Dobleve

We travelled to Portugal this past weekend and it was one of the most enchanting places I have ever been. If you’re a traveler and have never been, it is more than worth the trip and we cannot wait to go back ourselves. We first arrived in Portugal by way of Southern Spain – the region (in Portugal) is called the Algarve. It was outstandingly and unendingly green and according to the guide book there are 48 plant species there that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. We stayed our first night in Lagos, a small town seemingly popular with surfers and British tourists (we were there off season though and really enjoyed the place). The center of town is a street that’s a curious but appealing mix of cobblestone, old buildings and brightly colored neon signs. We ate dinner there at a very traditional Portuguese restaurant that was right next door to a bar offering ‘beer bongs + shot’ specials.

We drove along the coast of Portugal and saw so many beautiful things we were pretty exhausted by the time we reached Lisbon. And yet there was still so much more to see. We stayed in an older Moorish neighborhood called Alfama. We didn’t have to walk far to find neighborhoods with a totally different character (like our favorite the Bairo Alto). Everywhere we looked was a new, narrow winding street, 3 story azulejo murals on the sides of buildings, friendly faces and water, water, water.

Outside of Lisbon we visited the Palácio Nacional da Pena in Sintra. In some ways it was a colorful Disney monstrosity but still was one of our favorite stops. The day we were there it was extremely windy and a bit cold. With your entrance fee you can walk around the balustrade surrounding the top of the castle. It is greatly deteriorated in places and doesn’t look as if it was ever that safe to begin with so as you walk around it it’s a little bit scary / a little bit invigorating. Plus, the wind whipped up every now and again to give an extra jolt of adrenalin the day we were there. We loved it. And, while you’re up there you have the most beautiful vistas in every direction, including all the way to the Atlantic Ocean from one side.

Not too far from the Palácio Nacional da Pena we stopped at a very cool old garden (and villa) called the Quinta da Regaleira. Then, on our way out of Portugal and back into Spain we drove a different route, both just to see what there was to see, but also because we figured maybe we could have a nice stop or two in wine country. More on these must see Portugal destinations later…