Portugal Part 6 - Douro Valley/Porto - 2018

Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is spectacular and worth more than just a day visit from Porto. We stayed at a very remote part of eastern Douro Valley, near Vila Nova Foz Coa. Our hotel, Casa do Rio, was fantastic - intimate & peaceful - only 8 rooms & 2 cottages, at a gorgeous setting, with beautiful dinners & great wines. But there was not much to do there besides walking around the surrounding vineyards, sitting by the infinity pool or kayaking on the river. If you want to mostly relax, this place is a must! But if you want to explore the Douro area and go wine tasting & check out restaurants, a better option would be to stay at Quinta do Vallado or Six Senses near Peso da Régua. 

After a couple of days of pure relaxation, we drove from Casa do Rio to Porto, our next destination. We recommend taking the N222 route, that even though longer, it's quite scenic all the way to Peso da Régua. 

While in Porto we had friends visit who wanted to see the Douro Valley, so we took a day-tour from Porto and it was great. This is the tour booked through airbnb Experiences: Wine Venture & Sailing in Douro Valley - www.airbnb.com/experiences/160799. Ricardo was our lovely guide. We got to visit off-the-beaten-path wineries, sail on the Douro & drive around some beautiful landscapes. 

Porto

Porto is much smaller than Lisbon, full of history, beautiful monuments, nice parks & great beaches nearby. We unfortunately stayed in Porto for 9 days and all of them cold & with rain. And this was June!

SEE/DO

  1. Like most places, the first thing I recommend is to wander the streets, get lost and get a feel for the place. This is the best way to discover some beautiful vistas, interesting shops & architecture, good cafes & quaint streets.
  2. The second thing I usually recommend is a food tour. This all-day tour with Culinary Backstreets - https://culinarybackstreets.com/tours-food-tours/tours-porto/2018/beyond-barrel-decadent-home-heart-porto/ - will provide you with great knowledge of local history & you will also get to taste local dishes at ‘holes in the wall” you would never discover otherwise. Not to mention that you will walk all over the city. 
  3. Walk across the Dona Maria Bridge, a stunning bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel and then hike up to the Mosteiro da Serra de Pilar which offers unbelievable views. You will then be on the other side of the river – Vila Nova de Gaia – where all the port tasting. Mercado Beira-Rio is a great food market if you need a snack after all this walking!
  4. Rua Miguel Bombarda, the new art street lined with galleries.
  5. São Bento train Station with its interior adorned by the famous typical blue Portuguese tiles.
  6. Livraria Lello is a historic art noveau bookstore that served as inspiration for the library in Hogwarts, Harry Potter. Extremely tourist with huge lines to get in and you have to purchase tickets prior to getting in line. Go early in the morning if you want to actually visit this place without the crowds! 
  7. Crystal Palace Gardens is a lovely park to walk around and take advantage of the several viewpoints that offer wonderful panoramic views of the city.

STAY I’m not a big airbnb fan, since they are usually disappointing, but the house we rented in Porto - www.airbnb.com/rooms/17784106 - was wonderful and it’s host Fernando was fantastic. If this house is too big, please know that Fernando owns smaller properties. He is an architect so has great attention for design details and also is very thoughtful as a host. 

EAT Taberna dos Mercadores [small delicious seafood restaurant; a bit touristy but still special; reservations in advance are a must for lunch or dinner] Shiko, Tasca Japonesa [small Japanese restaurant with a Portuguese touch] Oficina [gorgeous modern/industrial space with very contemporary Portuguese dishes] Muu Steakhouse [cosmopolitan, good food & great service; book ahead of time] Cervejaria Brasão Aliados [casual & fun restaurant with pretty decent food] Casa Guedes [very casual tasca famous for its pork sandwiches and rose wine; pork sandwich was delicious, but I did not care for the rose wine!] Gazela [very casual restaurant with a u-shaped counter that only serves cachorrinhos, a version of hot dog, but nothing like a hot dog we’re used to. It gets packed at lunch, so get there right before it opens its doors] Flow Restaurant & Bar [beautiful space & very good food; lunch on the outdoor patio & dinner inside is my recommendation] Ecuador Chocolate Shop [fantastic chocolates locally made; far superior than Arcadia, the famous Porto chocolate maker]

DRINK Café Candelabro [a cafe/bookshop/bar - the spot for coffee by day and cocktails by night] Capela Incomum [great wine bar in an old chapel] 

Portugal Part 5 - Silver Coast/Coimbra/Piódão - 2018

Siver Coast

Just an hour north of Lisbon, the Silver Coast is worlds away from the stress and rush of modern life. The pace is very relaxed and there are beautiful beaches with very good waves if you’re into surfing. We stayed at an eco-friendly beach resort called Areias do Seixo right behind a sand dune & surrounded by pine trees. It’s a modern concrete & glass structure with a mix of whimsical crystals, Indian & Morrocan décor.  We stayed in the Love room and it was the biggest room I have ever stayed at in a hotel, with a giant terrace overlooking the hotel grounds. 

