Basic Portugal recommendations

[Tym Lewis]

Hello everyone,

I am dragging my wife to Portugal in March 2022, to taste ports in honor of my 50th birthday. Ideally we can travel for 10 or 11 days. I have two or three other friends that will be meeting us wherever I tell them too, so that they can join us for the "port tastings" part of the vacation, which is vaguely defined as a two or three day period within our travel dates. Tasting port that I can't find, is cheaper/better/older than what I can find in the USA is why we are going to Portugal . This is why I am posting here, instead of a generic Portugal travel site.

This post is in hopes of learning about the basic suggestions when visiting Portugal for the first time. I will also post about my specific hopes for port tasting, in a follow-up posting.

If you can answer these questions by sending me links to other sites that already have this information, that would be great as well. I just have not found what I am looking for with my google searches, and the Portugal tour guides I borrowed from the library.

Some things we are looking for in our visit to Portugal:
Things that are beautiful and unique in Portugal (in March)
Beaches
Mosaics
History
Castles
Great restaurants (ambiance?) where I might also taste a variety of port that is unavailable in the USA.
Best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto, and what to visit in between.
Best way to travel within Porto and Lisbon.
Live Music
Places to stay
What is worth taking a side trip to visit in Portugal that is not between Lisbon and Porto?

Any other Portugal tourist recommendations that I need to know?

Currently the only known plans are to fly in and out of Lisbon in March, and have people meet us for a couple of days in or near Porto.
Disclaimer: My wife does like port, but she is totally content with a $5 bottle of ruby port paired with excellent chocolate.

Thanks!

TYM :)

[Eric Ifune]

The train between Lisbon and Porto is very convenient. The Alfa Pendular is recommended. Buy your tickets several weeks ahead of time to get the best rates. In Porto, the train stops at the Campanha station but your ticket should allow for transfer to the famous Sao Bento station in the heart of Porto.
To try Ports unavailable in the States, I recommend both Bacchus Vini and Lado Lagar D'Ouro wine bars. Both on the Porto side Riberia.

[Claus P]

For a detour with some historic interest, you could visit the town of Evora with its catacombs and historic buildings.

Forget beaches in march, it's The Atlantic.

If you venture up the Douro, a once in a lifetime tasting could be at Qta do Mourao, I'm pretty sure only your wallet limits which of the old colheitas can be tasted directly from the barrels in Port Knox.

[Glenn E.]

If you venture up the Douro, a once in a lifetime tasting could be at Qta do Mourao, I'm pretty sure only your wallet limits which of the old colheitas can be tasted directly from the barrels in Port Knox.

Seconded. You can set up a tasting on their website which may initially be limited to the "standard" sorts of Ports, but if you use that form to message them about it I suspect they'd be willing to sample just about anything for the right price.

[Frederick Blais]

Late February and early March is the blooming time in the Douro. Almonds, apple, cherry, plums trees among others like mimosa create a majestic milky way kinda mosaic in the Douro. You can't miss the region of the birth of Port at this time of the year.

[Al B.]

You probably won’t get glorious sunshine on the beaches in March but it’s worth considering a trip to see the surfers at Nazaré. If the weather conditions are right, surf can hit 100’ swells.

[Tym Lewis]

Thanks for the great ideas! I never would have found Evora on my own, but it looks really interesting.

[Bryan H.]

Evora is worth the visit. If you are willing/interested to put some kms on and explore a bit further, Marvao is worth a visit. It's an old walled city on a hill near the Spanish border. There was a decent hotel there some years ago. Much smaller than Evora, so it's not a place to go for "things to do" but it's a neat place and we enjoyed a few nights there.

In Lisbon--Museo do Azulejos (Tile Museum) is worth the visit, particularly on an off weather day. Hotels--the Memmo Principe Real is nice and well located. Same for the Bairro Alto Hotel, which is very well located in Chiado on the Praca Luis de Camoes. If you stay there, consider eating at the Taberna da Rua das Flores around the corner. Very small and very good. Also try Aqui Ha Peixe a few blocks away--great fish. Other great restaurants: A Ceviceria, Tapisco.

Beaches--as said above, it's the Atlantic, so you'll not be swimming in March unless to punish yourself. Nazare would be great, although I think the really big waves there are more like October/November. I'm not sure how they are in March. But if you want to see some beautiful beaches and cliffs, you can find them all along the Atlantic coast, including Nazare and the surrounding areas.

