top of page
image_edited_edited_edited_edited_edited.png

Ashley & Steven's

Portugal Guide

Curated collection of our favorite Portuguese foods, places and activities

Traveling Across Portugal? Here is our itinerary

1. Arrive in Porto for a 3 night stay

  • Arrive in Porto and walk through the cobbled streets of the Ribera, enjoy the medieval city center and watch an F.C. Porto soccer game. If you have sometime try to take a boat down Douro Valley and trial Port Wine from the vineyards that created it 

2. Drive, train, bus or fly to Lisbon for a 3 night stay

  • Explore the capital, take a day trip to explore Sintra, relax on Comporta beaches or the crystal blue beaches in Setúbal

3. Drive, bus or fly over to Algarve for 3 nights

  • Relax beachside in Albuferia, Lagos or Portimao. Explore the caves, go golfing, kayaking or have a boat day

The Food
"a comida"

Please note when eating at restaurants that Portugal, like most european countries, has slower service as waiters are trained to give you time and space to enjoy the environment​

  • Pastel De Nata  - custard pastry, you must get them in Lisbon!!

  • Bitoque  - portuguese steak made with a red wine garlic sauce

  • Bacalhau  - salted cod dish, they make it several different ways (Bacalhau com Natas is our fav - lots of cheese)

  • Francesinha  - famous from Porto, a steak sandwich topped in a tomato wine sauce, cheese and egg. Warning this is a very large and filling sandwich!

  • Carne de porco à alentejana Pork loin, fresh little neck clams in a vinho verde sauce

  • Vinho Verde  - ‘green’ wine, Casal Garcia is the most known from the country

  • Pulpo  - Octopus generally seasoned in paprika and garlic

  • Sande de Pernil - Roasted garlic pork sandwich

  • Caldo Verde Grandmas favorite soup to make, if you go to a multiple course restaurant, they most likely will serve you this

  • Rojões à moda do Minho - our traditional pork and potato dish cooked in a white-wine garlic sauce

  • Churrasco - grilled meat (you can pick from different steak cuts, pork or chicken) usually served with fries or with piri piri sauce 

  • Piri Piri - Spicy chili-garlic sauce, usually on or served with chicken 

  • Alheira - Traditional sausage made with meat and bread 

  • Bifana - traditional steak sandwich 

​

Must try appetizers : 

  • Bolos de bacalhau - Little cod fritter

  • Rissois de camarao or Bife - shrimp or beef “dumpling”

  • Chourico Assado - usually cooked right in front of you in a little pig terracotta pot watch out for that flame

  • Camarao ao alho - shrimp in a garlic wine sauce

​

Must try drinks:

  • Port Wine - A sweet dessert wine that is made only from the grapes grown in Douro

  • Vino Tinto - Homemade red wine also know as vino casaro

  • Porto Tonico - A white port tonic 

  • Super Bock - Portugal's own lager beer, light and refreshing

  • Bandida Do Pomar - Portuguese Cider light and crisp

  • Licor Beirão - A sweet liquor to be enjoyed over ice, made from portuguese herbs

The Places
"os lugares"

Douro Valley

The Douro Wine Region Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world

& where Port Wine was originated

Places to see/things to do:

  • Douro Valley Wine Tour - generally start in Peso De Régua or Pinhão or do a tour by boat, there are some that leave from Porto

  • Stay at a quinta (vineyard) and you can tour the grounds and try wine, highly recommend Quinta de Pacheca but you can stay at one place and go to multiple vineyards in the region

  • Palácio da Bolsa - charming palace with beautiful architecture and traditional Portuguese tiling

  • Quinta da Roêda - Vineyard that created/exports Croft Port

  • Sandeman Vineyards - Largest Port Wine exporter in the region, you can also tour the grounds which has views of the river

  • Baloiço do Bestança - Hidden Swimming hole off the Douro river

  • Yoga session overlooking the river at Six Sense

 

Places to eat:

  • Lunch/Dinner:

    • Tasca da Quinta - tapas style

    • Cozinha da Clara - Seafood

    • Veladouro - Vineyard restaurant that pairs food with wine

    • Toca da Raposa

    • The River Restaurant 

  • Upscale:

    • Castas e Pratos - Wine bar with contemporary small plates 

    • Aneto & Table

    • DOC - Micheline Star

    • Quinta do Portal

​

Places to stay: 

  • Douro41

  • Six Senses

  • Casal dos Capelinhos - Intimate quinta with views of the Douro river

  • Quinta de Pacheca  - Large quinta, famous for their Wine-Barrel style hotel rooms

Lisbon

Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city located south of the country surrounded by beaches

Places to see/things to do:

  • Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira

  • Palácio dos Marqueses da Fronteira - famous palace/gardens in lisbon

  • Pink Street  - famous for the pink flooring, near main downtown area

  • Rua Augusta  - main strip in downtown Lisbon

  • Praça Do Rossio  - the center of Lisbon, has the famous floor tiling and fountain

  • Torre de Belém  - famous tower on the ocean

  • Pena Palace  - in Sintra, if you have time to visit

  • Miradouro de Santa Luzia - great sight seeing spot, has overview of the city/ocean

  • Museu do Tesouro da Sé - ancient museum in downtown Lisbon

  • For the beach: 

    • Berlenga Island  - right off the coast of Lisbon you can take a boat there, amazing beaches

    • Sublime Comporta Beach Club - white sand bespoke beach club 

 

Places to eat:

  • Breakfast/Coffee/Snacks:

    • Belem Pastries  - Must try pasteis de nata, famous dessert from portugal 

    • Manteigaria - Another great pasteis de nata space 

    • Nicolau Lisboa - Cute brunch spot with typical American dishes with a Portuguese style

    • Isco Padaria e Bistro - amazing bakery 

    • Cafe Janis - great brunch spot, Parisian like with bistro seating

    • Comoba Lisboa - modern take on breakfast 

  • Lunch/Dinner:

    • Pateo  - great seafood

    • Sala de Corte - Steakhouse

    • Bahr - beautiful views, traditional plates 

    • BouBou's - bistro 

    • SEA ME - seafood spot, fresh fish market right in the restaurant 

    • A Valenciana - Eat like a local, charcoal grilled food, piri piri chicken 

    • Cevicheria  - amazing ceviches, a bunch of different types

    • Restaurante O Topo  - great views/wine

    • Taberna da Rua das Flores - seafood

    • La Paparrucha - Really good churrasco, served in a mini grill on the table

    • Pigmeu - Best pork/pig roast in lisbon 

    • Cervejaria Ramiro - great seafood spot, best for their shrimp

    • O Frade - Traditional portuguese, large wine menu 

    • Red Frog - Cocktail bar with small pairing menu

    • Time Out Market  - has a ton of food vendors, but very touristy 

    • Rocco - in the Iven’s hotel - Old school Crudo Bar and restaurant - portuguese meets italian 

  • Upscale: 

    • Prado - Not very pricy but beautiful ambiance and great food

    • Boi-Cavalo Restaurante - 7-table restaurant in an old butcher shop

    • Cura - In the four seasons, great ambiance and seafood

    • Belcanto  - Tagide  - Michelin with views of the city

    • Tasca Da Esquina - Petiscos (Portuguese tapas)

    • Attla Restaurante - Michelin Asian/Portuguese fusion 

    • Feitoria - Michelin star with small plates 

    • Restaurante Via Graca - amazing wine selection, get the octopus, beautiful spot with great views 

    • Praia no Parque - high quality sushi

​

  • Nightlife:

    • By The Wine - wine bar 

    • Sky Bar - Bar with good music

    • Rive Rouge - Nightclub

    • MOME - Nightclub 

    • Lust in Rio - Nightclub 

​

Places to Stay:

  • Wine & Books Lisboa Hotel - Opened in 2021 

  • Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel

  • Olissippo Lapa Palace - 5 Star

  • Memmo Príncipe Real - In historic Lisbon

  • Browns Central Hotel

  • Bairro Alto

  • The Ivens

  • Altis Belem

  • Four Seasons Ritz 


 

Additional Cities Nearby to Consider:

  • Sintra 

    • Castle of the Moors is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel

  • Pena Palace is an iconic yellow palace that stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains 

