08/09/2023
Planning a trip to Portugal in 2024? Seemingly everyone else is too, as it seems from the various feedback I have when sharing about our summer. So, I thought I’d share what I learnt when planning our summer Portuguese excursion. Save this post for your planning!
✈️ Flying in and out. If you’d like to see both North and South Portugal, I suggest you fly into Porto in the north and out of Faro (with a likely connecting flight in Lisbon back home). This will minimize backtracking and enable you to see more of the country using mostly public transport (outside Algarve/Alentejo where you must have a car).
🇵🇹 You can see tons of what Portugal has to offer in about 10-14 days. If you are ok with going at a very fast pace, you might shave off 3-4 days, but you won’t see me recommending that :)
🧩 Itinerary
📍Spend 3-4 or so days exploring Porto, and then the unique university city of Coimbra with potential stops in Ericeira, Nazare, and Mafra National Palace, as you make your way south.
📍Lisbon can be about 2-3 concentrated days, though it’s feasible to stay longer and not be bored. Build in days to visit Sintra and Cascais for day trips, though Sintra probably deserves 2 days — it’s one of Portugal’s gems.
📍From here, rent a car and spend at least 4 days exploring the south. We skipped Alentejo outside of Evora — but it can offer more affordable beach stays though the water is more choppy/colder on the Atlantic. Generally, the sea gets warmer the closer you are to Spain. There are TONS of delightful towns and villages to visit from but a few mentions here: Sagres, Lagos, Portimao, Faro, and Tavira should probably make the list. Ria Formosa and it’s beach islands too, though I find that you either need more days with smaller kids or…. Bigger kids to make more of the days! Algarve delivers in wonders — here you will find spectacular, clean nature - rugged coastlines with stories to tell, many blue flag beaches, salt marshes and plain amazing days at the sea where water sports of all kinds rule.
Happy planning!
