Portugal wasn’t even on our radar until we asked ChatGPT for ideas of where to take our family of four (including our two 20-something daughters) for nine days, and it recommended Portugal, delivering an entire itinerary complete with hotels, restaurants, and activities. After doing our own research, we kept a few of the recommendations, swapped in several of our own finds, and came home completely in love with a country we almost didn’t choose.
Portugal checked all of our boxes – great food, beautiful scenery, culture & history, and the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. I’m going to share where we stayed, what we did, and our favorite restaurants for both Lisbon and the Algarve. This is a long one! Let’s kick things off with some packing tips and then jump right into our trip… (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})
Packing for Portugal
My biggest packing tip for anyone heading to Portugal is that comfortable walking shoes are non-negotiable. You can wear your cute sandals in the Algarve, but definitely bring sneakers for the city. I brought {these sneakers} that are easy to dress up or down and wore them everywhere. I also brought {these longtime favorite sneakers} with a thicker tread for hiking in the Algarve.
Beyond that, think comfortable layers – when we went in May, mornings and evenings were cool, and afternoons warm. These were some of my most worn outfits from the trip:
Sources: White smocked top | Patterned pants (size down if between sizes, they also come in petite, but I preferred the regular length) | Zip cardigan (white putty color) | Raffia sandals (similar) | Sneakers (also available {HERE}) | Floral earrings (LOVE these)
Sources: Striped sweater tank (30% off with code summer) | Palazzo pants (I wore these the most of anything! Size down if between sizes) {These wide-leg pants} are a great budget-friendly alternative that I also wore during our trip | Jean skirt | Raffia sandals (similar) | Sneakers (also available {HERE}) | Floral earrings | Ruffled tote ({this tote} is a more budget-friendly version) | Not shown: Lightweight wrap
Something else I wore several times was this easy white-on-white look that’s both comfy and resort chic. I love the crochet trim on both the pants and top:
Sources: Linen long sleeve top | Linen pants (I wore these the most of anything!) | Raffia sandals (similar) | Floral earrings | Ruffled tote ({this tote} is a more budget-friendly version)
For outerwear, I brought {this trench coat}, {this jean jacket}, and {this inexpensive wrap}, and used all three several times:
I bought the trench coat right before the trip and really love it! I chose the mid-length option but it also comes in a short length {here} and long length {here}.
I also highly recommend a crossbody purse like {this one} that I used while exploring Lisbon.
A Few Helpful Notes Before Visiting Lisbon
A few notes and tips I want to share before jumping into our visit to Lisbon:
- Walking: Lisbon is hilly with cobblestone streets throughout. We easily hit 10,000+ steps a day, many of them on steep inclines. It’s a fantastic city for active families, but not ideal for strollers, young children, or for anyone with mobility limitations.
- Transport: Get the Lisboa Card on day one for free public transporation throughout the city (more on that later). Uber is also widely available and inexpensive.
- Time change: Portugal is on Western European Time – 5 hours ahead of Eastern. My tip for adjusting is to power through the first day without napping and plan for an earlier dinner so you can get to bed early and start off your next day well-rested and more adjusted to the new time zone.
Lisbon: Where We Stayed
We flew overnight and landed in Lisbon in the early morning, then Ubered straight from the airport to our hotel, Santiago de Alfama. It’s a 15th-century palace that’s been transformed into a boutique hotel with high ceilings, arched openings, unique room designs, and beautiful Portuguese tile. It sits on a quiet side street in the historic Alfama neighborhood, outside of the chaos of the city center but still within walking distance of many Lisbon hotspots.
Each room is unique in layout and design – ours had a gorgeous clawfoot tub in the bedroom:
and it opened up to the prettiest little courtyard. Other rooms have views of the Tagus (Tejo) River or panoramic views of the city.
Even the hotel bar was gorgeous:
Breakfast each morning was included in our stay and was so delicious with a wide selection of pastries and made-to-order dishes – the avocado toast with egg was the family fave:
Breakfast could be enjoyed either inside the cozy cafe or outside in a charming little cobblestone courtyard:
We considered splitting our stay between Lisbon and a few of the surrounding towns, but we chose to overnight at Santiago de Alfama throughout our Lisbon stay and venture out from there.
Lisbon: What We Saw
Lisbon is a very walkable city with so much to explore. One of the things that immediately struck us about the city is how visually stunning it is with gorgeous tiled building facades everywhere you look:
As someone who loves beautiful things, your head will be on a constant swivel! Some of the Lisbon sites we explored included…
Day 1 in Lisbon
*Lisbon Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), which was an easy walk from our hotel. One of the oldest churches in Portugal, it’s a striking Romanesque landmark that has anchored this hilltop neighborhood since the 12th century, and is well worth stepping inside:
*Praça do Comércio, a massive waterfront square right on the Tagus River. It’s beautiful, historic, and the perfect place to soak it all in and pick up your Lisboa cards
Lisboa Cards can be purchased from the “Ask Me Lisboa” tourist information center at Praça do Comércio. The card covers public transportation and gives you free or discounted access to 50+ attractions. We bought them on our first day.
