Exploring the Best of Portugal: From Porto to Lisbon

When I was six months pregnant, my husband and I decided to sneak in one last adventure before our baby boy arrived. As you know, we’re definitely not all-inclusive or sunshine and beach type travelers, so as relaxing as lying on the beach and reading a book sounded, we knew we would’ve been bored. What I really wanted to do was visit Eastern Europe, the trip that would’ve-been but was canceled because of COVID. I wasn’t sure what my energy level was going to be like. In the end, we decided to go to Portugal. We haven’t stepped foot in Europe since Italy in 2015 and I knew I wanted to go back.

Portugal was a great option for us in Toronto, with a direct flight under 8 hours and I promised myself I would make it a laidback trip (my version at least). The first thing we did after deciding to visit Portugal, was to get Rick Steves’ Guidebook and referenced a lot of the tours his company offers.

I can’t say enough great things about Portugal, the food, the culture, the people! Even the weather in early March was near perfect. It was around 15-20°C, mostly sunny with a gentle breeze. We met the sweetest, kindest people (except for the pickpocketer) on our travels.

Portugal Travel Itinerary

3 Days in Porto

Porto, the little sister of Lisbon, is like a smaller version of its more famous sibling, with the added charm of being incredibly walkable. Sure, it’s got its fair share of hills, but even at 7 months pregnant, I was determined to explore every nook and cranny, racking up an 20,000 steps each day to soak in the city’s enchanting vistas.

Day 1 – Since we took an overnight flight, we arrived in Porto bright and early at 8 am. For the first time ever, I incorporated a nap into our itinerary. I designed a stroll that would keep us close to our hotel, allowing me to return at any time for a rest. Chic & Basic Gravity was centrally located, offering spacious and comfortable rooms. We could easily reach all the attractions on foot from the hotel. On Day 1, we explored the town and indulged in all the pastel de nata we could find.

Day 2 – We decided to join a walking tour to familiarize ourselves with the city. Specifically, we opted for the Porto Walker‘s Classical Walking Tour, which is known for covering all the key stops and comes highly recommended by Rick Steves. Although these tours are labeled as ‘free,’ it’s strongly encouraged to provide gratuity. The tour lasted for 3 hours and included around 15+ people, and even though it might seem like a large group, it still managed to feel quite personal. Our guide, a local graduate, was exceptionally informative and shared intricate details about each site. After the tour concluded in the Ribeira quarter, we made our way across the Luís I Bridge to catch the sunset, with Carl enjoying some roasted chestnuts along the way.

Day 3 – For breakfast, Carl insisted that we visit the Imperial McDonald’s, which is touted as the fanciest McDonald’s in the world, complete with a crystal chandelier. Afterwards, as we became more familiar with Porto, we made stops at the attractions we had wanted to explore further while passing by during the walking tour. This included the Igreja dos Carmelitas Descalços (Church) and the Clerigos Church and Tower. However, when I looked up at the tower, I decided that I wasn’t going to make the climb (lol). It reminded us of the time when we were 27 and climbed 1,000 steps in a day while exploring Florence. Needless to say, we’ve mellowed a bit since then.

1 Day in Nazaré (Batalha Enroute)

Day 4 – We decided to drive from Porto to Lisbon and chose Nazare as a midway point. But before that, we also made a stop in Batalha to visit the Monastery of Santa Maria. Rick Steves’ book recommended it as a must-see, and it certainly lived up to the hype! The intricate design details and the peacefulness of the area made the visit well worth it.

Nazare is renowned for its 100-foot waves and is also a beautiful coastal town with stunning views and numerous local restaurants. Even though it rained during the one day we were there, we still took a walk around and enjoyed the scenic beauty. For dinner, we opted for a local restaurant and finally had the opportunity to savor their traditional sardine dish.

4 Days in Lisbon

Day 5 – The drive from Nazare to Lisbon is approximately 2 hours, and with stops along the way, the only activity we managed to squeeze in was a visit to Oceanário de Lisboa. We didn’t have any particular expectations for our aquarium visit, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the, “Forests Underwater by Takashi Amano”, exhibit there, and we absolutely loved it! Afterwards, we checked into the hotel and decided to explore a local market. But within a mere 15 minutes of being at the market, I realized that my wallet had been stolen. I had been extremely cautious, keeping my hand on my purse at all times, but in a split second, someone managed to snatch my wallet. We immediately returned to the hotel, and the staff there were incredibly helpful. They guided me through the necessary steps and even called the police on my behalf. The officers who arrived were exceptionally kind and recommended that I file a police report in the morning, which would be necessary to claim insurance from my credit card.

Day 6 – Since we had a car and it was a rainy day, we decided to visit Quake. Quake is a museum and immersive space dedicated to the 1755 earthquake that dramatically reshaped the landscape of Lisbon. It featured several rooms that replicated the sensations of major earthquakes from around the world, as well as a theater that recreated the interior of a church during the 1755 earthquake. As someone who loves museums and enjoys learning about historical events, I found it to be a perfect rainy day activity. Afterward, we made our way to Pastéis de Belém. We initially started with just one tart each but somehow ended up leaving with six (because Carl has no self-control, lol). I must admit, this was the best Pastéis de Belém we’ve tried out of the six places we’ve visited. Later in the afternoon, the clouds cleared, and we ventured to St. George Castle to catch the sunset from the top after returning the car. Our suggestion would be return the car before even getting into Lisbon.

Day 7 – This marked our first full day in Lisbon, and similar to our approach in Porto, we joined a walking tour to help us get acquainted with the city. This time, we opted for a paid tour with Inside Lisbon (there’s a discount code in Rick Steves’ guidebook). Perhaps I was a bit tired from the previous days of walking, but this tour turned out to be quite extensive, and by the end, I could hardly keep up – but it was worth it! The sun was out, the weather was beautiful and we explore numerous parts of Lisbon. Afterwards, we walked over to the Time Out Market for lunch. It was extremely busy and we didn’t think it was worth it, so we went to a local restaurant to devour another bifana.

Day 8 – On our last day in Lisbon, the weather forecast the night before predicted heavy rain. Instead of heading to Sintra, we opted for an indoor activity and visited an art museum. Personally, I didn’t find it worthwhile, and to top it off, it didn’t even rain in the end!! Everyone had told us that Sintra is a must-see, so we regret missing out, but we’ll definitely give it a try next time! Instead, we decided to revisit a few places from the day before and had dinner at Maria Catita (highly recommended).

General Thoughts

Portugal is a very walkable city and great for any types of traveler.
Buy Rick Steves’ guidebook to help you plan out your walk based on attractions, food and vicinity.
You absolutely do not need a car. In hindsight, it would’ve been more convenient taking the train between the different cities. Or we should’ve returned the car a day earlier.
Like anywhere else, the weather was hard to predict. It called for rain everyday but it really only rained twice.
Porto and Lisbon’s weather in March at the time we went was like a Toronto spring.

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