Worth getting out of bed for:

Walk down the cliff to the beach across from the hotel, and if the tide is low, walk south over the rocks and make your way to Fisica Beach in the nearby town of Santa Cruz. There is a great beach bar called Noah (same owners as Areias do Seixo) where you can grab a drink, a snack or lunch. Then you can take the vintage VW bus that shuttles guests back and forth from Noah to the hotel. 

Drive to Peniche, world-famous surfing spot where it is claimed it is possible to find a surfable wave no matter what way the wind is blowing. We stopped at the Baleal beach area & charming village. From Peniche you can take a boat across to the Berlengas island, a biosphere reserve, excellent for fishing and diving. But if you do that, set aside a full day. You can also continue driving north to Nazaré, another beach town that has gained international fame due to it colossal size waves, that can typically be seen from late October to March. 

EAT Noah [go back to Noah for dinner; good food & very chill ambiance] Taberna do Ganhão [at Baleal Beach for lunch] The Restaurant at the hotel [another great option if you don’t want to go anywhere]

Coimbra

Coimbra is the former capital of Portugal by the Mondego River with a well-preserved medieval old town and the oldest and largest university of Portugal - the University of Coimbra. It is not a must see, so I would not go out of my way to visit it, but if you’re in the area, it‘s worth a stop and a full day is enough time to get a feel for the city and see it’s highlights.

EAT Alqueire Comes e Bebes [charming small restaurant with very good food; great for lunch or dinner] Arcada Comes e Bebes[another good option just a few buildings down the same street]

STAY Sapientia Boutique Hotel[nice hotel within the old city walls right by the university; pretty good breakfast included]

TO DOHire a guide for a day tour of Coimbra – www.gowalksportugal.com. The highlights of our tour: walking around the old town, the Botanical Garden, University of Coimbra including its famous Joanina Library & Rua Fernandes Tomas with its overhead crochet umbrellas. 

Piódão

On our way to Douro Valley, we detoured a bit and drove from Coimbra to Piódão through the Serra do Açor. It is a protected landscape area that unfortunately has been badly burned during the 2017 wildfires that burned the Portuguese countryside for days. The road is extremely windy but worth the drive even if parts of the landscape have been burned. It’s still extremely scenic with terraced farms along the steep mountain slopes, stone buildings & charming villages. 

Buried deep in the Serra do Açor is the historical village of Piódão with narrow winding streets & buildings made of schist, a stone found in great abundance in the area. The whole village is a large patch of uniform grey/brown color only interrupted by the vivid blue of the windows or doors. 

I recommend the walk from Piódao to Foz d'Egua, which is a very pleasant 3km walk that will lead to a small swim hole. Note that it’s only swimmable in the summer since a temporary dam is built to create the fluvial pool. 

Portugal Part 4 - Algarve - 2018

Western Algarve

ALJEZUR [perched on a hill with the remnants of a castle up top and a cascade of white houses down the hillside towards the river, this is a charming village and where I recommend staying for a few nights since the beaches in this area are stunning]

BORDEIRA BEACH [large sandy beach surrounded by limestone cliffs and pristine dunes, on the mouth of the Ribeira da Bordeira river. From the parking lot, there is a dirt track that leads to a wooden path, and after that you will need to cross the shallow river on foot to get to the beach. You will have the beach pretty much to yourself]

AMADO BEACH [this is one of Portugal’s premier surfing beaches with its own surf school on site. It’s backed by sand dunes with cliffs on both sides]

PEDRALVA [fully restored tiny traditional rural village, that until not long ago was in total disrepair with only 9 inhabitants left.  It now has a Gourmet Grocery and two restaurants Pizza Pazza Pizzeria and Sitio da Pedralva, Worth a quick stop or a a few-nights stay]

 STAY Muxima [guest house near Aljezur with a rustic charm inspired by the owner’s love for Africa]

