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…

The Douro Valley, east of Porto in the north of Portugal, is a well known wine region along the Douro river with many small and bigger vinyards, producing grapes for the famous Port wine and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many tours being offered to visit the region, but if you want a more…

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…