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Important things to consider when renting a car in Portugal

The first time we got a black Renault Clio, the second time a blue metallic Mitsubishi Colt (the one in the post picture).

Tolls

To access the highways in Portugal you have to pay a toll. The system has both manual and electronic toll booths in most areas of the country. Some places only have the electronic toll booth which you can only use with a Via Verde Go Toll sensor in your car. If you book with Sixt it will atomatically be included in your vehicle and the toll amount will be booked from the same credit card you used to rent the car with.

Mileage

Some rental cars come with limited milage. Know your routes and book accordingly, because the price increases every kilometer above the limit. Or go for unlimited milage, then you are always safe.

Insurances

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) without deductible

Covers damages you do to the vehicle (you ram another car) and damages others do to the vehicle (a car rams you)

Theft Protection (TP)

Insures you to not be liable if the car (or parts of it) gets stolen.

Liability Insurance

You won’t go to jail if something happens to the car.

Tire and glass insurance

Exactly as it say, it insures damages on the glass and tires that weren’t caused by you or someone else (nails on the road, stone hits the windshield, etc.)

Cross/Multi Insurance Packages

Some liability insurances already cover LDW and TP, some LDW insurances cover tire and glass, TP and liability. Read the options carefully and don’t book things twice. But also don’t under insure your car. To cover for damages will always be more expensive than the insurance.

Pre-Buy a full tank or give it back full?

That depends on where you’re giving back car. Both times now I handed the car back at Sixt Rent a Car Lisboa Av. Liberdade. It is located relatively central in Lisbon, which also means a good distance from petrol stations. And when the traffic is bad the tank will not be full-full anymore by the time you reach it, which means extra costs. That’s how they get you.

Pre-pay for a full tank (63€ in November 2024) and give it back as empty as you possibly can. That is pretty much what a full tank of petrol will cost you anyway and you save yourself the hassle.

Don’t take it to Spain

This seems logical, but you’d be surprised how many people, especially when driving north of Porto or east of Faro, still drive across the border. If you do and do it on a highway (so it’s registered in the electronic toll system) it will cost you!

Don’t rent it at the airport!

Renting a car and picking it directly at the airport will cost more. Simply for the convenience of being able to pick it up immediately after landing. Just take the metro into the city, no matter if you pick up a car in Porto or Lisbon.

Where to rent a car in Portugal?

Always compare prices and options. You don’t want a VW Up or a Smart when driving into the mountains. You don’t want an e-car if you aren’t close to any charging stations. Do you need a trunk to transport luggage?

Der Beitrag Renting a car in Portugal – Everything you need to know erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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Costa Nova

Costa Nova is a coastal resort town south of Porto, best known for it’s colourful striped houses “palheiros” along the central promenade.

However, the entire small town has many different houses in many different styles, from traditional Portuguese styles, to Scandinavian styles to modern prefab houses. Here are some examples.

Since Coasta Nova is located on a sandbar between the ocean and the Aveiro lagoon it has beaches on both sides, although the ocean facing side is more the wide stretch of sand you’d think of when you hear the word “beach“. Dotted along the beach are quite a few restaurants and beach bars, open all year round.

At Bronze Seafood & Lounge Bar the octopus was really good, although I wouldn’t rank the sides very highly. The salmon sandwich was on point and gets 5/5 stars as a to-go beachfront lunch.

Back at the promenade you should definitely try a sweet filled Tripa (soft, like a crepe or waffle) gor Bolacha Americana (crunchy, like a wafer or ice cream cone) at “Zé da tripa“, a small street food like vendor who allegedly invented this type of dessert snack around 1960.

Where to park in Costa Nova?

Costa Nova has parking spaces along the main promenade, but those fill up quickly. Along the road “Avenida José Estevão” which leads into the town, you can find many free parking spaces as well and you will walk along the lagoon and see many quirky houses on your way to the beach and promenade.

Aveiro

Aveiro is heralded as “The Venice of Portugal” and when you visit the city, you can see why. It has a major canal running through the city, with many decorated gondola-like boats going up and down the waterway. However, can a city not just be itself?

Is Aveiro the Venice of Portugal?

“The Venice of Portugal” … the town of Aveiro is Aveiro. Not Venice. It has a lovely city centre -on solid land-, the architecture can’t really be compared and Venice has several hundred canals more. The boats aren’t gondolas (they’re actually similar to the old boats that were used to harvest “moliço” seagrass), the markets along the canal are Portuguese, not Italian. And those are all good things.

Aveiro was an important port and had a major part in salt production and export, already documented in the Roman times. In the late middle ages many small, narrow houses were built on the northern bank of the canal, occupied by fishermen and salt workers, people who worked in the lagoon and at sea.

Then, a few centuries later, it became a favoured holiday destination for Portuguese royalty, nobility and wealthy merchant families. They brought money into the town, the influence of which can still be seen today in the many Art Nouveau houses along the canal. Even today some of the salt fields are still in production.

Aveiro is very pretty, the city museum modern and worth a visit. Inside the museum you can even do a VR “Moliceiros” boat ride if you don’t want to pay for a real one, or the weather isn’t good enough.

Where to park in Aveiro?

We parked at Estacionamento Saba Marquês de Pombal, that might not be the best parking lot, or the cheapest, but it was close to the city centre and museum. No idea why the people in the reviews say the parking spots are too small, we had a Mizubishi Colt, which fit into the parking spots easily.

Der Beitrag Day Trip to Aveiro and Costa Nova – Portugal erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

You can either book a tour to visit these two cities, or if you want more freedom to explore at your own pace and eat where and what you want you can rent a car in Porto from as little as 11,33€ a day (on Discover Cars*) and drive there yourself.

Braga

Braga is a town about 57km away from Porto to the north-east. The town and surrounding area are the third most densely populated area in Portugal, after Lisbon and Porto. Braga is well known for it’s Christian (mainly Catholic) religious events and pilgrimage sites, but also has a lovely town centre and some interesting museums.

Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is a Portuguese Catholic shrine just outside the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. The name means “Good Jesus of the Mount” (as opposed to the bad Jesus… the antichrist? I am not sure, they didn’t explain it anywhere.).

Many stairs lead up the mountain, with small chapels dotted along the way. Inside each small building a different scene from the Bibles (holy book of Christians) New Testament (second half = the life, work and death of Jesus) is depicted with figures and painted murals along the walls. This place is both an important pilgrimage spot, as well as an Instagram famous tourist attraction.