Southern/Central Algarve

LAGOS [a relatively big town in comparison to the villages we have visited while driving down the coast. It has a walled old town and jagged cliffs overlooking sandy coves. While I believe it was a charming place at one point, my husband and I did not care much for it. Felt very touristy, with uninteresting shops, restaurants where menus are on the sidewalk and hosts keep inviting you in and neon bars with bad lighting. The beaches in the area are quite beautiful but pretty busy. But if you are in the area, our favorite beach was Camilo. Also nearby is Farol da Ponta da Piedade where everyone recommended we should watch the sunset from. We, however, loved our hotel (see below) and ended up spending a lot of time there]

STAY Casa Mãe [a rustic, chic hotel in the old town. We booked the Cabana room – Oeste was it’s name – and highly recommend it. One of my favorites rooms ever in a hotel. Surrounded by a beautiful vegetable garden, a pool, and a beautifully renovated white mansion, original to that site. It has its own little patio & hammock]

EAT Orta [the restaurant at Casa Mãe – fresh produce from their garden, creative dishes and delicious]

We skipped the rest of the Alrgave coast from Lagos until Olhão, which is right after Faro. This area is too developed and populated. We spent our time in Eastern Algarve, as described below, and that was the right decision. 

Eastern Algarve

OLHÃO [town that it’s life revolves around the sea. Fishing has always been the typical livelihood of its inhabitants and the seafood market is the best I have ever seen. The abundance of fish of every size and shape, shellfish, octopus, squid, eel is astounding. We went there on a Saturday and that is a special day when small producers from the Algarve hills arrive at the market to sell their fruits and vegetables. From Olhão you can take a boat to visit the RIA FORMOSA NATURAL RESERVE, an intricate network of ponds, canals, salt mines and sandy fields separated from the Atlantic by a group of sandy islands that stretch from Faro to Cacela Velha. Unlike any place I have ever been. There are many options of islands to go spend the day ay and we picked ARMONA. Ferris run from Olhão’s harbor to Armona, but there are also water taxis. A more expensive option but not restrictive schedule-wise. We chose the latter. In 15 minutes you get to Armona, a pedestrian-only fishing village. You have to walk for 20 minutes across town to get to the really beautiful beach, and it’s worth the trek. Miles and miles of white sandy beach with very few people. Heaven! There’s a beach bar right on the sand, the only one, and while the food is nothing to remember, it’s a great spot for a drink] 

STAY Fazenda Nova Country House [beautifully renovated farmhouse, a true work of love by a British couple. The Garden Rooms are spectacular, tranquil environment by a saltwater pool by the olive tree grove, great staff, however the food is pretty weak]

EAT Casa do Polvo [in Santa Luzia, about a 20-minute drive from the hotel, considered the capital of octopus. This restaurant is specialized in octopus, but has other seafood options as well]

BARRIL BEACH [from Pedras D’Rei the beach can be accessed by a 1.5km walk through the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve. There is a small train for those who don’t want to walk. It’s a beautiful & long white sandy beach, a bit more popular than Armona since access is a bit easier. As you arrive the first thing you will notice is an Anchor Graveyard, left by tuna-fishing boats over the years]

TAVIRA [the loveliest city we visited in the Algarve – a blend of old, elegant buildings, cobbled streets and squares, traversed by the Gilão river and it’s old bridge. Tavira still maintains an atmosphere of a traditional, typical Algarve fishing village]

STAY Pensão Agrícola [this is a special place! Rui, the owner and host, acquired this property in complete disrepair and restored it into a small hotel with only 6 rooms. It’s paradise with white simple buildings filled up with antiques and surrounded by tranquil green fields. . You can rent their Vespa for the day or get toured around with their TukTuk. Charming does not even start to describe this place]

EAT TAVIRA Aquasul [in a narrow alley, this nice little restaurant serves a delicious variety of food. If you can, get a table on the alley or the terrace. Make sure to make reservations] O Castelo [for meat lovers this is a great place run by a Brazilian. Reservations are recommened] CABANAS Noélia e Jerônimo [serves delicious seafood & reservations are a must] 

CACELA VELHA [Unesco Heritage site astonishing views of the Formosa Lagoon river and the Peninsula of Cacelha Velha. There’s also a beach in Cacela Velha, that can be accessed by boat or you can drive to the next town over, Manta Rota and walk along the beach westward and you will get to Cacela Beach]

 

 

 

Portugal Part 3 - Alentejo 'Coast' - 2018

Comporta

Unspoiled enclave of protected pine forest, white sand beaches, rice fields & fairy tale whitewashed fishermen’s cottages. Unpretentious but quite the spot – known as the Hamptons of Portugal! Still super chill & not very touristy.

