Portugal has undergone a transformation in the past decade. Lisbon and Porto, once pleasantly overlooked, are now firmly on the European city-break circuit. The Algarve south coast has been popular for forty years. What remains genuinely quiet — and genuinely extraordinary — is the country between and around these obvious destinations.
The Route
We suggest flying into Lisbon, spending three nights, then collecting a hire car and driving south and east into the Alentejo before heading north toward Porto. This inverts the usual tourist flow and means you are rarely driving toward the same destination as everyone else.
Lisbon: Three Days
Three nights allows you to see Lisbon properly without the blur of trying to see it quickly. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo — the national tile museum, housed in a sixteenth-century convent — is among the finest museums in Europe and almost always quiet. The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is world-class and similarly uncrowded.
Alfama at dawn, before the first tuk-tuks, is an entirely different experience from Alfama at midday. The neighbourhood's streets are genuinely steep and genuinely old. The viewpoints — particularly the Portas do Sol — offer unobstructed views across the city to the Tagus.
Lisbon's famous pastéis de nata are best at Pastéis de Belém, the original bakery near the Jerónimos Monastery, eaten warm from the oven with a dusting of cinnamon. The queue, often long, moves quickly.
The Alentejo: Three to Four Days
The Alentejo — the vast, cork-oak-forested plateau east and southeast of Lisbon — is the part of Portugal that has changed least and is visited least. Its pace is different: slower, quieter, more rural. The light in late afternoon across the plains is unlike anywhere else in Europe.
Évora, the region's main city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Roman temples, medieval walls and Baroque churches, surrounded by megalithic monuments that predate Stonehenge. A leisurely day here is not enough; stay two nights.
The walled villages of Monsaraz, Marvão and Castelo de Vide are best seen in the late afternoon when the day-trippers have left. Monsaraz in particular — tiny, white and perfectly preserved on its ridge above the Alqueva reservoir — is one of the most beautiful villages in Portugal.
Alentejo wines have improved dramatically in the past decade. The Herdade do Esporão winery near Reguengos de Monsaraz offers tours and tastings; book ahead.
The Douro Valley: Two Days
Drive north from the Alentejo into the Douro Valley, the steeply terraced river valley where port wine originates. The N222, which runs along the river between Régua and Pinhão, has been called the world's most beautiful road and the description is defensible.
Quintas (wine estates) along the Douro offer tastings, tours and increasingly accommodation. Quinta do Crasto, Quinta do Vallado and Quinta de la Rosa all receive visitors without appointment during the working week.
Porto: Two to Three Days
Porto deserves more time than most visitors give it. The Livraria Lello bookshop — supposedly one of the inspirations for Harry Potter's Hogwarts — charges entry now, which has slightly reduced the tourist pressure. The Serralves Foundation, with its contemporary art museum and gardens, is excellent and usually quiet.
Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, where port wine lodges have occupied the south bank since the seventeenth century. Graham's and Ramos Pinto both offer thoughtful tours that explain the port trade in its historical context.
Practical Summary
- Best months: April–June and September–October. July and August are hot and crowded
- Hire car: Essential for the Alentejo; autopistas are fast and toll-free on the IC routes
- Language: Portuguese is not Spanish. The locals notice and appreciate the distinction
- Tipping: Not obligatory but 5–10% is appreciated at restaurants
- Accommodation: Portugal's pousadas — state-run hotels in historic buildings — are excellent value for the quality offered