Portugal: 12 Things to Know Before Visiting

Benagil Caves

I Was In Portugal For 20 Days and These Are The Best Of Awards

I came to Portugal to see why tons of people are not only vacationing here, but moving here too. This country's promise of a more affordable vacation and simple lifestyle has attracted tons of expats to relocate. What’s the buzz about?

“You know why the Portuguese are so friendly? Because our people are explorers. Our ancestors are explorers. We are open to all people and welcome everyone.”

— Said my first taxi driver

I gave myself 20 days to become an explorer myself. I geared up with an itinerary that covered Portugal from top to bottom. It started with a G Adventures Discover Portugal group tour. After that, my bestie from NYC joined me for a road trip. We Thelma and Louised it down the coast of Portugal in a rental car. With our Madonna playlists and junk food, there’s nothing better than girlfriend time. My trip ended with week by myself to soak it all in… Here’s what I found out.

Prepare

Most people can enjoy a free visa and travel as part of the Schengen Area agreement and stay up to 6 months. If flying on TAP air, they’re super strict with luggage sizes. I saw lots of people re-arranging bags at the check in line to avoid extra fees.

First Impressions

Long lines at airport immigration in Lisbon. Ninety minutes standing long. There was a literal sea of people from all over the world waiting to be let inside. Hearing so many different languages spoken in one place made it feel like I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, this is exciting to a traveler. Taxi and Uber areas were well marked and cost less than $20 to get to Lisbon.

Portugal’s Best Of Awards

In no particular order…

Best People Watching: Lisbon street cafes. A shopkeeper sent me to, A Tentacao restaurant for lunch. It’s near Lisbon’s waterfront area. It felt like an insider’s peek into daily life. As people came in, they were greeted by name like the bar on Cheers. The salad was fresh and the wine was generous. I went back several times.

Best Excursion #1: This one’s about the soul of Portugal and her connection with the sea. It’s the sardine factory tour at Pinhais Cannery & Co. (Porto area) Go even if you don’t like sardines. Promise, this tour is so good. You go inside the working factory, meet Portuguese workers who have immense pride in the fishing industry.The tour ends with a tasting that might surprise you.

Best Excursion #2: Sintra, specifically Pena Palace. Go early and avoid the lines to see the famous castle. Here you can imagine Rapunzel’s hair flowing from a princess's turret. This place is straight out of a fairytale. Its mixture of towers painted different colors high atop a hill with views of the sea and is worthy of your time.

Best Excursion #3: For an off the beaten path adventure, go cork trekking in Evora. This day was everyone’s favorite in our week long tour with GAdventures. Since you see cork souvenir shops everywhere, you might as well discover why it’s so popular. We did a jeep tour with corktrekking.com and it was top notch. You’ll see the forest up close in a land rover. Did you know that cork can only be harvested, or peeled off a tree, every ten years? Our guide shared personal family stories and best tips for things to do in Lisbon and beyond too.

Cork Trekking

Best Excursion #4: A short walk from Porto, do visit the wine making caves and WOW museums in Villa Nova de Gaia. This brand new attraction has seven museums, restaurants and shops that tell the story of Portugal that I did not see anywhere else.

Best Excursion #5: The ultra famous bookstore in Porto. Nicknamed the Harry Potter bookstore, the actual name is Livaria Lello. If you’re visiting in season and crowds bother you, skip it. It was shoulder to shoulder crowded in July, but oh so cool. It’s 100% worth it to get a priority ticket for EUR16 to skip the line. The fast pass includes the purchase of one of their beautiful books like Romeo and Juliet. Be careful of fast pass scams websites. The official ticket website is here.

Favorite City Award: Porto. The enchanting riverfront city that’s a three hour train from Lisbon. It dates back centuries with narrow streets and iconic bridges over the Douro river. Do take a river cruise to fully experience the ambiance of Porto.

Porto

Best Private Guide Award: WOW Guide Algarve. Discover the secret spots of the Algarve beach region with a VIP excursion. Contact the owner and she’ll create a custom itinerary based on what you want. Do include the picnic on the cliffs too!

Prettiest Seaside Village Award: Cascais. Not far from Lisbon. The joke is this place is called cash cash. Royalty from all over the world built vacation homes here. The town is easily walkable and wins for her beauty. Great food trucks along the sea too.

Cascais

Favorite Hotel Award: The Rebello on Porto’s riverbank. Don’t let their modern vibe deter you. I stayed in ten hotels in Portugal and this one takes the prize for authenticity and hospitality. If you’re looking to feel the soul of Portugal, it is here. If you can’t stay, go to their rooftop bar for the views and sophisticated cocktails.