This time of year, May, all over the coast, the storks are breeding and you can see them on their big nests on top of telephone polls, chimneys, rocks and even electrical towers. If you are lucky, you will also get to see their chicks in the nests. I could not get enough of them!

At the small town of Comporta, eat at Gomes Casa de Vinhos & Petiscos [very charming wine bar & restaurant] São João [simple restaurant, loved by locals & great for lunch. Order the seafood cataplana – seafood stew cooked inside a copper pot] Colmo Bar [go any time in the day; serves coffee, fresh juices, healthy lunches and cocktails at sunset] Cavalariça [restaurant inside an old horse stable; we did not get to eat there, but the ambiance looked great]

BEACHES Comporta Beach [like all beaches in the area, it has uninterrupted white sand sandwiched between dunes and a beautifully blue ocean. If it’s not windy, which can be crazy at times, you cannot ask for a more perfect beach] Pego Beach [same as Comporta – eat at Sal – very charming restaurant right on the beach, serving fresh & delicious seafood] Carvalhal Beach [also similar to Comporta & Pego beaches. Dinis is a restaurant right on the beach, and while we did not eat there, I cannot imagine it wouldn’t be good with the abundance of fresh seafood in the area]

TO DO Cavalos na Areia [horse-back riding through the rice fields, over the dunes covered with pine trees and finally on the completely deserted white sand beach. Beautiful 1 ½ hour experience] Sado Estuary Nature Reserve [home to dolphins, flamingos & nesting storks. Hire a canoe and explore the estuary]

STAY Sublime [beautifully designed hotel in the midst of pine trees. It has a very good spa & very nice restaurant. It is however a bit pricey]

Costa Vicentina

It’s a natural park that’s runs along the whole west coast of the Alentejo & Algarve regions. Due to this park, this is a more wild, less developed coast than the Algarve in the south. The golden sand beaches are beautiful and almost deserted. There is a trail that runs along the coast – ROTA VICENTINA– that used be an ancient smugglers’ route and fisherman’s pathways. It offers superb views of the coast. Some people hike the whole length of this trail and sleeps in the small towns along the way. 

PORTO COVO [another traditional & charming whitewashed village, still not overwhelmed by tourism. The nearby Samoqueira beach with its turquoise water is not to be missed]

 VILA NOVA DE MILFONTES [one of the loveliest towns along this stretch of the coast, Vila Nova de Milfontes has an attractive, whitewashed center, a beautiful beach alongside the sand edged limb of estuary of the Mira River]

EAT/DRINK Choupana [very simple restaurant in an old fishermen’s wooden shack, directly on thebeach. The fresh grilled fish is always delicious, but get used to it, it will inevitably come accompanied with boiled potatoes and a salad of lettuce and tomatoes. That’s pretty much the case everywhere] O7 Ocean Drive Beach Club [on the south side of the river, at Furnas beach, is this quirky bar, a great spot for a drink] 

CABO SARDÃO [a lighthouse that is nothing special, but we did the walk along the Rota Vicentina from here to Zambujeira do Mar and it was quite beautiful. About 2hrs walk (not a loop, out and back – we parked the car in Zambujeira and got a ride to Cabo Sardão). You can eat at a Barca Traquitanas in Zambujeira, at the end of the hike] 

PRAIA DA AMÁLIA [from the Herdade Amalia Guesthouse near Azenhas do Mar village, follow a path through thicket and down rough-hewn steps to Praia da Amália. Jagged black cliffs bookend this picture-perfect beach, named after Amália Rodrigues, an orange-seller turned into an iconic fado singer, who learned to swim there]

ODECEIXE [a lovely old village tucked into a river valley with an old windmill at the top of the hill. But the biggest attraction is its wide awe-inspiring beach with the river Seixe running along one of its side and the sea on the other. This river is also the divider between the Alentejo region to the north and the Algarve to the south]

STAY Casa da Diná [lovely B&B near Odemira, run by a Portuguese lady – Diná – and her Uruguayan husband – Walter.  They are incredibly warm hosts; Diná is a great cook so the breakfasts are a treat and I highly recommend you ask her to cook dinner one night. We ended up hanging out with them quite a bit and they were a lot of fun! It felt like we were staying at a friend’s house and not at a hotel. We were sad to have to leave]

 

Portugal Part 2 - Alentejo 'Inland' - 2018

We do a cycling trip about every other year with our group of SF friends & my incredible 80-year old father-in-law, and this time we went to the Alentejo region of Portugal. We hired Bike Tours Portugal to organize our cycling routes and they were fantastic. Our guides Ricardo, Vitor and Alex were so professional, knowledgeable of the region and incredibly friendly. We got to cycle through enormous plains with cork trees, olive groves, and vineyards that extend as far as you can see. We got lucky and colorful wild flowers were everywhere. What a treat!