*Small shops lined the streets as we wandered Lisbon and it was fun popping into a bunch of them. Some of the products Portugal is known for producing that make great souvenirs include cork products (you’ll find cork handbags, notebooks, coasters, etc.), tinned sardines (the beautiful packaging alone is worth buying them for!), hand-embroidered linens, filigree jewelry, and traditional Portuguese tiles:
Day 2 in Lisbon
*Perched at the top of Lisbon’s highest hill and just a short walk from our hotel, São Jorge Castle is a centuries-old hilltop fortress known for its incredible views, historic stone ramparts, and beautifully preserved castle grounds.
The medieval Moorish citadel offers sweeping views of Lisbon’s rooftops, the Tagus River, and the distant Ponte 25 de Abril bridge. We loved slowly wandering the castle grounds, stopping to take in the scenery (and rest our feet for a minute on one of the many stone benches):
You’ll likely spot a few beautiful peacocks wandering the castle grounds too!
*After the castle, we Ubered over to Belém, a neighborhood along the river about 15 minutes west of the city center. The famous Belém Tower (Torre de Belém) would have been our first stop, but it was closed for restoration (I still wanted to still mention it in case it has reopened by the time you visit!).
*Also in Belem, we visited Jerónimos Monastery, which is a 16th-century structure with stunning architecture including intricately carved stonework, soaring ceilings, and beautiful cloisters that are genuinely jaw-dropping in person:
Right next door is the Church of Santa Maria de Belem, which is accessed separately from the monastery but free to enter (and worth popping in).
*Next stop was Pastéis de Belém, which is the original home of the pastel de nata, Portugal’s iconic tart with a flaky pastry shell and custard center sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar:
There are two lines for buying them – the historic original counter and an express option. Wait for the original counter (it’s worth it!):
Day 3 in Lisbon
*We started the day at Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s iconic hilltop flea market that takes place on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It’s a treasure hunter’s paradise – vintage jewelry, antique tiles, used books, leather goods, handmade ceramics, vintage clothing, and more.
*Zara’s flagship store housed on historic Rossio Square is the second largest in the world, so of course we had to check it out! Honestly, the clothing selection surprisingly wasn’t that much better than other Zaras (the clothes were just more spread out and better displayed), but shopping in a gorgeous restored 18th-century building definitely elevates your shopping experience.
Be sure to grab a cup of coffee and pastel de nata at Zara’s Pastelaria while you’re there – it’s a stunning space!
*We grabbed lunch at Time Out Market Lisboa, a HUGE food hall inside the historic Mercado da Ribeira, right on the waterfront. This is not your typical American food court. Some of the best restaurants in Lisbon have stalls here so the food is excellent and the selection is phenomenal.
I ordered the Seafood & Rice from Pinóquio, a classic Lisbon seafood restaurant that had been recommended to us. All of our food was excellent and I loved how you’re served on real plates with real silverware and glasses. It’s best to visit outside of peak eating times to ensure you can find seats.
*Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, a terraced garden viewpoint with beautiful panoramic views over the city, castle, and river, is a great sunset spot. It’s not a Lisbon must-do but worth checking out if you’re already nearby for dinner or drinks, like we were.
Day Trip to Cascais & Sintra
During our stay in Lisbon, we booked a private day trip through Viator with a guide/driver. We paid a little more for it to be private so we had the flexibility to go where we wanted to go and linger where we wanted or skip what didn’t interest us.
We’d planned to start at Quinta da Regaleira, a Gothic estate with underground grottos, inverted towers, and hidden tunnels that’s known for being both mysterious and beautiful. Unfortunately, an accident on the highway meant standstill traffic, so we ended up having to skip it (our tickets were for a certain time frame that we weren’t going to make), but I’d still love to visit on a future trip.
On the plus side, our missed first stop gave us more time at Cascais, a coastal town with a relaxed yet sophisticated feel. Whitewashed buildings, tiled facades, charming squares with outdoor cafes, and beautiful beaches. We strolled, we shopped, we ordered coffee at a sidewalk table and did nothing productive for a few hours. I would definitely go back for a longer visit.
Then came the highlight of the day, the National Palace of Pena in Sintra, perched dramatically in the Sintra hills above a forest. If you’ve seen photos of Portugal and wondered about the brightly-colored fairytale palace that looks like something out of a storybook, this is it.
You take narrow, winding roads to get there so we were glad we weren’t the ones driving! Our guide really made the experience special – he explained the history and symbolism of everything we were seeing and we even bypassed a few long lines because of his tour connections (that perk alone made it so worth hiring one)!