There are also great beaches and towns south of Lisbon in the Alentejo. The Comporta area is trendy/chic/touristy, but sits on 50km of excellent, unspoiled beach, with a few very nice beach restaurants (just a few--the beach is really pristine and undeveloped). If you go as far south as Gale, the beach meets spectacular sandstone cliffs. There are plenty of good restaurants in the area, many of which should be open by March. There are nice places to stay around there, Sublime (hotel) being one I've stayed at and there is a new hotel in the town of Carvalhal that is supposed to be very nice.

Castles/history--pretty hard IMO not to go to Sintra, west of Lisbon, and visit the Castelo dos Mouros and Pena Palace if you want to see castles and get a bit of history. It's a likely day trip, and there are other things to do in Sintra as well.

**Note: I go to Portugal a lot, but Due to COVID-19, I've not been to many of these places the past two years, so it's possible things have changed...

[Eric Menchen]

Evora is nice, but since you specifically asked, "Best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto, and what to visit in between," I feel compelled to mention Coimbra. It is beautiful with a good number of things to see. And Ze Manel dos Ossos is definitely an experience worth the wait.

I'll try to follow up and give more detailed answers to your questions. I concur with the advice already posted.

[Bert VD]

If you would dare swimming at Nazare i suggest you go on the left side of the fortress/cliff where the city centre is. On the other side the ocean will tell you who is boss and then spit you out on the beach again. If you’re lucky you get to keep your swimwear. (I don’t have to tell you how i know this right?)

[Andy Velebil]

If you would dare swimming at Nazare i suggest you go on the left side of the fortress/cliff where the city centre is. On the other side the ocean will tell you who is boss and then spit you out on the beach again. If you’re lucky you get to keep your swimwear. (I don’t have to tell you how i know this right?)

[Will W.]

Some things we are looking for in our visit to Portugal:
Things that are beautiful and unique in Portugal (in March)
Beaches
Mosaics
History
Castles
Great restaurants (ambiance?) where I might also taste a variety of port that is unavailable in the USA.
Best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto, and what to visit in between.
Best way to travel within Porto and Lisbon.
Live Music
Places to stay
What is worth taking a side trip to visit in Portugal that is not between Lisbon and Porto?

Beaches
-you will freeze to death in March if you get into the water (or any other time of year, in my experience); as noted by others, have a look at the surfers at Peniche or Nazare. The beaches there do not amount to much, however. If you want to sit about on sand, take an Uber from Lisbon to Costa da Caparica; there's miles of beaches, the weather should generally be decent and there'll be nobody around, particularly during weekdays
Mosaics
-there's the National Azulejo Museum is Lisbon and, in the same city, Fronteira Palace
History
-it'll be everywhere you look; you can't miss it, at least in its architectural guise
Castles
-a dime a dozen, but the views from Marvao are quite impressive if you want to divert some ways from the Lisbon-Porto axis
Restaurants
-others will know better than me, though I always enjoy a meal or two whilst in Porto at Taberninha do Manel on the waterfront in Gaia. And the views are lovely (as were the food and wines) from the resto at the Taylor's Lodge. If you want to drink port, try the Yeatman's bar. Should you prefer Michelin fare, there are a number of options in both Porto and Lisbon. An inexpensive one star Michelin is (or was, last time I was there) situated in the old palace/castle in the small town of Amarante, a touch north of the Douro valley. If you enjoy a smoke around your meals, there are a number of fine dining options at Lisbon in all price ranges. And try to get some aged Portuguese beef (from the far north) into you.
Travel between Lisbon and Porto
-take the train; first class tickets cost a pittance. There is no need to book in advance during March
Travel within Porto and Lisbon
-the parts of those cities of interest to you are not that big; you should be able to walk most everywhere. Otherwise, use Uber or Bolt; both cost next to nothing in Portugal
Music
-Fado is ubiquitous in the tourist quarters of Lisbon (e.g., Chiado)
Places to Stay
-agreeable hotel and rental flat accommodation is very inexpensive, even in Lisbon and Portugal; my advice is that you not start with a hotel in mind but rather the part of town in which you would like to stay. In turn, open AirBnB, hotels.com or whatever and make your choice
Side trips
-Sintra has been mentioned; there are regular commuter trains from central Lisbon. Evora has also been mentioned, though you would need to hire a car. Evora is certainly handsome, and there is a fetching chapel, the walls of which are covered entirely by skulls (of monks or suchlike) pressed into the plaster. The best bet, as another has noted, is assuredly Coimbra, which is served by train from Lisbon and Porto.

