Portugal popped up on my radar just shortly after moving to Europe. I met a few friends who made trips to multiple cities there and many that often came back saying it is their FAVORITE country by far! And this is coming from some well-traveled friends. So it immediately peaked my interest and became a goal trip of mine since last year. Well, that trip finally happened and now I can also say that Portugal is my favorite as well! Even with some hiccups along the way (You know us Tuggles, there is always something going awry on our trips…) we managed to make some amazing memories in a breathtaking country. Now let’s get to what our little vacay entailed!

What We Did

Ate (and drank) our way through Lisbon on a food & wine tour

No only is this a good way to get the lay of the land, it’s a great way to learn about a country’s culture and overall vibe. I’m a total foodie, so when Casey mentioned doing this tour on night one, I was all in! There are many different types of food tours you can do, but you can check out the tour we took here.

Drove to the coast of Azenhas Do Mar

Y’all, if you have the opportunity to make this drive out to this little village, DO IT! These views were unreal! It’s only about a 45 minute drive from Lisbon and is in the Sintra area, so there is also lots do nearby. This village itself is super tiny, but it’s so charming and you could spend a good hour here just strolling around the streets taking pictures.

Explored Palácio da Pena in Sintra

Palácio da Pena or Pena Palace is just 40 minutes away from Lisbon. You can easily take a train here, but we already had the rental so we decided to drive. Do be prepared for some hilly climbs though!

This castle is so colorful and detailed! Every little turn you take, you discover something so unique and you can really see the amount of work that went into building this place. The park that surrounds it is also so well manicured and serene. You could pack yourself and picnic and have a wonderful afternoon here wandering the garden grounds and then climbing the hill up to the castle. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards for us since Casey was sick this day with a stomach bug. Also because of this, Casey and I didn’t pay to go inside the castle. You have the option to pay for the inside of the castle along with the park entrance, or you can just pay for the park entrance fee. We just paid for the park entrance fee and this was enough for us. We still got to explore many parts of the castle, see the views and the gardens. We also didn’t have to wait in the long line to get inside! Buy your tickets online ahead of time if you can, especially during peak summer months.

Gazed at Belém Tower, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, & Jerónimos Monastery

Belém Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built in the 16th century. It is made of limestone and is super gorgeous in person! And on this day, I was sick and came down with the same stomach bug (a day later) so we opted out of paying to go inside. I was told it’s underwhelming and not worth it, but take that with a grain of salt. The outside is stunning and I didn’t feel like I was missing out by not going in.

Padrão dos Descobrimentos is just down the walkway from Belém Tower and is worth checking out. Once again, the amount of detail that went into this monument just amazed me!

When it came time to check out the Jerónimos Monastery, we were welcomed by another HUGE line. This one wrapped around the building! I desperately wanted to go in, but I wasn’t feeling up to the long wait. I’m not sure if there is a skip-the-line option online, but if there is, I would do it! If the inside is anything like the outside, your money will be well spent.

Listened to Fado

Fado is a Portuguese style of singing that is often very expressive. Most people pay to attend a local show at a restaurant where they pay to both eat and watch the show. We were lucky and had a Fado show right outside of our window. Each night we were able to open up our shutters and listen with a glass of wine and some snacks. It was great!

Got Lost in Alfama

The Alfama district in Lisbon is the oldest district in the city and is known for it’s maze-like, cobbled alleyways and old houses. This happened to be the area we stayed in and I’m glad we did! I really felt like I was experiencing the culture and feel of Portugal. There are so many adorable little shops in this area as well as many good restaurants.

Escaped the Lisbon Escape Hunt

On our last day in Lisbon we unfortunately had some very heavy rain! We did some exploring, but got drenched pretty quickly and who likes being soaking wet? We were looking for something fun to do inside and came across this. We have done one of these before back in the states and enjoyed it very much. This one was super fun as well and was perfect for an inside rainy day activity.

Where We Ate

• Time Out Market – If you have a group that can’t decide on where to eat, go here! This market is a food hall has MANY different food options from some famous restaurants around the city. I know many of our friends ate out here multiple times during their trip!
• Medrosa d’Alfama – This is a little hole-in-the-wall place where I grabbed a quick sandwich. They’re super friendly and the sandwich was delicious! Good for a quick bite.
• Barrio do Avillez – This was my favorite restaurant on the trip! It was recommended by a friend and was delicious. Great small plates, charcuterie, dessert, wine, etc. Reservations recommended.
• Azenhas do Mar Restaurante Piscinas – Lunch/Dinner with an amazing view! Quite expensive, but their seafood is super fresh and yummy.
• Nicolau Lisboa – Go here for breakfast/brunch. Great food, fun atmosphere, good prices… enough said! Try the french toast!

Where We Stayed

As mentioned previously, we stayed in the Alfama district in a teeny tiny flat. Although the flat provided everything we needed, it was VERY tight! The hot water also ran out within 5 minutes or less. I liked the location, but I wouldn’t recommend this place specifically.

I said it before, but I’ll say it again here, Portugal is now my favorite country! And Lisbon is just as spectacular as I pictured it would be. There were many things that Casey and I didn’t get to on our list, but I am so happy with the amount we did get to see and experience on our trip. I am dying to see more! If Portugal isn’t on your travel list, it should be!