On 7 July 2019, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.

Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular

A funicular is a kind of railway in which a single cabin moves permanently attached rail cars up and down a slope.

The Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular was the first funicular to be built in the Iberian Peninsula and is the oldest funicular in the world powered by water counterbalancing that’s still in use today.

Pay attention to the opening times or you will have to take the stairs (again)!

Where to park near the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte?

Very close to the base station of the funicular and also to the stairs leading up to the sanctuary is a free parking spot called “Parking Braga” on Google Maps. However, if you search for it you will find several parking lots with that name, so I linked it here.

Garden Braga

The Garden Braga restaurant looks small from the outside (because in autumn they only have a hand full of tables outside), but it actually has several floors, all decorated in a modern style, with lots of wood, gold, dark metal and many, many, many plants.

I had their French toast and a Latte Macchiato. The toast was incredibly crispy, as if deep fried, and paired very well with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and in-house made nut-granola.

Braga Cathedral & Churches

Even though unassuming from the outside Braga Cathedral is one of the most important churches in the country, since the archbishop of Braga is the primate of all Portugal (?). It is also the oldest cathedral in Portugal.

Located on the same square are the Igreja de Santa Cruz = Church of the Holy Cross (which is relatively unassuming from the outside as well) and the Igreja de São Marcos, which has life-sized statues of the apostles of Jesus along the façade. It is located on the grounds of a hospital which had originally been built for poor people and pilgrims visiting the city. In front of this hospital/church you can also find the “Braga” sign.

Raio Palace

The Raio Palace is one of the best examples of Braga civil architecture from the middle of the 18th century. The blue tiles (Azulejos) along its façade make it stand out among the modern houses surrounding it.

Where to park in Braga?

I parked at Onepark – Estacionamento Braga, close to the Raio Palace. The price was 0,3€ per 15 minutes, so for the ~3 hours I was in the city I paid 3,6€. Which is way cheaper than any paid-parking I found in Porto.

Guimarães

The historic town centre of Guimarães was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, recognizing it’s “well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town” in Europe.

Santos Passos Church

The Santos Passos Church is another catholic church on the list of things to see. It resides at the end of a park that is colourful even in late autumn. It is neither a very big, nor a very small church, but it is quite pretty.

Castle of Guimarães

The castle of Guimarães is also called the “Cradle of Portugal”, due to it’s historic importance (Portugal’s first King was born in the city and a major battle took place here after which the kingdom of Portugal was founded. Before then Guimarães belonged to the kingdom of Galicia) and influence. However, it was closed because all the employees were on strike, when I went there, so I did not get to see it and can’t tell you if a visit is currently worth it.

Inner City

Many buildings of old have been preserved within the city centre of Guimarães, most of which were built in the Pombaline style. A Portuguese architectural style of the 18th century. If you want to see many of them at once, go to the Toural Square within the city and slowly turn 360 degrees around your own axis. Pombaline houses in every direction.

Benedito Brunch

Instead of coffee I opted for a large smoothie today around lunchtime, since the breakfast from earlier was still taking up space in my stomach. The smoothie was fresh and delicious and the food on the tables around me looked good, too.

Der Beitrag Day Trip to Braga and Guimarães – Portugal erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

• Where to go in the Douro Valley?
• Douro Museum
• Try Wine
• How to get from Porto to Régua?
• Where to park in Régua?

Where to go in the Douro Valley?

Most tours will go from Porto to Pinhão, which ended up making this small town incredibly tourists and especially in the summer season also incredibly overrun. They have some good spots, but locals have advised against going there, since you pay more for the popularity. Lamego is said to be one of the prettiest towns in Northern Portugal, where the Shrine Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is located. It looks similar to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte near Braga, so if you visited or plan to visit that one, you can skip Lamego. In Régua you can find the Douro Museum and it is quite close to Porto while still offering the breathtaking views of the Douro river, which is one of the reasons why I chose to visit.

Douro Museum

This museum is the most extensive of the many museums in the Douro area (when all the exhibits are visible) and gives a good overview about the Douro region, the influence of wine on the region, it’s culture and history.

Since the Douro valley claims to be the oldest regulated wine region in the wold, the history of the wine region goes back centuries. From growing vines, the different types of grapes and how to identify them, over the production of wine and the transportation along the river, every aspect of the influence of wine on the region in covered. Some exhibits show old factory equipment and how wine bottles changed over the decades, others the agricultural utensils used in wine planting, harvesting and processing of grapes.

One wall of the museum is covered with wine bottles, dating back to the early 1800s. It also shows a map which wines are drunk most often in which regions of the world.

After the exhibitions you can visit a wine bar overlooking the Douro river, where you can try a wine of your choice, included in your ticket. I went for Port Wine, since that is the most popular one from the region.

Wine and dine at Aneto & Table

For lunch I picked Aneto & Table. This small restaurant is located in the old railway station of Régua and was originally established to promote the Aneto wine brand. Their concept is that every main dish is paired with a wine that supposedly works perfectly with it. You can deviate from their choice, or go with the menu. I went with the salmon and white wine pairing for the main course and a starter with duck on sourdough with broiled cheese. They brought the wine out with the starter on request, since I didn’t want to drink more.

Aneto Wines

The Aneto wines come from different vineyards, depending on the grapes used in production: white grapes, red grapes and pinot noir vineyards. Both the white grapes and the red grapes are grown in the Douro valley.

View of the Douro

After lunch I spent about an hour walking along the Douro riverbank, enjoying the views and the autumn sun. In some areas you can walk directly along the riverbank, in others you have to climb some stairs or an incline to get up to the street and walk along the pavement.

Pastelaria O Amaral

My last stop in Régua was the Pastelaria O Amaral, where I got orange chocolate cookies and two pastel de nata for under 2,50€. Sweet treats in hand I sat on a bench by the riverside to enjoy the view some more, before making my way back to the trainstation.

How to get from Porto to Régua?

You have different options to get from Porto to Régua in the Douro Valley:

1. Rent a car – but then you will either miss out on trying the wine, or you don’t go by yourself and have a designated driver.
2. Book a tour – I have linked three different ones down below.
3. Take the train from Porto, it starts at the beautiful São Bento station and there are over ten train connections between the two towns every day.
   You can check the connections on the Comboios de Portugal Website and even directly buy your tickets there in €! If you want to buy in £ or $ and not pay for currency conversion, check Omio.com*
   Sit on the right side from Porto and on the left from Régua for the best views.