[Eric Menchen]

O.k., a more detailed response now ...
Big caveat: I have visited Portugal since Covid started (August and September of 2021), but some of this information is older, and the situation is still such that some places may have closed since I was last there. Check websites, google, call ahead, etc.

Tasting port that I can't find, is cheaper/better/older than what I can find in the USA is why we are going to Portugal . This is why I am posting here, instead of a generic Portugal travel site.

There are certainly some Ports to be tasted in Portugal that are hard to find in the US. As for cheaper, that's tougher if you are intending to buy a whole bottle. I always bring a few back with me, but for things available in both the US and Portugal, the US prices are regularly better. Here are some places in Porto to consider:

Bacchus Vini https://goo.gl/maps/R7eWFaaBLE72
Right next to the bridge on the Porto side, this is a good place to sample tawny and colheita Ports. They have a good selection and Maria Fonseca, one of the owners, is very friendly.

Prova https://goo.gl/maps/avrCseLk3Vz
They have Port, but this is a great place to try other Portuguese wines. I went here first with a winemaker, Luis Seabra, after a dinner with him and a group at DOP. He was formerly a winemaker for Niepoort (at Quinta da Nápoles?), and now makes his own wines. I think he is friends with the owner here. Prova has a great variety of Portuguese wines. On one visit, I ordered a sampler of three reds (and some pesticos), but upon recognizing that I had previously tasted one of them, the waiter brought several other bottles so I could pick something new.

Vinoteca https://goo.gl/maps/91WeNwQLsZ82
As I recall, they have a tasting area on one floor, but I've never tasted wines here. Their prices are reasonable. You can find better prices in the U.S. for many bottles, but the difference is smaller here. And I bet there are many more inexpensive brands that are just as cheap here.

Portologia https://goo.gl/maps/xoFNcTQHWbk
This used to be a great place to try Ports. It isn't as good as it used to be, after the previous owner sold it, they've relocated I think twice now, and Google reports it is temporarily closed. Long ago they had a lot of wines from smaller producers that weren't readily available in the U.S. For tawny with indication of age, one brand to try is S. Leonardo (Quinta do Mourão). The 30 is a great QPR wine, and the 40 is outstanding. In a blind tasting of 20+ 40 year old tawnies, it was my favorite. And the "60" is one of my top wines ever tasted. You can get S. Leonardo now in the U.S., but it isn't easy to find.

The Wine Barrels https://goo.gl/maps/derFgnGpgPU2
This is also a place to eat, but I list it here because they have a good selection of Ports to drink as well. I've only been here for dessert and Port (twice). I think this is or used to be associated with Avepod (Associação de Viticultores Engarrafadores dos Vinhos do Porto e Douro), which promotes smaller producers.

I leave out the lodges and try to post about them in your other thread.

Mosaics

Besides the museum in Lisboa, and just walking around any town, you should stop in São Bento railway station in Porto.

Castles

I have to say that my favorite castles in Europe are Carcassonne in France and Sterling in Scotland. There are castles all over Portugal, and many are worth visiting, but more for the views (e.g. São Jorge in Lisbon) or the history (Guimarães).

Great restaurants (ambiance?) where I might also taste a variety of port that is unavailable in the USA.

Oh, these are not Port specific, but here you go. Links to TripAdvisor should be to my own reviews.

First, Lisbon:

Taberna Sal Grosso
Calçada do Forte 22, 1100-256 Lisboa
A small hole in the wall place with friendly staff and excellent local food.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRev ... tugal.html

Aqui Há Peixe
R. Trindade 18A, 1200-468 Lisboa
I've had several nice meals here, and it comes highly recommended.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRev ... tugal.html

Bairro do Avillez
R. Nova da Trindade 18, 1200-466 Lisboa
This is a complex of restaurants by a Michelin starred chef, but none of the places at this complex have stars, nor the price that goes with them. The Mini Bar, however, is pretty spendy and has a tasting menu worthy of a star. I went to the Páteo restaurant in the back and enjoyed it quite a bit, and to Mini Bar on my last trip. Next time I may try the cafe up front
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRev ... tugal.html

Places I haven't been that others recommend:

Taberna da Rua das Flores
Rua das Flores 103, 1200-015 Lisboa

Belcanto
Largo de São Carlos 10, 1200-410 Lisboa

Gambrinus (note: cash only)
R. das Portas de Santo Antão 23, 1150-264 Lisboa

Horta Dos Brunos (more out of the way)
R. Ilha do Pico 27, 1000-169 Lisboa

Porto

Taberna Mercadores
https://goo.gl/maps/a6DJrAban3P2
If you go, someone should order either the rebalo or dourado, two fish dishes. They are prepared simply, but in an interesting way as well.