Before heading back to Lisbon we stopped at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, where the cliffs fall dramatically into the Atlantic.
Lisbon: Where We Ate
Our first night in Lisbon we ate at Solar dos Presuntos, a classic Lisbon institution Jeff had discovered on a previous work trip. The walls are covered floor-to-ceiling with framed photographs of famous guests and the menu is heavy on fresh meats and seafood. Some that were maybe a little TOO fresh for us:
Check out their rooftop bar while you’re there.
Our second night, we ate at Pomme Eatery, a restaurant our daughters wanted to go to for a VERY important reason: apparently they saw on TikTok that Harry Styles ate there. It was a cute little restaurant with a pretty limited menu – we enjoyed it for a casual spot but it probably isn’t worth going out of your way for unless you, too, are Harry Styles obsessed.
We had one of our most memorable dinners of our trip on our third evening in Lisbon at Clube de Fado in the Alfama district not far from our hotel. Fado is a traditional Portuguese musical style with mournful, expressive songs performed by a vocalist accompanied by string musicians. The musicians came out for four ten-minute sets woven throughout the meal (a prix-fixe menu with several choices for an appetizer, main, and dessert), creating a really lovely rhythm of eating and listening.
We tried vinho verde (“green wine”) for the first time, Portugal’s lightly sparkling young white wine.
Our last evening in Lisbon, we dined at Leonetta, an Italian restaurant that was another TikTok find by our girls. Italian might seem like an odd choice in Portugal but the seafood pasta dishes were fresh and delicious plus the atmosphere was gorgeous. The edge design of their marble dining tables may have inspired a new direction for the kitchen countertops in our new build…
Goodbye Lisbon, Hello Algarve
After our time in Lisbon, we headed south to the Algarve, Portugal’s stunning coastal region known for its dramatic golden cliffs, beautiful beaches, charming seaside towns, and crystal-clear Atlantic waters.
The pace there is completely different from Lisbon – it’s slower, more relaxed, and centered around soaking up the incredible scenery.
If you’re curious about logistics, we Ubered back to the airport and picked up a rental car that we had reserved before our trip. Rental car pickup definitely wasn’t quite as quick and seamless as it typically is in the U.S., but after about an hour we were finally on the road.
The drive to the Algarve takes a little over two hours and was surprisingly easy (our only hiccup was at our first toll – we didn’t initially realize our rental car had the toll pass needed to drive right through). Once we got outside of Lisbon, it was mostly straightforward highway driving with some really pretty scenery along the way. Having a rental car in the Algarve also gave us the flexibility to explore several different towns throughout our stay without racking up a ton of Uber charges (everything is much more spread out than in Lisbon).
Where We Stayed
Vila Vita Parc resort became our home base for the remainder of the trip:
The resort is perched high above the Algarve cliffs with sweeping Atlantic views and lush, beautifully maintained grounds:
Every space throughout the resort is stunning from the moment you enter the lobby to check in:
I loved that there were little tucked-away spaces wherever you went, whether you wanted to get away from the sun in a curtained cabana or enjoy a cocktail in a cozy bar:
The resort has several pools scattered throughout the property (including quieter adults-only spaces),
along with multiple restaurants ranging from casual beachside dining to more upscale spots for dinner (more on that later). There’s truly something for everyone, whether you want to spend the day relaxing by the pool, walking along the cliffs, or lingering over a long dinner with an ocean view.
We stayed in one of their Family Oasis Suites in the resort’s Oasis Parc area made up of low-rise, villa-style whitewashed buildings inspired by a traditional Moorish design:
The suite setup was ideal for our family of four – it was a two-bedroom (one with a king bed and one with twin beds), one-bath (a large bathroom with double sinks) setup and even included a staircase up from our room leading to our own private rooftop terrace with views overlooking the resort and ocean:
While Vila Vita Parc is definitely a splurge, the suite ended up being much more affordable than booking two separate rooms at this resort or at comparable resorts nearby.
The Algarve: What We Did
One of the highlights of our time in the Algarve was a boat tour along the coast that took us into several sea caves including the famous Benagil Cave. If you’ve ever seen photos of the Algarve coastline, chances are you’ve seen this cave – it’s the iconic one with the huge circular opening in the ceiling where sunlight pours in from above. Gorgeous!
The coastline itself is stunning, with dramatic cliffs, hidden beaches, arches, and caves around nearly every corner.
Jeff had reserved the boat tour for us in advance, which I’d definitely recommend doing, especially during busier times of year. Surprisingly, the cost was really reasonable to book it as a private tour for just the four of us, although I imagine that changes during peak tourist season.