Where to park in Régua?

There is a free parking lot close to the Douro Museum called Parque de Estacionamento. I linked it on Google Maps.

Der Beitrag DIY Trip to the Douro Valley – Portugal erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview

• Where to stay in Porto
• What to do in Porto
• Places to see in Porto
• Day Tours from Porto
• Where and what to eat in Porto
• Map of one week in Porto

Where to stay for one week in Porto

We stayed in a hotel in the Bonfim* neighbourhood, next to the the historic city centre and the Ribeira (a UNESCO world heritage site). Depending on what you are looking for here are three options in the Bonfim Neighbourhood:

If you are looking for an accommodation with breakfast included look no further than Dukes Corner Guest House*. It is located in a traditional tiled cornerhouse and mixes old designs with modern amenities.

The Aparthotel Oporto Palace* is one of the few accommodations with private parking. They also mixed traditional designs with clean modern lines and renovated rooms and apartments.

If you are looking for more space, but don’t want to rent a place that should be a long term rental try Thomaz Palace*. This huge townhouse contains short term rentals after a quite recent renovation. They also have private parking, but it’s a bit more expensive than the Aparthotel.

What to do for one week in Porto

As the second largest city in Portugal there is no shortage of things to do and see in and around Porto.

Breakfast Food Tour

We went on this food tour in Porto* with a small group of 6 people. To start the day our guide Grenado introduced us to a “very Portuguese Breakfast” -> Toast with salted butter, a “Brioche Croissant” and coffee with milk. A history lesson about the Café we were at later we continued towards Bolhão market.

At the market we got to try:

• a Vino Verde, paired with canned piri-piri sardines and canned cod
• a Port Wine, paired first with a selection of cheeses and then a selection of meats and sausages
• and Ginjinha, a Portuguese cherry liqueur

On our way to one of the cities locations of Manteigaria – to eat super fresh Pastéi de Nata – we stopped by the Chapel of Souls, a church covered in the beautiful blue azulejo tiles of Portugal.

Prior to last stop on our tour was a place that specialises in Folhados, pastries with savoury fillings, in our case veal, served with a Spanish beer. And finally we stopped at a liqueur store and tried a Reserve Port, paired with dried fig and walnut.

Legends and Horror Stories Tour

Like every major city, Porto has had different dark chapters in its history. When you are interested in history and can stomach to listen to the macabre and gory parts of it as well, this is the tour for you. We met our guide Mariana at Virtudes viewpoint, from where you have a great sunset and later night view over the port of the city.

During about two hours Mariana told us historical facts, legends and how they came to be about the Inquisition, about the 15th and 16th centuries during which Porto was shaken up by the plague with the rest of medieval Europe. We walked along an old prison and cemetery of the criminals, where she told us how different crimes were handled during the ages and how some important people lost their heads in the last civil war. Last stop of the tour was the “haunted” train station of São Bento (which we had previously visited during the day) where we learned the cruel history of this seemingly ordinary place.

Tile Workshop

On the second day of our holiday we took part in a tile workshop. Tiles are a staple in Portuguese art and history -and have been for centuries-, not just in Porto, but all over the country. And what better way to learn more about this handicraft than doing it yourself?

We started the workshop with a drink and an overview of Portuguese tiles and their history, as well as examples of their use in churches, monuments, houses and more. Afterwards they taught us different ways of tile painting techniques, from traditional stencils to freehanding it.

During the workshop you can pick out one of their design-stencils or even freehand something! I did one of each, but the freehand tile was so bad that I did not take it back home with me.

Since the tiles need to be fired after the class you have to plan at least 24 hours in addition to the workshop, if you want to take them home with you. We did the workshop on the first day and picked them up a week later (make sure to communicate! don’t just show up a week later and expect your tiles will still be there) in a sturdy carton with a lovely print on it.

Places to visit during one week in Porto

There are many places you can visit during a week trip to Porto, some of them are free, but a lot of them require a small entrance fee.

Churches and Chapels

There are many churches, chapels and cathedrals in Porto. The above mentioned Chapel of Souls – Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina (5) is one of them, it is easily recognizable since it is covered on all sides in Azulejos, the traditional blue and white tiles of Portugal. Other notable ones include Clérigos Church – Igreja e Torre dos Clérigos, which is church and architectural optical illusion in one as you can see only its tower from one side and only the rest of the building from the other (4), Igreja do Carmo (2), which has adapted to modern times by hosting a light and music show inside, the Cathedral of Porto, Igreja de Santa Clara (1), which I have been told several times during the week by locals is the most worth it to see the inside of and many, many more.

São Bento Station

São Bento station was opened around 1905 and was named after the monastery which stood exactly on the same spot. The station could only be built after the last nun had died and allegedly a skeleton was found long after the church had been expropriated, chained up in a room.

The walls and pillars of the stations atrium are covered in thousands of azulejo tiles which depict the history of Portugal, with many battles, historic events and modes of transportation.

Despite its age the São Bento station is still in operation today, with many trains departing at all hours of the day. One of the trains departing from here goes through the Douro Valley, which is ideal for a wine tasting DIY Daytrip to the Douro Valley.

Casa Museu Fernando de Castro

As the name says, this is not a normal museum, but rather the former residence of a man called Fernando de Castro, turned into museum. While the owner showed people around his home while he was still alive the house was handed over to the Soares dos Reis Museum after he died, who turned it into a full museum.

The house itself was Fernandos childhood home, which entered his possession after his parents died. In 1893 he started turning the house into a version of his own design, which supposedly was a mix between palace, church (or rather monastery) and art studio. Every single room is stuffed to the brim with wood carvings, wall pictures, figurines, the ceilings from monasteries, cut down to fit into a residential home, saint figurines, books and bits and bobs from many different countries. The pieces aren’t organised by location or date, but rather by “vibe” to use a modern word for something a collector from the late 1800s was trying to achieve.

Our guide was very passionate about sharing this history, as it is a very different experience than a neatly curated museum. Everything is everywhere and with the slightly damp smell and darkness inside to protect the art pieces it can be quite overwhelming. A good guide is essential to enjoy this place.

This place is not open to the public, you can only visit it with a tour and the only place I found where you can book a tour in English is on AirBnB Experiences. Sure, the museum has a Website and offers tours for a fraction of the money, but only in Portuguese.