Taberninha do Manel
https://goo.gl/maps/2XxEuzBvLmu
Roy and others on this Forum love this place. I think it is good. It is in an obvious tourist location, but is probably better than many of the other tourist oriented restaurants.

Tasca Vasco (formerly Panca - Cevicheria & Pisco Bar)
https://goo.gl/maps/qs8U2Th6hRz
This is not Portuguese. But several of my Portugal based friends went there, so I decided to give it a try. It is Peruvian and Latin cuisine. I also mention it because the location is near the Torre dos Clerigos and Livrario Lello. When I went it had a different name. It appears that the theme is the same, but since there has been a change, I can't give it a 100% endorsement. But if you're close by, it might be worth checking out.

Trasca
https://goo.gl/maps/wHQAXNrNziP2
I've been twice and it was reasonably good. They have the alheira sausage. I think I was turned onto this by some of my Porto friends.

Tapabento S.Bento
https://goo.gl/maps/3X47mjMi3tF2
I haven't been, but gets good reviews. I was considering it on one of my trips, but they were closed up during Festa Sao Joao.

À Bolina
https://goo.gl/maps/W1BFNeoYj2M2
Like the above, I haven't been, but gets good reviews.

Medium-High end dining:

Vinum at Grahams
Not quite at the level of the high end dining below, but good. And you can follow it up with a tasting of Port. Make a reservation if you want the good Ports.

Cantinho do Avillez
https://goo.gl/maps/Mtnx7wg23dt
This isn't at the level of José's Michelin starred restaurants or even Mini Bar in Lisbon, but the veal risotto I had was very tasty. The service was medium. I was going to write a TripAdvisor review and give it 4-stars.

Barão Fladgate (The other restaurant at Taylor)
I went here in 2008 and it was good then. I've heard it isn't as good now, as perhaps they have been distracted by the Yeatman. The view is wonderful.

Restaurante O Gaveto
https://goo.gl/maps/iZT5dvdc6Ax
This is a long trek out, but can be reached by the metro. When I was there, they were actually renovating their "real" location, which they have since moved back into. This is much more oriented to the locals. Our waiter did not really speak English, and they might not have had a menu in English. A lot of my Porto friends love this place. My meal was good, but not to the level they report. The temporary location might have been a factor.

Os Lusíadas
Also in Matosinhos, so a trek outside of Porto, but we ate here at the conclusion of a FTLOP tour this year and it was excellent. Seafood.

High end dining:

Euskalduna Studio
https://goo.gl/maps/3445cSbtTn12
Roy thinks the chef is on his way to a Michelin star. I think the food is excellent, but the service wasn't quite up to a star. If you like doing the tasting menu at a place like Daniel in NYC, this is worth considering for the food.

DOP
https://goo.gl/maps/tfbGAL47X4N2
I've been three or four times now. Rui has a star at one of his other restaurants, northwest of Porto, and I like DOC, another of his restaurants in the Douro a little better. But the food and service are good. If you don't want to take up a dinner night and do want to save a little money, they have a special lunch menu (possibly just Monday-Friday), the Executive or some such, that is limited but a good value.

O Paparico
https://goo.gl/maps/iDByRmnztW12
A more intimate dining space than DOP, and a little bit out of the way. The food is more traditional than the two above places, but still more than traditional Portuguese fare.

If you want to chase stars, the following are both towards the coast:
http://www.casadechadaboanova.pt
http://www.pedrolemos.net

Best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto, and what to visit in between.

I always take the train. For two people I would recommend it. If there are four of you and you want to explore more, then do the math and maybe rent a car. I've been to Portugal six times now. I rented a car on one trip when I was with my parents and we drove down to the Algarve and visited Sintra and Colares. When we got back to Lisbon, we parked the car at the hotel and never used it. On my five other trips, I used trains, metro, and an occasional Uber.

As for what to visit, I don't think anyone has mentioned Óbidos or Aveiro yet.

Best way to travel within Porto and Lisbon.

I love to walk, and Porto and Lisbon both are great to explore this way. Traveling solo, and with one or two others, I've always used the metro for greater distances. One caveat is that if you use Google for walking directions, or metro and walking, I don't think it really takes into account the hills. You might be better off going an extra metro stop and backtracking to go downhill sometimes.

