Rick and I absolutely loved Spain and I think it’s time we add their next door neighbor to our future travel destinations! From historic landmarks to incredible wine, Portugal is definitely calling our name. Now that we’ve added it to the list, here are a few of the top things to do on our Portugal bucket list!
10 best things to do in Portugal
Wine tasting at Porto Calem
Over in the Porto region near the Duoro River, I can’t wait until we visit the Porto Calem winery – dating back to 1859! Wehn there, we can take the tour of the winery and enjoy a tasting of some of their amazing ports. We’ll just have to decide if we want to do a basic tour and tasting or book a specialty pairing experience where we can sip wines paired with cheese and chocolate, or book a tour and music performance. We’ll probably also want to pack our wine skins so we can get a fantastic bottle to bring back home with us.
Discover the Ribeira District
The old quarter of Porto is a known destination for nightlife and fantastic dining. After spending a day tasting wine, we can enjoy strolling the district, looking out over the Douro, and finding an excellent spot for dinner. We’ve also heard it’s a great area for travel photography with its cafe-lined streets and beautiful fountains along the Cais da Ribeira.
Lisbon walking tour
SANDEMANs New Europe offers a free walking tour of Lisbon, covering Bairro Alto, the Baixa Pombalina, Praça do Comerico, and a chance to enjoy the view from the Santa Justa Elevator. Along the way we can learn about the 1755 earthquake, the Carnation Revolution, and the Portuguese Inquisition. This two and a half hour tour will give us a nice overview of the city and its history so we can continue to explore Lisbon on our own later.
Tour Torre de Belem
This UNESCO World Heritage site is in the Belem district of Lisbon and was built between 1514 and 1520 and looks like a neat landmark to check out. The defense tower joined UNESCO in 1983 under the classification of “Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” Touring the tower we can visit the chapel, the King’s Room, the audience room, the governor’s room, and finally explore the terrace.
Mosteiro dos Jeronimos
This church is an important site to visit in Portugal, with a fabulous interior and points of interest like the tomb of Vasco de Gama and Luis de Camoes. This church isn’t just a religious site but also a cultural one as it’s a part of Portuguese culture and their identity and serves as a National Monument and World Heritage Site with UNESCO. Tickets are €10 and the church is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. in peak tourist season).
Park and National Palace of Pena
The park is home to more than 500 species of trees but even with this forest, the palace was built so it was always visible from any point in the park. This feat is made a bit easier as the palace sits on the second highest peak in the Sintra hills. The palace was built for King Ferdinand II and its flamboyant style is due to its 19th-century Romanticism architecture. Seeing the interior will be like traveling back in time as its decorated to feel like it’s still 1910, right before the royal family fled. The palace was named a UNESCO site in 1995.
While here, I’d love to take a horseback ride through the park after a guided tour and then exploring the hiking trails of Pena.
Visit Furnas Lake
After a quick flight from the mainland to the Sao Miguel island, this area looks awesome to explore with its volcanic landscapes, blue waters in the crater, and stunning scenery. There are opportunities for water-based activities and hiking trails to explore, including views of the hot springs and beautiful landscape. It’ll almost feel like we’ve left Portugal behind as we explore this remote island that has such a unique makeup.
See Cabo da Roca
Enjoying the view along the Cabo de Roca will be an exciting experience as we hear it’s one of the best coastal trails in Europe, complete with cliffs, beaches, and a neat lighthouse. While we here, we can also check off another neat bucket list item: Visiting the most westerly point of mainland Europe. Beyond the trails, lighthouse, and enjoying the cliffs, there’s not much else for us to do here as the only other activities are visiting the gift shop and coffee shop.
Sunbathe at Matosinhos Beach
We’ll have to spend a day on the golden sandy stretch of beach and try some bodysurfing at Matosinhos Beach. This beach is a popular destination from Porto as it’s easy to get to and is large enough to accommodate the crowds. We’ve also heard great things about the nearby seafood restaurants – my ideal way to dine after sunbathing all afternoon.
Visit Portugal’s castles
Getting great shots of Lisbon’s skyline will often include the Castelo de Sao Jorge and we can’t wait to explore this 12th-century castle. The castle’s location also provides fantastic panoramic views and has a unique photography show on the Torre de Ulisses.
Another one to include in our Portugal bucket list includes Castelo de Guimaraes, the birthplace of Dom Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first monarch and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, we can visit the Sao Miguel Chapel and the Torre de Menagem.
What else should we add to our Portugal bucket list? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!