Casa do Infante

Casa do Infante is the local history museum of Porto. While it is not the most interesting or extensive, it gives a good overview over local history of the port city, expansion over the years and geographical changes in the region. The employees here were also super helpful with tickets, advising on which ones to buy to make the most of our money. It is close to the “Ribeira do Porto (featured image)”, one of Portos oldest districts, directly on the waterfront. If you think about Porto, this is probably the neighbourhood you’ll think of.

Portuguese Centre of Photography

From Prison (1800s to 1970) to Photography Museum (since 1997), the house at the Largo Amor de Perdição has seen a lot of history in it’s walls.

You can visit the museum for free. Inside you can see the former prison cells, some informational plaques on a hand full of important people that had been imprisoned here and of course the photography exhibitions. There is an area with temporary exhibitions and the permanent exhibitions with many cameras, from over 100 years ago to super modern ones, from glass to film, to polaroid to chips, giant cameras and tiny spy gadgets.

From the top floors you also get a free view over Porto that is different from the viewpoints, as it is in the centre of a highly populated area and not on the side of a mountain, cliff or bridge.

Beach Matosinhos

At the northern point of the main beach, the Praia de Matosinhos, close to the tourism information building, is a sculpture depicting “Tragedy at Sea“. Sculptures of women and children wailing and mourning their fathers, brothers and husbands, who, working as fishermen, were lost at sea. Further south at a roundabout you can see the “Anemona” art installation. A giant metal and net construction resembling, well, an Anemona, and it supposedly sways in the wind. Sadly, it didn’t when I was there.

At the southern most point of the same beach south is the Castelo do Queijo / Forte de São Francisco Xavier, an old stone fort from the 17th century, with a small military museum (one room) inside. Admission tickets are 0,5€ and include going to the rooftop and walking along the exterior wall perimeter and the ancient canons still guarding it.

Viewpoints

Miradouro da Vitória overlooks the older buildings of the city, some parts of the river and the opposite riverbank. You can also see the cathedral of Porto, the Luís I Bridge and the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar from here.

Passeio das Virtudes is located further west than the Vitória viewpoint and often crowded at sunset. However, the views after sunset are great as well and the crowds have mostly disappeared by then. The building you can see lit up in front of the river is the Museum of Transport and Communication.

Ribeira do Porto (featured image), this viewpoint / promenade stretches along the northern waterfront of the Douro river. The Ribeira do Porto is one of Portos oldest districts. With the Ribeira at your back you look at Vila Nova de Gaia on the southside.

Livraria Lello

This bookstore is very old and very beautiful. It is said to have inspired a certain author to write a popular book series about wizards in a school in Scotland. Nowadays you have to wait in line, over half an hour even in the off season and pay 5€ just to get inside. I couldn’t be bothered to do that.

Day Tours from Porto

DIY Trip to the Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is THE wine destination in Portugal, not only developed for wine production, but for tourism as well. You can visit several museums and vineyards in the Douro Valley and enjoy the beautiful landscape. Which town to visit, how to get there and everything else you need to know for your trip you can find here: DIY Trip to the Douro Valley

Aveiro & Costa Nova

Aveiro is often called the “Venice of Portugal”, a city in the Art Nouveau style with small boats going up and down the canal, while Costa Nova is a holiday village wedged between the ocean and the Aveiro lagoon with sprawling beaches as far as the eye can see and colourful striped houses along the main promenade. Both places are worth a visit and ideal to combine for a day trip since they are so close together.

For more information, read my blogpost: Day Trip to Aveiro and Costa Nova

Braga & Guimarães

That picture with the seemingly endless white staircases leading up to a church? That’s the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte near Braga. I didn’t know that before I went there, but since I got there at sunrise and had the entire complex mostly to myself it turned to be my favourite day trip from Porto. After that and a great breakfast in Braga I went on to Guimarães to explore the old town centre and can recommend this colourful town wholeheartedly.

For more information, read my blogpost: Day Trip to Braga and Guimarães

Where and what to eat in Porto

Manteigaria – Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata

Thousands of Pastéis de Nata are handmade every day at the locations of the Manteigaria in Porto. My favourite was the one at Rue de Alexandre Braga 24, where you can watch new Pastéis being made while eating your own, still warm and with a fresh dusting of cinnamon.

Mercado do Bolhão

Bolhão market has been renovated (and somewhat gentrified in the process) between 2018 and 2022 and while it has lost some of it’s historic charm it’s still worth a visit. You can try local produce at the market, from sardines, to wines, cheeses and meat cuts. When you like what you tried you can buy a bigger portion!

Natuvinum

Natuvinum is a small wine bar at the edge of the Bofim neighbourhood. They offer a “wine of the day” for a set amount per glass. You don’t have to worry though that you’ll get something you won’t like, they’ll tell you beforehand which wine is the wine of the day.

The wine of the day when I was there was an Analogue 2023, a natural wine from the Minho region in the north-west of Portugal. It’s made from three varieties of grapes. Only 4000 bottles were made in 2023 so it felt special to have this one as the wine of the day.

It was served with lightly salted popcorn and a glass of water.

Oficina dos Rissóis

Rissóis are half circle shaped savory pastries. At Oficina dos Rissóis this traditional Portuguese dish has been elevated to a delicacy. There are fourteen options for fillings on the menu, we went with braised veal, shiitake and a mixed one, then shared them between ourselves. We also ordered a bowl of tomato rice with it, which was my favourite tomato rice so in Portugal.

Casa Guedes Tradicional

Cachorrinhos are known as “the hotdog of Porto“. With crispy bread on the outside, sausage and hot sauce on the inside, and the optional addition of cheese this dish is the perfect beer food. Other blogs I’ve seen, as well as some tourist guides mentioned “Cervejaria Gazela” as the restaurant to try this at, but when I went there my experience was overwhelmingly negative. So instead I went to Casa Guedes Tradicional and the cachorrinho there was good.

Brasão Coliseu

The Brasão restaurants specialise on crafts beers, Portuguese snacks & steak. Four different locations in Porto serve mostly the same things. I tried different Portuguese croquettes at Brasão Coliseu: One with meat, one with prawn and one with codfish. Each was served with a different sauce that fit with the filling of the croquette. If you aren’t sure what to drink you can try the “Cerveja Mistério” where you get a beer from the roster, without having to choose.

The table next to me had the Grilled Pork Rib in Wine Marinate and they looked delicious as well.