Best Meal Award: There’s a countrywide obsession with Codfish. No trip here is complete without trying it.The best cod I had was at Solar do Bacalhau. It would be a shame not to go here for the experience. It was my favorite meal in Portugal! Careful, some have bones in the fish. Go here after visiting the famous University of Coimbra. It’s located between Lisbon and Porto. Melt in your mouth delicious.

The National Dish - Codfish

Best Wine: Vinho Verde - AKA green wine. It’s really a dry white wine. It’s light with a tiny fizz and only made in Portugal. I am obsessed with it and hoping to find it at home. Ask for the house wine at all restaurants. Portuguese are masters at wine making. In fact, the wine lists are often longer than the food lists.

10 Things to Know Before Visiting

1. Siesta time is real. Many shops and restaurants close between the hours of 3-6pm. (except for touristy stuff) Nighttime in the cities stay alive until the wee hours.

2. Super slippery streets. The first thing I noticed in Lisbon were the pretty designs of black and white in the cobblestone streets. Little squares in zig zag and squiggly patterns. Second thing I noticed was how slippery they were. Those little squares are worn down! The tread on my Skecher sandals wasn’t going to cut it. On day two, I sought out the Merrell shoe store for cobble-worthy shoes. I’m talking about deep tread. Instant fix.

3. Custard tarts. Pasteis de nata. A puff pastry food obsession. I found these nice, but overrated. I kept trying them in different shops, really wanting to love them. They all tasted the same and I love custard. As a gal who tries to watch calories, I’d rather spend my food budget on their luscious bread and fresh seafood.

4. Fado music was meh. My opinion only. It felt like a sad country music opera. While the talent of the musicians was undeniable, it wasn’t the vibes I wanted on vacation. Chances are that if you don’t understand Portuguese, you’ll have no idea what they are singing about either. Know that the theme of Fado music is supposed to be about longing and melancholia.

5. Cold waters. The ocean temperature at the Algarve beaches is icy cold. Hotel pools were chilly too. This was in July. This is not the med but the Atlantic Ocean.

6. Average Costs. Prices at attractions, hotels and restaurants seemed only a tad cheaper than other European destinations. Seafood was definitely cheaper, as was Uber rides.

7. No flair, no flowers. The number one, most surprising thing was this: Once outside the lovely historic areas, the architecture changes to a most industrialized look. Austere and simple block buildings in gray and brick. No flair, no flowers. I was in lots of different cities/towns and this was true in all.

8. Inexpensive uber-ing. Great perk! About half the price of USA Uber drivers. They also use an uber-like app called Bolt. They both work.

9. Be careful with renting a car. My two day car rental bill with #Avis came in at $800. While one pays more to drop off in a different location, this is ridiculous. The final bill had extra charges like Portuguese language GPS we did not ask for. Read your contract more carefully than I did. P.S.-While they drive on the same side of the road as USA, expect to pay a lot more for a car without stick shift.

10. Language barrier. Be ready to show your driver your destination on your phone. Chances are good your driver doesn’t speak English. True also of smaller restaurants. Fun to play with Google translate here.

Typical Apartment Building

Algarve Region

Pro Tips

• Book your flight into Lisbon and depart from Porto or vice versa to get the best of both cities.

• Get euros at your bank beforehand for tipping. Check the bill to see if service charges (tips) have already been added.

• Great train system: It’s called, Comboios de Portugal. (CP for short) You’ll need tickets in advance. It’s easy, cheap and fast. Look for the high speed direct routes vs regional to save time.

• Bread, olive and cheese plates the servers bring you without asking, are not free. Called couvert, this is served almost everywhere. Expect to see a few euros per person added to your bill. It’s delicious and cheaper than everyone ordering a starter. Just say no thank you at the start of your meal to deny the extra charges.

• Do try the seafood stew in Lisbon. It’s called Cataplana. You can and should reserve a table at O Arco here.

My Takeaway

I was most impressed with seeing up close Portugal’s contributions to the world of maritime exploration. They practically invented explorer’s vessels and helped create trade routes with India and Asia. Portugal’s history, landscapes, and friendly people undoubtedly left a mark on me.

A common theme I heard amongst the expats was, “we moved here to feel safe and felt welcomed immediately.” While the hospitality workers complained about low wages high food prices, they seemed happy still. Real estate is not low priced anymore, but being one of the sunniest countries in the world, it’s doubtful the influx of tourists and expats will slow down.

For travelers, we know the heart and soul of a place lies in the people who call these places home. Here, the best takeaway is about the people’s generosity. Ask a local for directions, and if they don’t speak English, they’ll find someone who does.