This pint-sized country really packs a punch in responsible travel and adventure options. Because of this, it can be a struggle to come up with itineraries for Portugal. So we created this guide to narrow down what you can do in this Mediterranean marvel. Read on as we:
- Answer the most common traveler questions on Portugal
- Review essential information for anyone traveling there
- And provide the best Fun & Earth-Friendly Travel experiences in the entire country
*Note: This extensive guide is for mainland Portugal. The island of Madeira is not included since we didn’t get to visit there.*
Why Visit Portugal
There are a LOT of very excellent reasons to visit Portugal!
Because of the weather, you can comfortably bike or hike for days, or just spend your time strolling castles, surfing waves, and spending evenings listening to live music outside.
Speaking practically, it’s also a (relatively) inexpensive country with great transportation and safety ratings. Let’s start with the need-to-know and common questions on Portugal:
Create the Best Itineraries for Portugal: Basic Travel Information
Cost
Keep in mind Portugal is a cheaper European destination. So it’s not as expensive as England or Germany but is definitely more expensive than spots in Latin America and East Asia.
Some things are in fact cheaper than they are in the USA, like espresso, beer, and wine (God bless Europe!).
Here’s the rule of thumb: if you’re going to do bare-bones budget traveling then you can get by on 40-50 Euros/day. That includes lodging in dormitory hostels, cooking most of your food, and being picky on what activities to do.
If you are going as more of a middle-of-the-road traveler (not budget backpacking but also not luxury travel), budget out 90-110 Euros a day.
Currency
Portugal is part of the Eurozone, so they use the Euro. You may be able to pay your hotel or some services in US dollars, but in general prices and cash are handled in Euros.
The Euro has been slightly stronger than the US dollar for some years now. For reference, in June 2022, 1 USD equaled 0.96 Euros.
Food
Pastries are big in Portugal. Everyone and their mom will tell you to try the “Pastéis de Nata“. And their mom is right!
But seriously. One of these with an espresso was our preferred breakfast! These custard tarts are most popular in and around Lisbon.
Besides for butter and sugar-filled sweets, expect Mediterranean fare with a variety of delicious seafood options. Despite it being a smaller country, each region of Portugal offers local ingredients and specialties.
Portuguese are especially proud of their sardines, olive oil, cheeses and wine.
Cultural Note: The Portuguese don’t dine until late, at least compared to Americans. A couple of times we were exhausted and looking for early dinner around 6pm but nothing was open!
Language
The Portuguese are a very multilingual people! We were able to speak English everywhere we went. Also 10% of Portuguese speak Spanish according to World Atlas.
Still, people appreciate when you at least greet them in their language. Fortunately, as a Romance language, Portuguese is pretty easy to learn.
These are common greetings:
| English | Portuguese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Bem-vindo(a) | baym-VEEN-du(ah) |
| Hello | Olá | OH-lah |
| Good Morning/Day | Bom Dia | bom GEE-a |
| Good Afternoon | Boa Tarde | boa TAHR-gee |
| Good Evening/Night | Boa Noite | boa NOEE-tee |
| See You Later | Até Logo | ah-teh-LOh-gu |
| Bye | Tchau! | TSHAH-u |
| Everything good? | Tudo bem?* | tu-du BAYM? |
| Yes | Sim | seem |
| Please | Por Favor | pohr fa-VOHR |
| Thank You | Obrigado(a) | o-bree-GAH-du(dah) |
| You’re Welcome | De Nada | gee NAH-da |
*Often a person will say “Tudo bem?” immediately after a greeting. While technically it means “everything OK?”, it’s a friendly follow up that doesn’t need anything besides a “sim, obrigado!” as a response. The other person isn’t expecting a big explanation on how your day is going. Unless you really want to share something truly amazing (or terrible) that happened, which of course is ok!
I recommend learning some Portuguese if you have time. It’s a fun language and has more than 200 million native speakers. But with these simple greetings you’ll feel a bit more at home and even impress some people!
Safety
Although every place has its share of crime, Portugal is safer than most countries. Per MacroTrends the crime rate in 2018 (the latest year published) was 0.79 per 100,000 people. That is over 6 times safer than the United States’ crime rate of 4.96 per 100,000 people.
