Two and a half hours for both trips - a day trip to Aveiro and Costa Nova, south of Porto, promises nature, architecture and history, with a minimal amount of time spend on the road. We stopped at Costa Nova first, before continuing to Aveiro and savouring the sunset in this picturesque town.

Braga and Guimarães are both located to the north-east of Porto. Both cities are well worth a visit and their proximity (only 1,5 hours on the road from Porto to Braga to Guimarães and back to Porto) makes a day trip to Braga and Guimarães and ideal choice. Be prepared to see many churches, two old but well preserved city…

When thinking of the Algrave beautiful nature comes to mind, sprawling beaches and sunny weather. However this extensive region of the country also has a diverse and rich history of Roman, Moorish and Portuguese influences. A 5-7 day roadtrip along the Algrave is the ideal way to explore this area.

Cascais is a popular beach town in the Portuguese Riviera, that has grown from the retreat of the Portuguese nobility into a popular tourist destination and resort town over the last decades. Despite this it has largely managed to keep its traditional Portuguese charm. Next to Sintra it is a very worthwhile destination close to Lisbon. Here’s how to go…

One afternoon during my long weekend I had booked a food tour in Lisbon with a local guide, to show us not only traditional Portuguese food, but also introduce us to the small businesses and family run restaurants in the Alfama and surrounding districts.