Esquires Coffee Porto

A brunch spot in Porto (they have two locations), with good options, good coffee and smoothie options and a delectable Matcha. I had their club sandwich one day and a waffle with fruit and a smoothie on another. Their interior is industrial style, but it’s mixed with warm natural tones and lots of plants, which makes it feel cozy again.

Gelataria La Copa

Some might say autumn is not the time for ice cream. I, personally, think any time is the right time for ice cream. Gelataria La Copa was opened in 2014 and has since been delighting customers with their daily fresh made ice creams. They use seasonal fruit wherever they can, focus on a few varieties of ice cream every day and make their ice cream cones freshly in the shop, you can even watch them get made.

My favourite ice cream combinations were lemon tarte / lemon (one slightly bitter, the other sour) and cinnamon / chocolate / popcorn. Since they don’t make every flavour every day you might not be able to get the same one on several days in a row.

Garden Balthazar Caffe – Porto

While this place is mostly frequented for Brunch (their motto is “all day breakfast”) their opening times until late at night make them a good choice for dinner as well. And with their chicken burger with sweet potato fries on the menu you will easily find something other than breakfast to eat.

Tasquinha Rebelo

Francesinha is a Portuguese sandwich which originated in Porto. You can find it everywhere in the city, but if you want a “real” one, from locals for locals, in a tiny hole-in-the-wall place, go to Tasquinha Rebelo. People here barely spoke English, but the menu has pictures and you can point and smile (at this point this is my favourite way to order food to be honest). The Francesinha here is made several layers of white bread, with pork roast, wet-cured ham and small pork sausages (chipolata). It has a fried egg on top, is covered by melted cheese and served with a tomato sauce. It is served with thick Potato Chips.

Combi Coffee Roasters

Combi Coffee Roasters were my favourite café in Porto, coincidentally they were located in the Bofim neighbourhood where I was staying, but they were my favourite café, because their coffee was delicious. Strong without being bitter, creamy foam on the Latté.

I had a coffee here several times, most often to-go, but sometimes with a few Pastéis de Nata or a croissant for breakfast.

Turmeric حلال Pakistani & Indian Restaurant

When you are craving something that will warm you up any curry dish is a good choice. At Tumeric حلال the curry dishes are marked with their spice level and absolutely delicious, especially with a fresh Naan (flatbread). Their Kheer (spiced, sweet rice pudding) is top notch! I would come here again just for the dessert.

CA Downtown

Another brunch spot in Porto, this restaurant is directly next to another brunch restaurant and they are competing for customers. The eggs Benedict with bacon on sourdough were really nice, the french toast was not my favourite.

Say Cheesecake! & Co.

I was following this café on Instagram for a while. They specialise, as the name suggests, in cheesecakes. The cheesecake was good, but nothing special. It is worth a visit if you want to try differnt cheesecakes and like a cute café for pictures.

Map of one week in Porto

How to read the map: the purple dots are three hotels I recommend, the light greens are restaurants, the dark greens cafés, an ice cream parlour and a wine bar, the dark blues are churches, the medium blues are viewpoints and the light blues are historic buildings and museums.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for one week in Porto by clicking here.

Der Beitrag One week in Porto – Portugal erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview of a Roadtrip along the Algrave – Portugal

• Day 1 – Lisbon
• Day 2 – Sagres
• Day 3 – Carvoeiro & Burgau
• Day 4 – Albufeira
• Day 5 – Faro

Day 2 Sagres

After a hotel breakfast we picked up our car and drove to our first stop: Sagres! During the drive we went over our plans again: To visit nine of the 16 municipalities along or route and explore the south of Portugal to our hearts content.

The Algrave region, as the rest of the country along the coastline, also suffers from the strains of mass tourism. With big resorts taking up space and resources as well as international investors buying up land and expelling local businesses we tried our best to keep or visits to small and local businesses.

Picnic Sagres

At Picnic Sagres you will find in-house baked bread, pastries and cakes, as well as delicious iced latte macchiato. For lunch we opted for yoghurt with fruits and self made granola, cinnamon rolls and vegan cheesecake.

Sagres Fortress

The Fortress of Sagress is walled off only on one side, the rest of it is potected by steep cliffs and the raging sea of the atlantic ocean. Most of it is still in its original state, though some parts have undergone restauration in the past years. In the late 90s a very square building was erected in the middle of the grounds, housing a memorial space and different exhibitions.

On a good day you can even see Farol do Cabo de São Vicente from the end of the cliffs, the lighthouse “at the end of the world”, the southwestern most point of Portugal (and therefore Europe).

Centro Expositivo do Promontório de Sagres

This museum holds a modern multimedia exhibition about Portugugese sailors, voyagers and colonialists, from the earliest finds about small wooden boats to the erection of the fortress and finally it’s current state and recent developments.

After a long walk arond the premises, drinking in the views and breathing as much of the sea breeze as possible we drove to our next stop, where we had sandwiches from a deli for dinner and checked into our accommodation.

Day 3 Carvoeiro & Burgau

Carvoeiro

We stayed at Castelo Guest House* close to the beach, the boardwalk and city centre. Carvoeiro isn’t very big, but it has steep hills from the beach into every direction, so the distances feel twice as long (especially while carrying luggage).

Carvoeiro Boardwalk

The boardwalk of Carvoeiro is a 570m long wooden construction along the coastal cliffs, leading from Carvoeiro to the rock formation Algar Seco. It is a wonderful, refreshing walk along the seaside that keeps people off the cliffs.

Algar Seco

This rock formation is very famous, even though many don’t know its name. When you look at pictures of “the Algrave” these rocks are often among them. You can reach them by walking along the boardwalk from Carvoeiro, then descending several flights of stairs to get a more up close view.

La Piazza

This small cafe and ice cream shop is almost directly at the beachfront and has delicious ice cream and Affogato, perfect to enjoy a sunny autumn day after wandering up and down the boardwalk.

Burgau

Called the “Santorini of Portugal” by tourists and expats this small town brings as much conflict as it brings peace of mind. The tranquil atmosphere and traditional architecture (small whitewashed houses accentuated with bright colours, hence Santorini for some reason) and almost enclosed beach at it’s own bay are in stark contrast to the many tourism centered cafes and restaurants, surfing schools and surfboard rentals. It feels like a holiday village, without officially being one.

Bar-Restaurante AIRES

Despite being one of these tourism hotspots, we had to eat somewhere, and so we settled on the Bar-Restaurante Aires. Despite the name suggesting a connection to Buenos Aires, Argentinia, they serve African food (specifically South African food). The food was nothing special in my opinion, both the potato dish and the ribs were pretty dry, but the staff was amazing.