In fact, the Global Peace Index ranked Portugal as the 4th most peaceful country in the world in 2021!
Still, you will stand out as a non-local, and as a tourist the most common threat is getting pickpocketed. So keep your wits about you as you would in any new place.
Transportation
Within Portugal
Public transportation is safe, frequent and inexpensive inside Portugal. There are extensive bus and subway systems in Lisbon and Porto, and the country’s trains connect major cities and even towns like Sintra and the Algarve.
We discovered it wasn’t necessary to buy tickets ahead of time to go to the incredibly popular Sintra or to bus from there to Ericeira. In fact, some local service trains only allow purchase of a ticket at the station.
Our guides for Ericeira, Lisbon, Porto and Sintra provide more information on bus and train routes for those destinations as well as how to get around once you arrive.
To Portugal
Portugal’s train system doesn’t easily connect to the rest of Europe’s. Portuguese rail gauges are a different size because they were built around the time of the French Empire, and the Portuguese didn’t want to make a possible invasion easy.
What does that mean for the modern Napoleonic foot-soldier traveler? It means you have to take a train from Spain to the Algarve or northern Portugal (usually Porto). From there high-speed trains connect you to the rest of the country.
Of course you can also fly to the international airports in Lisbon and Porto.
What to Do in Portugal
We are always looking for fun, responsible options (and love being outside)! And fortunately Portugal offers amazing adventures for Fun & Earth-Friendly Travel.
Without further ado, here are our most-recommend activities for itineraries in Portugal:
Algarve:
The southern beaches of Portugal are beautiful and hug picturesque medieval towns. The downside is that some of these towns are a bit sprawling now, particularly the capital, Faro.
- What to Do: Chill in one of the 16 towns, located in one of the warmest regions in Europe. Eat some epic seafood, visit magnificent shores to catch some waves, and slow down a bit in the beautifully warm Mediterranean climate.
- How to Arrive: Take a train/bus from Spain or a train from Lisbon (2 hrs, 50 minutes)
Arouca Geopark:
Not far from Porto are excellent hiking trails in Paiva Gorge and this Geopark, which features the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world at 516 meters (1,692 feet) long!
- What to Do: Get in some excellent hiking next to the Paiva River and test your fortitude for heights on the suspension bridge! There are also boating opportunities.
- How to Arrive: You can take the Route 9 bus to Sebolido or the Line 15501 train to Recarei-Sobreira. From either Sebolido and Recarei-Sobreira you’ll have to take a taxi to Passadicos do Paiva, which is 7.5m (12km) west of Arouca. If you drive from Porto the 46 mile (74km) trip will take about an hour and a half.
Don’t have a car and don’t want to transfer? Or do you prefer going with someone knowledgeable about the area? Then you can hire a local expert to take you to Paiva.
Camino de Santiago:
It’s not just France and Spain! Although it is a religious pilgrimage trail, today adventurers and lovers of the outdoors also populate the Camino de Santiago.
- What to Do: Portugal’s is the 2nd-most popular Camino at 162-174m (260-280km) long. It actually refers to 3 different paths. One hugs the coastline, another goes inland through small rural towns, and another starts inland before connecting with the coastal route. You can walk or bike either one, and even try out one section at a time. Lodging in towns is normally easy to find, and people are accustomed to Camino travelers.
- How to Arrive: Technically you can start anywhere on the Camino. Most travelers start in Porto, although some start in Lisbon and go north from there. The coastal route hugs the coastline towards Vigo, Spain. From there you’ll go through Pontevedra and arrive at Santiago de Compostela. The Litoral route starts inland then joins the Coastal route. The Central route is the most popular and stays inland, hooking up with the other routes in Redondela, Spain, right before Pontevedra.
For a thorough guide on taking the Camino de Santiago in Portugal, I refer to Stingy Nomads.
Ericeira Surfing:
Just over an hour from Lisbon is a Surf Reserve with dozens of perfect, horseshoe-shaped beaches.
- What to Do: Surf! If you are a newbie, take a lesson and you’ll ride gentler waves in a small class. For extra you can get a private lesson. An overlooked activity is to bike the Lizandro cliffs (book a ride in advance). Or just chill in a pretty beach town, it’s all good.
