For Christmas, my husband Collin bought us tickets to see both our favorite bands play at the Nos Alive music festival in Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal had been on our bucket list for quite some time, so this was a perfect excuse to finally plan a trip.
There were many things we didn’t know about Portugal when planning our itinerary. For start, Portugal is home to some of the most renown surfing towns and beaches. If you are thinking about planning a holiday to the beach, Portugal should be a potential option. The water is incredible with many beautiful white sand beaches.
Should you choose to explore major cities like Lisbon, pack your best walking shoes! It was to our surprise how many stairs and hills Lisbon had. And when you get tired of walking, be sure to hop on the infamous Tram No 28 to cruise through town.
Arriving to Portugal
I flew into Lisbon, Portugal after 3 days in Paris with my parents. Collin flew into Portugal straight from Malpensa Airport in Italy. We booked with Skyscanner and arrived smoothly with a scheduled Uber to our hotel, The Emerald House: Curio Collection by Hilton, which was 12 km away (20 minute drive).
Nos Alive Festival
The Nos Alive Music Festival consisted of 4 days of concerts starting at 16:00. This made it easy to explore Portugal during the day, and attend the festival in the evening. We were impressed with the festival’s “Special Access” for persons with disabilities and pregnant mothers. The special access included an exclusive entry/exit, viewing booths with sitting area, and special bathrooms. Although we did not use the Special Access service, we were happy it was an option.
Fado Dinner and Show
Going to a Fado show in Portugal, particularly Lisbon, is a must. I had fallen in love with Lido in Spain and although different, I knew I wanted to see a Fado show next. Honestly, when it comes to any musical performance, I am all for it, especially when traveling to a new country.
If you’ve never heard of Fado or don’t know much about it, know this: in 2011 UNESCO classified Fado as World Heritage. And its origins are traced back to 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal.
The performance includes a guitar, tunes, an amazing voice, and usually a dimly lit room. The songs of Fado relate to the ups and downs of life, relationship, work, dreams and heartbreak.
To see a traditional Fado show in Lisbon (and you have 3-4 hours for dinner – which is the timing you should plan for all your dinners in Europe), check out oFaia restaurant. I share more about this restaurant in the ‘Eating in Portugal’ paragraph below. The Fado experience is truly astounding, bringing about many emotions throughout the performance. This is a MUST-SEE for your trip to Portugal and to dive into the Portuguese culture!
Sail Portugal
We booked a group sailing tour on the Tagus River through Airbnb Experience and I can easily say it was a great addition to our Portugal Itinerary. The captain (Rui) was very welcoming and had lifejackets, blankets, and port wine available for us.
We sailed under the Ponte 25 de Abril, the bridge connecting Lisbon to Almada, and down the Tagus River along the Lisbon coastline. Rui shared the history of Portugal, including the volcanic eruption that nearly destroyed the city in 1755, or how the famous landmark, Praça do Comércio is leaning due to the foundation sinking. He told us stories he heard as a child that are not learned in your average world history class, like how prominent Pirating became in Portugal as a means for work. He even shared his favorite local restaurants, sailing spots (Azores Islands), and tourist traps to avoid.
Thanks to him, we have a week’s vacation planned for Azores Islands in January 2023.
I love booking the Airbnb Experiences because we learn so much more from the locals than walking or touring the city ourselves. The hosts share their personal stories and lives with us, and it makes for a great day spent, especially if you like meeting new people.
4Wheeler Excursion
The next day we ventured to downtown Lisbon for the start of our Sintra Jeep Safari, also found on Airbnb Experiences. We climbed into an ex-military, vintage, Portuguese 4×4 to begin our 8 hour journey through Portugal, exploring parts we would never have seen before.
The excursion included the mysterious Quinta da Regaleira, off-roading through Sintra’s lush forests, a pitstop at Praia da Adraga beach, emerging at the seaside cliffs of mainland Europe’s westernmost point, Cabo da Roca, lunch at a traditional Portuguese restaurant, and ended with a cruise along the coastline and town of Cascais.
Quinta da Regaleira
I highly recommend taking the guided tour of Portugal’s historic castle, designed and built over 6 years. (The airbnb experience includes the tour).
The property is famous for a variety of reasons. The architect and designer of the property did an impeccable job of constructing a private property resembling the owner’s wealth and interests. Interests being that of the Freemasons and other cultish activities…
Between the eerie spiral staircases, gloomy secret tunnels, well, and beautiful botanical garden, the property was rumored to have hosted secret, mystical initiations for the owner and his guests.
As you tour the castle, you are taken on what might have been the initiation of, “The 9 layers of Hell”. It has been said, that guests were invited to partake in this religious ceremony, which gained the approval of the owner.
True or not, I think it’s super cool to see the religious and greek symbolism throughout the property.
Praia da Adraga
We visited the beach on foot before viewing it again from above, cliffside. The beach had a small restaurant and bar and was relatively quiet during the day. My husband and I walked around the corner of main beach (and over some rocks), to find a more secluded area.
Next we went a local’s way to the very top of the cliff to view the beach below. The view was beautiful from here, seeing the entire Portugal coastline in front and back of us.
And there was no one up there! It was like some secret spot that only the locals knew of. I couldn’t tell you how to get there by memory, but by booking this airbnb experience, you could treasure in it too.
Cabo da Roca
By now, I was getting pretty tired. If you’re new to my blog, you can read more About Me, but to summarize…the heat mixed with a day on-and-off the road, had my MS flaring. Luckily there was just one more stop before heading back to Lisbon, and a small restaurant nearby in case I needed a snack.
Cabo da Roca is an iconic landmark for being the Westernmost point in all of Sintra, all of Portugal, and all of Europe. Standing here, seeing the edge of Portugal, felt like we were on the edge of the world. And in a sense, we were. Nothing but ocean stretched as far as we could see, as all of Europe rested behind us.
Eating in Portugal
oFaia (Lisbon, Portugal)
As I mentioned above and highly recommend, oFaia for the Fado dinner show is a necessary visit. Reserve this in advance…they book out weeks before in high season! We received a starter + first or second course + dessert + cafe, and we ordered a bottle of Vinho Verde, which is a white wine made in North Portugal and is *chef’s kiss*.
In between each course, the lights would go low and the Fado guitarist and singer would come out to perform. Each performance was unique and although I didn’t know the translation, you can feel the emotions of the singer throughout the song. It’s jaw dropping how beautiful it is, and the whole room listens in stillness.
Pensão Sisudo (Sintra, Portugal)
We were taken here by our buddies on the Airbnb Excursion. This was a “local’s secret” they called it. We were seated with bread and butter and a preset menu of either Vegetarian, Fish, or Meat. We all received a Portuguese soup for starters, grilled Octopus for the Fish option, Hamburger for the meat option, gelados (portuguese ice cream), cafe espresso, and a digestif. Really great spot for an affordable price!
Duque Restaurant (Lisbon, Portugal)
Duque restaurant is an authentic mom and pop restaurant in Lisbon. With nearly 6 tables, the restaurant has a cozy and simple vibe to it. We had an amazing ceviche, white fish, and Octopus, and we ordered a bucket of their white Sangria, which was to die for. At the end of the dinner, they brought us a typical Portuguese digestif, and we ended the night with a cafe.
Closing Thoughts
Portugal is easily an amazing location for a weekend getaway. Whether you opt for the ocean and relaxing, or art and history, you are sure to find the best of both. Lisbon is a great for exploring major cities with a local gems. Sintra is perfect for nature lovers with the occasional castle tour.
