8 great places to visit in Portugal

WHEN SKYSCANNER gave me free reign to explore Portugal as much as I could with a modest budget of 350 Euros for flights, I didn’t know where to begin.

Porto seemed to be a choice location since it was where a majority of my travel blogger friends were headed for a convention in early September. From there I placed my itinerary in the hands of the travel gods, or more specifically, in the hands of Skyscanner’s sleek search engine.  

And so it began, one of my favorite games to play, a sort of real-life ‘choose your own adventure’, as I sat for about an hour adding various Portuguese destinations to my tour based solely on where it was cheapest to fly. The end result was six different flights to four different parts of the country: Porto, Faro, Madeira, and Lisbon.  

From there I decided I would just wing it once I arrived, gypsy style, and hope that things would fall into place in terms of seeing as much as I could from these points. What I didn’t anticipate was how easily it would all fall into place and just how much I would come to love this humble country of almost 11 million people hanging out on the edge of Europe.

Portugal truly has it all: a fascinating history, such welcoming people, a hip capital, gorgeous national parks in the north, sexy beaches in the south, a chain of subtropical islands out in the Atlantic, and oh yes, it’s cheap!

I’d really like to take this opportunity to thank Skyscanner for such a great adventure and most importantly, for introducing me to one of my new favorite places in the world. Meet Portugal!

1. Porto

Porto is where this trip all began; it’s where I had my first taste of Portugal. I instantly fell in love with its shabby chic exterior and was amazed by the friendliness of the people. Little did I know this was just a precursor for what was to come.

2. Faro

Faro is an excellent starting point for exploring the Algarve. There are no actual beaches in the city, you need to take a water taxi or bus to get to them, but it does have a lovely port and impressive old town (Cidade Velha).
 

3. Portimão

Just a little over an hour away from Faro by train is Portimão. This is where I ended up basing myself during my time in the Algarve and where I thoroughly stuffed myself with the most delectable seafood I’ve had in a long time. Out of all the towns I visited in the south, this one felt like it was the most geared towards package holidaymakers. There isn’t much to see in the way of sights but Praia da Rocha, its most popular beach, more than made up for that with its seemingly endless stretch of golden sand.
 

4. Sagres

Forty kilometers away from Portimão is Sagres, the most south-western point in Europe. There are several buses throughout the day that can transport you back and forth but to get out to Cape St. Vincent and some of its beaches, a rented car or taxi is the best way to go. Sagres is the spot in the Algarve where you come to surf and feel small. Peering out over the end of the world, literally on the edge of Europe, was one of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had.
 

5. Lagos

I’m not the first, nor certainly the last to have been won over by Lagos. It’s in between Sagres and Portimão, so also easily accessible by public transportation. Lagos really packs quite a punch for its small size in terms of beautiful beaches and vigorous nightlife. It was definitely my favorite spot in the Algarve and a place I could definitely see myself staying for an entire summer (though not sure how much I would actually get done!).
 

6. Madeira

Out of all the stops I made while in Portugal, Madeira was the one I was surprised by the most. I knew it was an island, but had no idea how much it would feel more like a tropical island somewhere in the Caribbean than southern Europe. Its capital Funchal is quite cosmopolitan for island standards yet take a drive about 30 minutes to the north and you will find yourself in the middle of a UNESCO-protected laurel forest.
 

7. Lisbon

Lisbon is one of the sexiest capitals I have visited. Built on seven hills and situated on the Tagus, you can imagine just what kind of gorgeous views you can find around the city at any hour of the day. Taking a ride on Tram 28 is the perfect introduction to Lisboa - just make sure you get on early as these things get packed! I was lucky to have stayed in the heart of Alfama where I managed to acquire a Portuguese grandmother within a period of five days. Though she didn’t speak a word of English nor I Portuguese, I forged some kind of bond with the lady living downstairs from me that I can only hope will be rekindled somewhere down the line.
 

8. Sintra

An easy day trip from Lisbon is over to Sintra – a hilltop town that looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Pena Castle is by far the most attention-grabbing with its pastel colors and dreamlike architecture. Oh, to have been a Portuguese queen!
 

Read about many more of Larissa's travels and admire more of her iphoneography on her blog, The Blonde Gypsy.