- How to Arrive: The bus company Malfrense leaves Lisbon’s Campo Grande station at regular intervals and costs 6.50 Euros. The ride takes 1 hour, 40 minutes. From Sintra, take Malfrense from the Portela de Sintra station. That trip takes 50-60 minutes.
We finished our trip here and fell in love with the waves and the town. Before going to Ericeira, read our travel guide.
Porto:
Nothern Portugal’s biggest city offers great city walking, a cool arts district, inexpensive port wine tastings, and views of the Douro River.
- What to Do: Get your literature on at Livraria Lello! It’s dubbed the World’s Most Beautiful Bookstore for a reason. Tours of the 6 bridges and wine tastings are popular and fun, too. Read our guide for visiting Porto to learn more about this beautiful city.
- How to Arrive: Trains from other spots in the north, Lisbon, and Spain arrive frequently. There’s also an international airport.
Lisbon Nightlife:
The nightclubs in Lisbon are famous in Europe, and we found the streets of Alfama really came to life once the sun set. Of course, as Portugal’s biggest city, there is a LOT to experience for history, culture, being outdoors, and food. Read our guide for visiting Lisbon for more info.
- What to Do: The nightclubs, particularly those next to the river, are highly recommended for partiers. But for something more intimate, stroll the streets of Alfama and you’ll come across a slew of outdoor Fadó concerts and the wonderful ginjinha ladies.
- How to Arrive: Trains and buses constantly arrive from nearby towns, and also from Algarve and Porto. The international airport is Portugal’s main hub.
Sintra:
I don’t know where to begin with Sintra. It has a special, addictive energy, and its castles and palaces bring you back centuries. It’s one of our favorite places and MORE than worth a day trip from Lisbon (we recommend more time if you have it!)
- What to Do: Oh my. For starters there’s the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira, popular palaces like Pena, and a hiker’s option with the Castle of the Moors. Find out the best things to do in Sintra with our article here.
- How to Arrive: It’s a 45-minute train ride from Lisbon to the end of the line, Sintra station. You have to start at the Oriente or Rossio stations in Lisbon. Tickets are EUR 2.30 one-way. Keep in mind the Rossio route gets crowded mid-day.
How Much Time do You Need to Visit Portugal?
Ok. Slow travel is the BEST travel, no doubt. Not just for the environment but also because you will have a much better and “real” experience when you take time to settle in an area for a while.
You’ll find the secret spots that most travelers pass by or never learn about. And locals will get to know you, so everyone has a more personable and fulfilling experience.
But. If you can’t just plop down in Sintra for a few weeks, consider we did this itinerary in 10 days:
We were only in Porto for a night, which wasn’t enough. And going from there to Sintra is not easy because you have to go through Lisbon. So ideally we’d have had another day in Porto and another in Sintra at a minimum.
If you only have a week to ten days: Because Portugal’s a long country (north-south), you’re best off picking either the North (Porto/Arouca Geopark and surroundings, with a possible trip to Lisbon) or the South (starting in the Algarve). This will help to avoid spending a lot of time traveling.
It’s over 4 hours from Lisbon to Porto by train to give a point of reference.
If you want to see EVERYTHING on the list of what to do in Portugal (above), from the Algarve up to Paiva Gorge, 3 weeks is the minimum time you’d need to really enjoy every spot.
The Best Time to Visit Portugal
Obviously you need to know when is the best time to visit in order to brainstorm itineraries for Portugal.
Fortunately, the country is nice to visit year-long because of its mild Mediterranean climate. Its capital, Lisbon, is the sunniest in Europe.
But it does get cold in the winter months, especially in Northern Portugal. The colder months also have more precipitation. So the best time to go for warmer, sunnier days is from May to September.
These are the average temperatures in Lisbon and Porto:
Keep in mind much of Europe vacations in August, and that the Algarve and beaches near Lisbon (Ericeira, Cascais) are VERY popular spots.
Conclusion
This was everything we could think of to help someone create the best itineraries for Portugal. Of course, our thing is Fun & Earth-Friendly travel, so we’re biased towards cultural and outdoor experiences. But we’re convinced your trip will be most excellent with these tips.
Let us know if you’re going to Portugal, or if you have something to add from a recent trip there!
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-Brad & Janina
