro which is the hill top park near the cable cars. Get there early enough as many locals and visitors setup picnics to enjoy the sunsets over the water.
On my second day in Porto I had ventured out on another private tour to Braga and the surrounding areas. My first stop of the day was the beautiful Bom Jesus do Monte which is pictured below. Walking up these steps toward the cathedral was not on a great morning workout but was also a peaceful journey through history. From the architecture to the statues, there was history all around which influenced many other locations around Portugal. It’s no wonder why so many weddings are held here at this location.
After leaving Bom Jesus do Monte, I made my way into the town of Braga which had completed a festival the day before. So while the hustle and bustle was missing, the decorations were still up which made for an inviting walk through the town. My stay was brief though, after lunch i made my way back out of the city and towards Guimarães Castle and the Ducal Palace of the Braganza. For the latter, it was nice to walk the halls and stand where so many before me have stood, sadly though the Palace was not kept fully original as it was used as the Presidential Residence in the 1900’s. Can’t blame them though, I would likely need the extra heat from the installed fireplaces as well.
My last full day in Portugal was a fun day trip to two differing places, each offering their own unique traits. The first stop was Coimbra, which was a few hours by train from Porto. After a brief uber from the train station in style (Tesla), I was dropped off on the bridge outside of town where I captured the photo below. I thoroughly enjoyed this city. Though walking from the bridge to the top of the hill where the university sits was quite exhausting. Then if that wasn’t a glutton for punishment, I then chose to climb the clock tower to get a full panoramic view of the city and surrounding area. The stairwell up was one-way and while I did hit my head on the concrete steps a few times, the views at the top were worth it. Coimbra University is the oldest universities in Portugal and also designated as a World Heritage site.
After leaving Coimbra, I headed back towards Porto with a stop in Aveiro or what some called “the Venice of Portugal”. As someone who has been to Venice Italy, this was not a fair comparison by any means. Don’t get me wrong, it had canals, it had its own architecture and had a great boardwalk by the sea to walk around. However, the modernization around the canals took away that ambiance that I come to appreciate in other locations. That said, Aveiro is very walkable and offered a great stop to break up the train route to Porto. As an added bonus, I was able to immerse myself with the locals and watch some of the football matches that were ongoing at the time. Though I saved the Portugal match for when I returned to Porto!
Overall, my trip to Portugal was everything I hoped it would be. Great culture, cuisines, architectures and history. The bonus of my trip was the people I met along the way that shared their life briefly with me during my stay. There’s always more to explore in each country I visit so I know I will be back one day.
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