We also spent time exploring Lagos Old Town, which is absolutely worth visiting. It’s a charming, walkable area filled with cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings, outdoor cafes, and little shops tucked around every corner. It has a very laid-back feel and is the perfect place to wander without much of a plan.
The shopping there was especially good if you love unique, locally made pieces. I ended up bringing home some beautiful handmade Portuguese dishware that I’m excited to use in our new home someday:
Another must-see spot is Ponta da Piedade, which is known for its dramatic rock formations and cliffside views. It’s also the starting point for one of several gorgeous coastal cliff walks in the Algarve. The views there are breathtaking!
We had originally planned to do the full walk, but the day we went ended up being super windy with rain moving in, so we stuck to visiting the overlooks instead.
And of course, there was also plenty of time for a little R & R while soaking in the scenery around the resort. Jeff squeezed in some golf (they have a fun little pitch and putt course that’s free to play):
And the resort also has mini golf, tennis, paddle courts, and several other activities if you want more to do beyond beach hopping and sightseeing.
One thing worth noting if you’re planning an Algarve trip: the weather during our early May visit was mostly highs in the low 70s and fairly windy. For us, it was perfect weather for outdoor dining, exploring towns, sightseeing, and sitting on poolside lounge chairs in the sun, but it wasn’t really “sit on the beach and swim all day” weather. If beach time is your main priority, visiting a bit later in the summer would probably be ideal, although we heard from several people that starting in June the Algarve gets much more crowded.
Other Algarve Spots to Consider Visiting
We obviously couldn’t fit everything into one trip, but these were a few other Algarve spots that came highly recommended:
- Praia da Marinha – One of the Algarve’s most famous beaches with dramatic cliffs and turquoise water
- Carvoeiro – A charming coastal town with beautiful cliffside views and great restaurants
- Albufeira – A larger resort town with beaches and a lively restaurant and nightlife scene
- Praia do Camilo – A gorgeous beach accessed by a long wooden staircase
- Sagres – Known for rugged coastal scenery and dramatic ocean views
- Ferragudo – A quieter fishing village with a more relaxed, local feel
The Algarve: Where We Ate
We loved the dining options at Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa so much that we ended up eating at the resort several nights during our stay (plus one night was too windy for the outdoor beachside restaurant we had planned). Our first night, we had dinner at Adega, where we had one of our best meals of the trip. It was a beautiful night, so we ate outdoors but the inside of the restaurant is lovely too (it’s designed to feel like a traditional Portuguese wine cellar). The menu focuses on classic Portuguese cuisine – my seafood meal was incredible:
Another favorite was Aladin Grill at Vila Vita Parc, which was absolutely fantastic. It’s worth going to for the Moroccan-inspired beauty of the restaurant alone but the food absolutely lives up to the setting – everything was so fresh and flavorful.
We ventured off property for dinner one evening at Quinta dos Santos, which is part vineyard, part winery, part restaurant. The setting is beautiful and relaxed, with vineyards, olive trees, and rolling countryside views that feel completely different from the coastal areas of the Algarve. If you enjoy wine, it’s definitely worth adding to your list.
Breakfast was included with our stay at Vila Vita Parc, and we ate at Atlântico every morning (their adults-only breakfast restaurant). It was the perfect way to start the day with stunning ocean views and endless food and drink options:
Atlântico is also open for dinner, serving Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a more elevated feel in the evenings.
Putting Portugal on Your Travel List
Overall, Portugal completely exceeded our expectations and ended up being one of those trips we were talking about repeating before we even left. Between the charm and energy of Lisbon and the breathtaking coastline and slower pace of the Algarve, it felt like we got the best of both worlds in one trip. The food, the scenery, the people, and the overall relaxed vibe made it such an enjoyable place to explore as a family. If Portugal has been on your travel wish list, consider this your sign to move it to the top!
If we’re lucky enough to return to Portugal someday, Porto is high on my list of cities I’d visit. I’ve also heard wonderful things about the surf town of Nazaré and the wine region of the Douro Valley. Portugal definitely feels like a destination you could return to again and again and still discover something new.
Have you been to Portugal? Did you love it too? I’d love to hear your favorite spots!
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Michelle Cabral says
Thanks for all the info. Planning a trip for Sep/Oct. A few questions. Did you drive back to Lisbon for return flight? How difficult was driving in Lisbon? Did you tour the inside of the castld in Sintra or just the grounds? I am wondering how long the lines were. Thanks for any advice you can offer 🙂
Kathy Martin says
Thank you for such a comprehensive trip report. I’m glad your family enjoyed Portugal so much. You should consider the north of the country it is lovely. We have been several times and have fond memories of the country and the people.
Shawn says
Thanks for the trip review Kris. Some good tips and recommendations. We leave for Lisbon and our Portugal trip soon. Did you have an hours long wait for immigration at the Lisbon airport?