  • Quinta da Regaleira is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

  • Initiation Well i’ll let the pictures speak for it LINK

  • Comporta

    • Quiet luxury beach town known for its horse-back riding 

  • Setubal

    • Small city surrounded by natural parks and beautiful beaches

    • 40 Minutes from downtown Lisbon​

    • Praias da Arrábida and Praia de Galapinhos have crystal blue water

    • Tróia Golf Course is one of the nicest courses in Portugal

  • Cascais

    • Beach town next to lisbon 

    • Farol de Santa Maria is a beautiful place to swim or even visit the lighthouse 

    • Praia Rainha and Conceição Beach are both nice beaches 

    • Furnas Do Guincho Restaurant for good seafood 

  • Nazare

    • Great beach, olympic surfing

    • Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo Peak of the beach, usually can see surfers risk their lives

    • Praia de Nazare can relax, get some seafood on the strip or learn how to surf  - surf school on the northern end

Algarve

The south of Portugal, known for its cave beaches and golf resorts

Faro

Places to see/things to do:

  • Monte Rei Golf & Country Club - Best golf course in Portugal

  • Visit Old Town

​

Albuferia 

Places to see/things to do:

  • Montechoro Strip  - strip of bars, restaurants and local shops

  • Pescadores Beach  - go through a cave tunnel that lead to the beach. There are chairs/umbrellas right at the beach around ~10 euros for the entire day

  • Elevador do Peneco  - high mountain viewpoint of the ocean

  • Peneco Rock  - rock structure on pescadores beach

  • Libertos Lounge Club  - outdoor bar

​

Places to eat:

  • Iguana Café  - café/bar with an outdoor terrace overlooking the water

  • Restaurant O Veleiro  - hands down the best , and i think only truly portuguese restaurant around the area. The owner Maria is a sweetheart and cooks incredible traditional dishes

  • Roca Beach Bar & Restaurant  - Beach bar with food and drinks, right next to the standing pier

  • Castelo do mar  - One of the most beautiful restaurants in Albufeira, unique sea and Marina views, outside terraces and a relaxed ambience in an elegant setting

  • No solo agua albufeira  - Oceanview portuguese

  • Al Quimia   - Contemporary/Mediterranean portuguese food

 

Places to stay:

  • São Rafael Atlântico

  • AirBnBs are best if you are staying in the center of town

​

Vilamoura 

Places to see/things to do: 

  • Purobeach Club

  • Dom Pedro Golf Course

  • Well Beach Club

  • Água Qlub

 

Places to eat:

  • 2 Passos rooftop terrace/restaurant

  • Salmora - Live Kitchen & Bar

  • Pepper's Steakhouse

  • The Bold Octopus

  • Well Vale do lobo - Fresh Sushi

  • Sky Valley Vilamoura

  • The Beach Bar Vale do Lobo - Beach dive bar 

  • Maria's Restaurant and Beach

​

Places to stay: 

  • Anantara Vilamoura Golf Resort - Large resort with access to the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course 

  • Hotel Tivoli Marinotel

​

Lagos

Places to see/things to do: 

  • NoSoloÁgua Portimão - beach bar club, towards Portimão side 

  • Cave Tour LINK Plan in advance

  • Ponta da Piedade  - rock formation/peak area. Can see dangerous waves/surfers, caves

  • Praia do Camilo  - GET THERE EARLY! Spots are very limited, walk down 200+ steps to get to this resorted beach

  • The Star  - Karoke Bar

  • Whytes Bar  - Beat the Bartender game, Sundays from 10 PM to Midnight. The game seems simple: roll a higher dice than the bartender and your drinks are free! Even when not trying to score free drinks

  • Inside Out  - fishbowl cocktails

​​

Places to eat:

  • Casa Do Prego  - Rooftop terrace

  • Petiscos  - Seafood

  • Nah Nah Bah  - "best burgers in the Algarve" - owned by a portuguese american

  • O Mexilhao  - steaks/seafood

  • Crema di Gelato  - dessert/Gelato

​

Places to stay:

  • Baía da Luz

​

bottom of page