Days 1 & 2: Évora

We started our bike trip in Évora, the capital of the Alentejo region. It’s a quaint medieval walled city, with cobbled streets lined with whitewashed, traditional buildings. In Évora all streets lead to Giraldo Square, it’s center. This name was given in honor of a local hero, Geraldo Geraldes, the Fearless, who conquered Evora from the Moors in 1167. Sit down for a drink, watch the locals go by and contemplate the beautiful building facades. 

SEE/DO First and foremost, walk all around town. Bones Chapel [a must-see chapel inside the Sao Francisco Church, made entirely of human bones. It is said that when land in Évora became too valuable, some cemeteries were moved and people’s buried cadavers were used to adorn this chapel. It is where monks contemplated the ephemeral nature of life. Some people find it to be macabre, but I found it absolutely incredible] Roman Temple or Temple of Diana [very well preserved temple in Corinthian style believed to be constructed in the beginning of the first century A.D. It’s part of the historic city center] Cartuxa Winery [part of the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation, this winery produces great wines & olive oil. It’s at a beautiful setting & worth a visit]

EAT Botequim da Mouraria [small restaurant with a long counter with only 9 seats. Go with the owners & chefs, Mr. Domingos and his wife, recommendations] Café Alentejo [unpretentious restaurant with hearty dishes] Tasquinha do Oliveira [typical restaurant with only 6 tables. The great quality of the food made by Mr. Oliveira’s wife & the cozy atmosphere makes this a special place] 

STAY M’Ar de Ar Aqueduto [modern & comfortable hotel walkable to the center of town & main tourist attractions. You will have beautiful views of the Aqueduto da Água da Prata from the hotel]

Days 3 & 4: Monsaraz

Monsaraz is a small hilltop town with a delightful medieval atmosphere. A visit to this picturesque & impeccably well-maintained town is a must.  

We happened to be there when a Bugatti event was taking place, so the town was filled with Bugatti cars & a as part of this special event a Cante Alentejano performed in the castle. It is comprised of men-only singing in chorus very distinctive melodies, with no instrumentation. Very typical of this region. 

SEE Walk around town. It’s very small and can be seen in an hour or two. Castle [it offers panoramic views of the Alqueva Lake – an artificial dam – the Spanish border and the surrounding Alentejo plains]

STAY São Lourenço do Barrocal [an idyllic rural retreat about 10-minute drive from Monsaraz. It is a former farming estate that has been restored in a modern and unpretentious way, appropriately reflecting the authentic character of the place and its natural setting. It’s rural serenity invites you to relax and you will sleep like a baby! We had a lovely & huge one-bedroom cottage with a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen & outdoor terrace. You can easily spend a week there]

EAT Sabores de Monsaraz [traditional Alentejo cuisine, with beautiful views of the Alqueva lake] Casa Tial[cozy coffee and gourmet shop, serving traditional pastries] Taverna Os Templarios [our friends had dinner there one night and really enjoyed it. Nice setting with great views] São Lourenço do Barrocal [the food was not incredible, but all ingredients fresh with the produce from their vegetable garden. The dining room is quite charming and for convenience sake we ate there both nights and were pretty satisfied] 

Days 5 & 6: Monforte

We did not really spend much time in Monforte – just cycled through it -  and the hotel we stayed at was about a 10-minute drive from town.  Typical whitewashed Alentejo town, but did not seem to be super special.

STAY Torre de Palma [authentic boutique hotel in a restored ancient house that dates back to 1338. Some of the rooms are inside the main house and others in the old horse stables surrounding the main building. Make sure to watch a sunset from the top of the tower in the main building; the view of the surrounding vineyards and olive groves is stunning]

EAT Basilii at Torre de Palma [the food at the hotel’s restaurant was excellent so why go anywhere else?]

Other beautiful hotels to stay at in the area:

Villa Extramuros in Arraiolos [Arraiolos also happens to be a very cute town] L’AND Vineyards in Montemor-o-Novo.

Photo credits: some of the pictures are mine, but others are from my dear friends who joined me on this trip; cycling guides & cycling trip photographer. Thank you all for your contributions.