“One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
From my pervious post, it was clear to see how much my husband and I enjoyed Portugal. For the second half of our vacation we went on day trips as well as stayed in smaller locations, while ending off in Portugal’s second largest city, Porto.
Obidos (1 night)
What to do: Obidos is a beautiful town to just simply walk around and admire the views, flowers, and array of colours. The only major attraction is the town itself, which includes walking along the top of the castle walls. Another must-do is to take a shot of their local cherry liqueur called ginja out of a chocolate shot glass.
Where to stay: I really recommend trying to stay within the castle walls if possible, making the Obidos experience more worthwhile. I wouldn’t stay more than one night unless the town is used as a base for day trips. Our Air B&B was especially nice due to its pool and views of the castle (and yes, I ate the fruit off the tree).
Where to eat: Like Evora, Obidos shuts down pretty early. Luckily, we found a great restaurant that was open later – Jamon Jamon. Drinking one last glass of ginja for the night was essential at Bar Ibn Errik Rex.
Santa Cruz (1 night)
What to do: We stopped at Santa Cruz beach on the way to the nearby resort we were stay at. The best, and really only thing to do here, is go and enjoy the beach. The waves were some of the biggest I had ever seen!
Where to stay: We stayed at possibly the most magical place – Areias do Seixo. Located steps away from the ocean, this secluded resort was hospitable, gorgeous, and definitely memorable.
Where to eat: For lunch we ate near the beach at Noah, where I enjoyed one of the best seafood risottos I have ever eaten. For dinner, we opted to eat at the hotel’s restaurant, and it did not disappoint.
Coimbra (2 nights)
What to do: On the way to Coimbra we stopped at two monasteries, Alcobaca and Batalha. While both were beautiful, to be honest, visiting one was enough. I think I preferred Alcobaca because it was less crowded, and holds the tombs of two royal figures who had a tragic love story. In the city of Coimbra, it was enjoyable to wander the streets, catch a fado performance, and visit its famed university. The university grounds contain one of the most magnificent libraries I have ever seen, stunning views, a chapel, and a zoological museum.
Where to stay: Every morning I was fortunate to wake up to the sounds of fado, where medical students performed on the street of our Air B&B apartment. The location was ideal, being situated in the centre of the old town, and only a 10 minute walk to the university.
Porto (3 nights)
What to do: As said in my introduction, Porto is Portugal’s second largest city. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be busier than Lisbon, but it was! There are a lot more tourists in Porto, and I think that’s because all the sights are within a smaller area. A piece of advice – bring comfortable shoes and be aware there’s a lot of uphill walking (maybe even more than Lisbon). The city is an attraction in itself, but I do recommend visiting its beautiful train station, Bolsa Palace, and crossing Dom Luis Bridge to catch some spectacular views at sunset. The famed bookstore, Livraria Lello was ridiculously crowded, but nice to see. We did take a day trip to the Duoro Valley while in Porto, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. We booked a tour that picked us up in Porto, drove us to the Duoro Valley, which included two vineyard visits, all to see the incredible scenery and to of course learn about and taste Portuguese wine and port.
Where to stay: The location of our Air B&B apartment was perfect, being right around the corner of the train station. I say this because it was very central, almost like it was the middle ground between walking downhill to the riverfront, and uphill to other attractions, including the shopping district.
Where to eat: By the end of our time in Portugal, Brandon and I were both craving Asian flavours, so we opted for Japanese twice. Our meal at Shiko had amazing crispy chicken, while Domo had, in my opinion, better sushi. We also had a tasty lunch at Miss Pavlova and great pasta dishes at A despensa, while we ended our trip by eating the artery clogging francesinha sandwich at Cervejaria Brasão Aliados.
I hope you enjoyed my Portugal travel guide! Cheers!