Would it have been more convenient to visit Burgau on the same day as Sagres – since it is literally at the half way point between Sagres and Carvoeiro? Yes. But we were tired and wanted to sleep ^^

Day 4 Albufeira

On the morning of day 4 we started driving towards Faro, then stopped at Albufeira for a beach day. After action packed days in Lisbon and the previous days on the road one day of relaxation was much needed and I didn’t take any pictures after the one to the right (on mobile below), which was before decending to the beach.

After a great day with the wind and waves, the warm sand and seabreeze we drove about an hour to Faro, checked in to our place for the time and went to a local grocery store to buy things to make dinner and breakfast the next morning.

The original plan was to stay in Carvoeiro for three nights and go on a Boat Tour to the Benagil Cave* on one of the days, but since the cave was closed we had to change the plans.

Day 5 Faro

In Faro we stayed at the Cardeal Suites & Apartments*. It was my favourite stay of the trip! The rooms were big with big windows, the shower was amazing and the inner courtyard was covered with a sunroof and the perfect place to have a glass of wine and unwind at sunset. They also have a parking garage under the house, free of charge for guests.

Confeitaria Alengarve

On the way into the city we stopped at this small pastry shop and tried a Pastel de Faro, the lesser known and even sweeter cousin of Pastel de Nata.

Museu Regional do Algarve

The regional museum is a small but well loved and curated museum covering folk art, crafts, fishing, agriculture and lifestyle through the centuries of the region.

Mani’s mo:mo & restaurant

This small restaurant in a corner house of the old town of Faro serves Nepali cuisine. It’s family owned and operated with traditional dishes that will leave neither vegetarians, vegans nor omnivores wanting for anything.

Igreja da Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo

Faros church is the 18th-century Catholic cathedral Igreja da Santa Maria known for its many small chapels, but especially the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) built out of thousands of bones & skulls of monks. It is a well frequented site to visit in Faro and while very interesting and fascinating, the way it was treated by the few people there (as a backdrop for sexy selfies…) made me leave after a few short minutes.

Visit the nature park Ria Formosa

Faro is the perfect point to see the estuary Ria Formosa from. Half day tours and day tours depart from the city and offer the oportunity to explore this natural sight. If you get lucky you can even go dolphin watching here!

From Faro you can either drive back to Lisbon or fly out to your home country through Faro airport.

Map for your Roadtrip along the Algrave

How to read the map: Brown are the cities, light green are cafes and restaurants, dark green are hiking spots, black are accommodations, dark blue are museums and historic places, red are viewpoints and picture spots, orange are beaches.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for roadtrip aling the Algrave by clicking here.

Der Beitrag Roadtrip along the Algrave – Portugal erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

With a major difference to other “Long weekend in X” posts I did not go to Lisbon from Friday to Monday, but rather Thursday to Sunday, since most sights and attractions are closed on Monday. If you want to combine it with a road trip along the Algarve you can arrive on Saturday, leave for the roadtrip on Monday, return on Friday and split the things mentioned here for two weekends rather than a long one.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Overview of a long weekend in Lisbon

• Where to stay in Lisbon
• What to see in Lisbon
• What to do in Lisbon
• Must try food in Lisbon
• TLDR, show me a map with everything important

Where to stay for a long weekend in Lisbon

When travelling to Lisbon there are several neighbourhoods to consider, however there are (as usual) moral and environmental effects to consider.

There is the Alfama*, Lisbons oldest neighbourhood. You can get apartments here that are affordable for travellers, but at the same time many locals have been driven out of this neighbourhood, as long term rents are not nearly as affordable, because of tourism and plattforms like AirBnB.

Castelo*, within the castle walls of the São Jorge Castle. This, for me, has the same concerns as the Alfama, but maybe just a bit less, since if people didn’t live there, the space within the castle walls could be completely unused – as is the case with many many historic buildings here (in Germany).

Baixa/Chiado*, the most central and renowned neighbourhood in Lisbon. There are many hotels here, but most of them are on the expensive side.

São Vicente*- located northeast of the Alafama São Vicente carries the charm of old Lisbon, but has seen some restoration during the recent years. Here you can find small hotels between residential houses and a few local restaurants and bars. I stayed at the São Vicente Alfama Hotel by TRIUS Hotels* during my trip and can wholeheartedly recommend it, their breakfast is one of the best I’ve ever had.

What to see during a long weekend in Lisbon

Castelo de São Jorge & Neighborhood

The Saint George’s Castle resides on a hill overlooking the centre of Lisbon, close to the Alfama neighborhood. The castle walls still stand around the ruins of the old palace, the palace gardens and every buildings that survived hundreds of years. However, many walls stretch further over the hill and cut the surrounding residential areas into parts that aren’t officially part of the citadel, but are generally considered “part of the castelo”. The streets there are still made from cobblestone and not built for cars, the trams lines also don’t reach all the way up there, so if you aren’t well on your feet this area might be out of the question for your trip.

Santa Justa Lift

The Santa Justa Lift was built to help people traverse the hilly city and opened in 1902 (after over 25 years since it’s first official suggestion). It connects connects the lower Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo and stands at the end of the Rua de Santa Justa street. It is the only vertical lift left in Lisbon, since the other famous “lifts” are actually all funiculars.

Trams and funiculars

While trams and funiculars are an active part of Lisbons public transport system, several of them are also tourist attractions now. For example Tram Nº 28, which is one of the oldest trams still working. It transports you into a part where Lisbon was at it’s height of wealth and influence. Thousands of people take it every day, which sadly also makes it almost impossible to take when you actually need to use it just for transportation.

Visit Parque Station of the Lisbon Metro

Parque Station is part of the blue line of the Lisbon Metro and is completely tiled inside. The tiles are decorated with murals of the city and have a focus on maritime life and history.

Santa Luzia Viewpoint

One viewpoint is mentioned over and over when you read about Lisbon, or look up Lisbon on Social Media. Due to this the Santa. Luzia viewpoint is overrun with people and I wouldn’t have visited it if I didn’t take part in a tour that started here. The view is nice, but it is best visited at sunrise, because at sunset the crowds are unbearable.

Miradouro da Graça

On the other hand you have the Graça viewpoint, which looks across the city from the other side. It doesn’t have the same “well known” composition of the Lisbon skyline, but it is empty and and you can see more of the lower neighbourhoods.

