This blog series is about five more countries in Europe I loved visiting. I have already covered two countries – Scotland and The UK. Last year Kim and I had the opportunity to take the kids to Portugal during Thanksgiving break. We had a blast. In this blog, I will share five reasons I love visiting Portugal.
Reason #1 – Lisbon, the capital of Portugal
Like a lot of travelers, we started our Portuguese adventure in Lisbon, the capital city. All of us loved Lisbon. Three quick recommendations for visiting Lisbon. First, take a food tour. No better way to see this city than filling your belly along the way. Two, get around to the different neighborhoods. Three, bring your walking shoes. This city is hilly. You are officially warned.
Reason #2 – Wine
I’m not much of a wine guy. However, I recommend you sample to your heart’s content in Portugal. They produce many excellent wines here. This country is especially known for Port Wine which is made in the Duoro Valley. They sell it at the vineyards and in Porto. Port wine goes well with dessert or a cigar.
Reason #3 – Sights
Even though Portugal is a relatively small country it is packed full of things to see and do. There are castles, cathedrals, museums, and much more. They have this wonderful tile work all over the place including their train stations. What you see in the picture below is Pina Palace. It is located in Sintra. This place reminds me of Neuschwanstein in Germany. Look at all those colors.
Reason #4 – Food
I ate like a Portuguese Prince while I was in this country. If you love Seafood get to Portugal. It has some of the best I’ve ever had – so fresh. They serve delectable Delights like the ones you see in the picture below. They are called pastel de nata. These treats are filled with custard and love and served all over the country. As a visitor, I felt compelled to eat a few of these every day with a cup of coffee.
Reason #5 – Beaches of Portugal
Portugal’s most famous beaches are located along the South Coast known as The Algarve. We did not visit there so I will not talk about that part of the country. Instead, I will focus on Nazare since went there. This place has the largest waves in the world. They are incredible. Go see it if you can. I’m still trying to wrap my head around why these crazy surfers get out there and try and ride these monster waves. If you want to learn more about this surfing culture, check out this documentary series about them.
Bonus Reason – the small size of Portugal
If you look at the map of Europe below you can see that Portugal is on the west coast. It’s not that big which is a bonus in my mind. It is super easy to get around and see things all over this country. For example, if you drove from Porto which is located north all the way down to the Algarve you can cover that distance in five hours or less. Another pleasant surprise is the highways. They are excellent. The EU made big Investments in Portugal’s infrastructure and it shows.
Extra bonus reason – the people
The Portuguese people are awesome. Everyone we met there was super helpful and friendly. Good news – a lot of people speak English. Simply put, they go out of their way to make sure you have a good time in their country which is my my kind of people.
One thing I do not like about Portugal
Portugal is not perfect, although it’s pretty close. Here is one thing I don’t like about this country recognizing I am part of the problem. It is packed full of tourists. The secret is out. Portugal is awesome and people are flocking there. What we noticed in Lisbon when we were there in November was that there were long lines at major attractions. We skipped going into some popular places like Belum Tower. I recommend you go in the off-season if at all possible.
Three of my favorite things in Portugal
- My favorite city – Porto.
- My Favorite sight is Sintra.
- Hotels – we stayed in a castle in Obidos.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to my sons.