Live Music

I love fado, and fado vadio even more so.

For Lisbon:

If you are interested in hearing Fado, Lisbon is the birthplace and there are many options. These fall between very professional structured shows to locals restaurants where the singers might be customer regulars and the staff.

https://www.10best.com/destinations/por ... life/fado/
https://www.lisbonguru.com/5-best-fado- ... ts-alfama/

On my recent trip I went to Clube de Fado. The singing was very professional, and the food was very good, but perhaps a bit overpriced.

I also spent an evening at A Baiuca. This is on the other end of the spectrum, and much more to my liking. But that's a personal taste. The food is o.k., but not the reason to go. Check in to see which nights they will fado, as I don't think it is every night.

Between these ends of the spectrum, on my most recent trip I also managed to stop in at the following, for my fourth visit:

Tasca Do Chico
R. do Diário de Notícias 39, 1200-108 Lisboa
This is a very small place that will have a number of singers each night. It will get packed with a mix of locals and tourists, probably a few more tourists. It is possible to make a reservation for 20:00, or you can show up early, or just wait outside until you get waved in between songs. (Don't try to enter while a song is in progress.) If this place looks just too busy, there are a number of other Fado places in the neighborhood (Bairro Alto, Chiado). The singers are semi-professional. Some might have CDs to sell you, others are hoping to be there some day. Since I've been four times, I obviously like this place, but I have to say it isn't as good as the first time I went. It is more touristy today. I think Anthony Bourdain might have stopped here, and a few other celebrities. In 2015 beer was 2€ for the small size (imperial in Lisboa, fino in Porto), and the caldo verde was very good. Now the beer is 3€, and there is no sausage in the soup.

For Porto:

There are a good number of places to see tourist shows, like the Cálem Port lodge. I don't fancy those. I prefer the fado vadio of Porto, which is found in tiny taverns, different places each night. Some are better than others. Note that the times listed are the official starting times, and you should arrive then or earlier if you want to insure a seat. But don't expect singing to start for a bit later, 30 minutes or more. Have a snack and a beverage while you wait.

• On Monday and Thursday Porto Ginjihna used to be an option. I just checked and Google says it is closed now. Phone: 96 034 9168, 16:30-19:00. It wasn't one of the better places, you could also sample the ginjinha, a cherry liqueur.
• On Tuesday, Adega Rio Douro (phone: 22 617 0206) does fado, 16:00 to 19:30. This place is highly rated, and I enjoyed it a lot. The location is a little away from central Porto, but it is along the trolley route and close to the Ponte da Arrábida, which is worth a look if you are there. You can even climb the bridge. I went for fado and scheduled a bridge climb for sunset afterwards.
• On Friday, Maus Amigos (phone 22 201 1757 and 91 400 2723) is an option from 17:00 to 20:00, a little better than Ginjinha, but still not great.
• On Saturday, check out O Boteko, with fado from 17:00 to 20:00. The fado is highly rated and the food here is good too. I've been and also enjoyed this a lot.
• Adega Rio Douro might have a slightly nicer location and atmosphere, but O Boteko has more of a neighborhood local feel.

O.k., that's enough for now. Feel free to follow up with specific questions.

[Bryan H.]

Adding to my post above and agreeing with other comments:

--I second Eric re Bairro do Avillez. Very good.

--Also second Will re Fronteira Palace. Worth the visit, you can get there easily by Uber.

--Aqui Ha Peixe. I mentioned it and am a big fan, and sounds like Eric has had good experience there as well. The owners (Miguel and Mafalda, who are great), also have a boat and do sailing tours on the Tejo. Weather depending and assuming they sail in March, that's an option too.

[Tym Lewis]

Just wanted to reiterate that you guys are awesome, and I have taken plenty of notes.

As an aside,
Due to Covid we are going to travel in June.

TYM :)

[Glenn E.]

Depending on dates in June, you may be able to catch Festa de São João do Porto, which is the night of June 23. I've never been there at the right time, but I've heard that it's quite the party and great fun.

Also to add to the list of place to taste Port, especially Port that you probably can't find (at least not easily) in the US, put Lado Wines on your list. They specialize in small producers and have Ports from Quinta do Mourão (S. Leonardo and Rio Bom), Quinta das Lamelas, Quinta da Prelada, Quinta da Ste. Eufemia, and several others. Maria Tita was our host when we were there and she took great care of us.

[Al B.]

And there’s the Boat Race on the afternoon of the 24th June.