What to do during a long weekend in Lisbon

Rua Augusta Arch

Get a view over the city from the Rua Augusta Arch. From the top of the arch you can access a viewing platform you can walk around on and get a 360º view. One of the views is the square of Terreiro do Paço with the River Tejo in the background (second picture), in the opposite direction you can see the downtown area (third picture)

Alfama

Explore the small winding roads and alleys with many steps in the Alfama, the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon. It has the cities smallest alley, many different street arts, some more fancy than others, and the streets are lined with old tiled buildings in many different colours and styles.

Money Museum | Museu do Dinheiro

The Portuguese Money Museum has several different rooms, which all have their own theme / topic. One focuses on currency before money, another on how money was originally minted, the next on how it is printed and stamped today. In one room they have a collection of money from all over the world, from old currencies, to the many different modern ones. Some rooms are very interactive, others less so, but the entire museum is very well designed and uses crossmedial and modern displays.

Confeitaria Nacional

Lisbons Confeitaria Nacional was opened in 1829 and the main building has survived since then, in the same place it stands today. The building is so old, that the first telephone line ever in Lisbon was build right next to it, to connect the Café with the baking factory. I recommend their mini lemon tart.

Take a food tour

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. A lot of them have been driven out by chains, by unpayable rents and cheap imported souvenir shops.

More on taking a food tour in Lisbon, what to expect and so on: Food Tour Lisbon

Half day in Belém

Since the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery are included in the free admission with the Lisbon Card, you should pick this half day within your 48 hours.

Belém Tower

From the trainstation it is a short walk to visit Belém Tower. This iconic part of the Lisbon landscape has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites recognized in Lisbon since 1983.

The tower originally served as the point from where Portuguese explorers disembarked from and was the ceremonial gateway to the city. This means this tower is a symbol of Portugals history as one of the biggest maritime and colonial powers of Europe, even though today they would still like to ignore everything that came with it.

The walk to the tower will take your through a part with several food carts and street vendors. The wines sold there are on the expensive side, but if you like wine, a glass in this athmosphere is worth it.

Jerónimos Monastery & Church of St. María of Belém

Jerónimos Monastery is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome, today it’s mainly a tourist attraction for its imposing Gothic Manueline architectural style.

The queues in front of the monastery and church (yes, it’s two queues! You’ll have to wait in line twice) seem daunting, but honestly, with the amount of people wanting to visit, the queues are the only reason you can enjoy the inside of both buildings. There are still many people inside, but you don’t feel like you’ll suffocate and can concentrate on the history of the place and admire the architecture and art in (relative) peace.

National Coach Museum

A small part of the coach museum is located in the Royal Riding Hall of Belém, where it was originally established. In 2015 a new building was inagurated, where most of the coaches and exhibits can be found today. The museum features explanations and examples how carriages developed and improved over the centuries (from before the 17th up to the 19th century) and includes several carriages that belonged to Pope Clement XI (18th century) and one of Philip II of Spain (16th century).

Take a Day Trip to Cascais

While the train to Cascais is also free to use with the Lisboa Card I advise against using it for this, as it is cheaper to buy a train ticket separately, since the sights in Cascais are not among the free admissions, while other places within the city of Lisbon are. A day ticket for Lisbon public transport, which includes the train to Cascais is only 6 Euro.

Cascais has a hand full of sights and places to see, such as the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum inside the Count’s of Castro Guimarães Palace, the Saint Martha’s Lighthouse & Museum and the House of Saint Mary (Casa de Santa Maria).

For more information about a DIY day trip to Cascais: Read this blogpost!

What to eat and drink during a long weekend in Lisbon

While you can eat international cuisine in Lisbon, I will focus on Portuguese dishes in this post.

First, of course, are Pastel de nata. Small pastries with vanilla custard filling, served all over the city, sometimes with notes of lemon or cinnamon.

Secondly, Portugal is known for its Sardines. I tried one from a smal producer that only sells directly to very few traders and can’t be found in supermarkets and I have to say it tasted the least fishy of any fish I have ever had and it was incredibly soft. Even if you aren’t usually a fan of canned sardines you should try these at least once.

Bifanas are a traditional Portuguese sandwich with thinly pounded meat fried with lots of garlic, served in a warm bun (with nothing else). I can see why this a favourite snack after a night out.

Bacalhau (salted, dried cod) is the main ingredient in the next two meals on this list: Bacalhau com natas = salted-dried cod croquettes and Bacalhau à Brás = salted-dried cod that is rehydrated and shredded, then mixed with fries (yes, the potatoes are fried before they are mixed into this), egg and usually garnished with olives.

Salada de Polvo is a type of “salad” you should also try when in Lisbon. It is made from octopus and lots of sliced garlic and olive oil.

Something I am not sure is very Portuguese, but was presented as such is Chouriço à Bombeiro = Flaming Chorizo. The sausage is placed on top of a special dish, then the dish is filled with alcohol which is set ablaze. It ends up tasting like grilled Chorizo, decide for yourself if you want to try it.

Portugal has its own cheeses, produced in the country and raging from cow cheese, to goat and sheep. Some restaurants offer cheese boards and can and will explain where which cheese is from and what to expect from them.

Starting with the first drink: Ginjinha is a sour cherry liqueur, usually served in a small chocolate cup. You’ll find it at street vendor stands, too, but it is advised not to drink those, as they can be homemade and unregulated because of that.

Vinho Verde is a special type of white wine from a small region in the north of Portugal. The wine we tried was made from Loureiro – a Portuguese white grape variety. It had a floral note and I liked it a lot more than French white wines.

Portuguese olive oil deserves a mention of its own. Included in many, many dishes it can also be sampled by itself.

If you are a seafood lover like me, you should look for Pulpo in Lisbon. There is one restaurant that does the best pan fried octopus I have had anywhere in the world, served with potatoes and greens: Beco a Sério.

Map of my long weekend in Lisbon

How to read the Map: Orange are accommodations, blue are things to do and places to see, green are cafes and restaurants.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for your long weekend in Lisbon by clicking here.

Der Beitrag Long Weekend in Lisbon erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

How to get from Lisbon on your DIY day trip to Cascais?

While the train to Cascais from Lisbon is also free to use with the Lisboa Card I advise against using it for this, as it is cheaper to buy a train ticket separately, since the sights in Cascais are not among the free admissions, while other places within the city of Lisbon are. A day ticket for Lisbon public transport, which includes the train to Cascais, is only 6 Euro.

From Lisbon you take the train from the Cais do Sodré Station, which takes you to Cascais in about 40 minutes. It is a very scenic ride along the river and then the Atlantic ocean. To enjoy those views to the fullest sit on the left side from Lisbon to Cascais, and on the right side when going from Cascais to Lisbon. Trains depart every 20 minutes.

For departure times, look on the website of the Comboios de Portugal: www.cp.pt

What to do in Cascais?

Eat Pastel de Nata while watching over Cascais Bay. This is self explanatory, but here’s some info nonetheless: From the Cascais train station you walk less than five minutes to reach the palm-lined grand street “Avenue of the Combatants of the Great War”, leading to the main beach. Located on this street is a small shop NATA Lisboa – Cascais, where you can buy warm Pastel de Nata.

About 500m down that road you have a beautiful view of Cascais Bay where you can enjoy your Nata.

Visit Museums and the blue lighthouse

Don’t pick Monday for your DIY day trip to Cascais as all three of these sights will be closed! The lighthouse museum is closed on Tuesdays as well.

The first sight I recommend is the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum, located inside the Count’s of Castro Guimarães Palace. It was built in a romantic-fairytale type architecture and shows off how the “high-class” lived at the end of the last century. On the first floor a former dining room turned library, decorated in a neo-gothic style features (apparently) over 20.000 books! On the second floor you can find a collection of swords from the last two centuries.

Admission ticket costs 4€.

Next is the House of Saint Mary – Casa de Santa Maria, right across the street. It was built in 1902 and was supposed to showcase the “perfect example of a typical Portuguese house” – nevermind that it was a villa that included a large garden and terrace overlooking the ocean, as well as a chimney inspired by the National Palace in Sintra and hundreds of baroque tiles. I’m sure that is the typical Portuguese house during the early 1900s…

Over the cause of a century this house has seen many monarchs and other “high-profile” people who visited Cascais after the end of the second world war. Some of these people were King Juan Carlos (Spain), King Umberto II (Italy), and President Richard Nixon (USA).

Saint Martha’s Lighthouse & Museum, almost right next to the Casa de Santa Maria is the last sight on my list. The lighthouse makes for a great picture (it is the main picture of this post) and while the museum is very small it shows the essential tools and technology to work a lighthouse and features a map of all lighthouses along the coast of Portugal.

Tickets are 5€ for Casa de Santa Maria and the Lighthouse Museum.

I would also love to give you a recommendation on where to eat in Cascais, but the places I went to are not recommendable. Sorry X)

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This post contains affiliate links to things like tours and hotels. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. Every affiliate link is marked with a *.

Experiencing Portuguese Cuisine

When you look at the price and think “I can get something similar for cheaper” it is time for a discussion about tourism and the effects it has. But when you are here on my website and looking for impact-conscious and slow travel, you are probably like me: aware that your presence has an impact and mindful of where and how you spend your money and time.

Tourism can be great for a local economy… mass tourism not so much.

Francesco, our guide for the afternoon, showed us to five local restaurants and shops, introduced us to the people running them and told us about a lot about the food we were trying. Not just the cultural significance, but also the sources and ecological impact.

Sardines, Olive Oil, Vino Verde and Bacalhau com natas

First was a small family-run and family-owned restaurant where we tried Portuguese olive oil from one of their family members farm near Douro. Only a few bottles are produced every year. Just enough for their families needs and the restaurant. Nothing more.

The following food was paired with a Vinho Verde from the north of Portugal. Vinho Verde is often translated as “green wine”, but it is actually a white wine and the name comes from the region the grapes are grown in. Real Vinho Verde can only be made in the north of Portugal. The wine we tried was made from Loureiro – a Portuguese white grape variety. It had a floral note and I liked it a lot more than French white wines.

Francesco taught us how to properly cheers in Portuguese: “Saude!”

The first dishes we tried on our food tour in Lisbon were Arroz de Tomate, rice cooked with spices, bacon fat fried onions and garlic, as well as tomatos with the skin on, and Bacalhau com natas – fried cod fish cakes.

We also got to try a canned Sardine, again made from a small producer that only sells directly, you cannot find it in supermarkets. This Sardine was the least fishy fish I have ever had and it was incredibly soft. You might even like this if you don’t like Sardines.

Bacalhau à Brás and dark craft beer

Bacalhau à Brás is a dish made with salted, dried cod that is rehydrated and shredded, then mixed with fries (yes, the potatoes are fried before they are mixed into this), egg and usually garnished with olives. It was served with a dark craft beer from a small local brewery. This one was not for me, but I am glad I tried it.

Portuguese Cheeses, Octopus Salad, Red Wine and flaming Chorizo at A Muralha Tapas e Vinhos

The prior to last stop on our tour was A Muralha Tapas e Vinhos where we tried several things: First was a plate with four different Portuguese cheeses. Francesco explained to us where the different cheeses came from and we tried them with crackers and a sweet tomato chutney.

After that we had Salada de Polvo, an octopus salad with loads of garlic and olive oil.

At some point we got a red wine from the Douro region in Northern Portugal. Then one of the owners brought flaming plates of Chorizo over. The sausage is placed on top of a special dish, then the dish is filled with alcohol which is set ablaze.

We ended our stay here with Bifanas, a traditional Portuguese sandwich with thinly pounded meat fried with, again, loads of garlic, served in a warm bun. I can see why this is a favourite snack after a night out.

Pastel de Nata and Cherry Liquer

Our last stop of the tour was a small souvenir shop. Here we met the owner, Mafalda, who served us the well known Portuguese Cherry Liqueur in a small chocolate cup. And although she doesn’t serve them in her shop, we also tried fresh, warm Pastel de Nata here. The bakery they were from was already closed at this time, so they had brought them to her shop for us to enjoy still warm. Pastel de Nata are famous all over the world, but if you’ve never had them: they are puff pastry cups filled with vanilla custard and sometimes dusted with cinnamon.

Where to book this Food Tour in Lisbon?

You can book this tour on Viator* and I really recommend this company over others, even though it is slightly more expensive than some other food tours. Their focus on sustainable tours and small businesses while providing an amazing experience in small groups and catering good portion sizes are all reasons to pay a little extra, in my opinion, to get great quality and a tour worth remembering.

Der Beitrag Food Tour Lisbon erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.