Visiting Portugal is a lot of fun. We saw medieval castles, cobblestone villages, golden beaches, captivating cities, history, and great food. Portugal is a country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe.
Visiting Portugal
Portuguese people speak and understand Portuguese, English, and French. There are also a lot of foreigners and all the major towns are filled with people from all races and countries.
Portugal is famous for, Port wine, football, Golf, Piri Piri chicken, Azulejos tiles, Surfing, Fado , and Vasco da Gama.
Best Places To Visit In Portugal
The country is rich and you will enjoy its unique culture, lively cities, and beautiful countryside. Portugal is great in so many ways but you need to be prepared to see some of the best places to visit in Portugal.
Visiting Lisbon Portugal
Lisbon is Portugal’s hilly, coastal capital city. The city is best known for its colonialist history, ornate architecture, and tradition of Fado music.
Lisbon also serves as the country’s chief port, largest city, commercial, political, and tourist center.
The city has a mild and equable climate, mean annual temperature of about 17°C. January is the coldest with an average of 10°C but August exceeds 28°C.
Although Lisbon is safe with a low crime rate, no place is 100% safe. Precaution is required when traveling to a new place to avoid being a victim.
The places that we couldn’t miss were the tower of Belem and Sintra. We also ate Pasteis De Belem and viewed Miradouro De Santa Catarina.
Make sure to take photos of the beautiful fountain on Rossio Square among many other spots.
Praia da Marinha Portugal Visit
Praia da Marinha is located in Caramujeira near the city of Lagoa. The distance between Lisbon and Praia da Marinha is 120 miles (192km).
You can get there in 3 ways: – by train which will cost about $52-$71 and will take 3h 12m. You can also use a that will cost about $19-$29 and will take 4hrs 20min. You can hire a car which will take about 2hrs 40 min.
The hottest month in Praia da Marinha is July with an average of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24°C) and the coolest is January with an average of 53 degrees Fahrenheit (12°C).
Wear nice shoes to walk through caves and rock formations as well as observe the seven hanging valley walks.
For snorkeling lovers bring your snorkeling gear and thank the quality waters, the sea is exceptionally clear and calm.
There are many boat trips, leaving from different towns along the Algarve coastline. If you prefer more active methods of sightseeing take a hike along the cliffs and enjoy the views of the sea and rock formation from above.
Visiting Cascais Portugal
Cascais is a resort town along the coast of Portugal. Cascais is 18.6 miles (30km) to the west of Lisbon and is connected to the capital by the Linha de Cascais urban railway.
During April, May, and October Cascais has good weather with an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20°C).
On average the warmest months are July and August with an average of 82.4-degree Fahrenheit (28°C), January is about 58 degrees Fahrenheit (15°C).
We were happy with attractions like Centro Historico de Cascais, Praia do Tamariz. If you have kids, they will have a wonderful experience at Marechal Carmona park.
The viewing of the sunset at Boca do Inferno, drinks at Casino Estoril, and Praia da Rainha beach are some of the best places you can visit.
Visiting Sintra Portugal
Sintra is located in the district of Lisbon, 18.6 miles (30km) from the Portuguese capital. A town full of magic and splendor, the wonderful mansions emerging from the lush hills and woods make it so real.
Sintra is like a fairy tale, with its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichens. It also has exotic gardens and glittering palaces which make the place unique and more fun to be in.
The average temperature in Sintra is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15.7°C). Rainfall of about 635mm per year. You can opt for June until October which has a pleasant temperature and limited rainfall.
Honestly, there are so many things you can do in Sintra but I will just name the places we visited. Pal’acio Nacional de Sintra, Castelo dos Mouros, Quinta da Regaleira, News Museum, Pal’acio da Pena, Monserrate, Pal’acio de Seteais, and Convento dos Capuchos.
Visiting Porto In Portugal
Porto town can be found along the Duoro river estuary to the northern of Portugal. It is one of the oldest European centers.
It is popularly known as the stunning old town on the picturesque Douro River. Complete with six bridges, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Porto lies 1744 miles (280 km) north of Lisbon and 1.8 miles (3km) from the river’s mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. We came to know that Porto was called Portus Cale in Roman times.
In Porto, the summers are clear, comfortable, and dry. The winters are cold, wet, and partly cloudy. During the year, the temperature range varies between 44°F to 76°F.
We had time to visit the Crystal Palace Garden, Porto City Park, climbed the Arra’bida Bridge. We also drunk wine at a port wine cellar.
We had a great view of Clerigos Tower and visited Porto Cathedral. If you get more time those are just but a few, explore more and enjoy.
Visiting Aveiro In Portugal
Aveiro is a city on the west coast of Portugal set along a lagoon called Ria de Aveiro. The distance from Lisbon to Aveiro is 158 miles (254 km).
The town is easy to access by car or by train. It takes about 2 hours using both means. Aveiro is an industrial city with an important seaport.
Aveiro has a warm- summer influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The average temperature is around 75.2 0 F (24°C) during the day.
The city of Aveiro is known for the production of salt, preponderance of ceramics industries. It is also known for tourism, architecture, culture, and sports.
For beach- lovers know that Aveiro has no beach but you can take a trip along different waterways in colorful and traditional boats.
There are other things to enjoy, don’t get disappointed just because the city has no beach. You can explore Aveiro’s canals and beautiful colorful boats or learn about traditional salt production.
You can also treat your skin in a salt spa, visit the museum, visit the picturesque fishing village of costa nova, and other fun activities around.
Visiting Sagres In Portugal
Sagres is a civil parish in the Municipality of Vila do Bispo in the southern Algarve of Portugal. The town got the name from Sagrado which means holy. This is because of the religious activities and rituals that were performed there.
Sagres can be found at the extreme southwest part of the continent of Europe. The distance between Lisbon and Sagres is 118 miles (190 km).
Sagres has a mild winter and warm summers. Temperatures are very moderate, below 40 0 F (4°C) and above 950 F (35°C). November and December are the wettest months.
There are so many things you can do in Sagres whether you have kids or not. You can explore sea life at Zoo Marine Park.
You can also have lunch at the town’s restaurants. They are known for serving a wide variety of fresh fish.
Visit the water parks, boat excursion, boat trip to see dolphins, join the pirate ship crew, so many things to have fun with.
Best Time To Visit Portugal
The best time to visit Portugal depends on your itinerary. There is no bad time to visit Portugal but it also depends on your budget and preferences among other things.
You can visit Portugal during spring (March-May). The country is in bloom and waking after the winter. We loved our visit which was between September- October when the sun is shining and the weather is warm.
Spring and autumn average temperature are 68 0 F (20°C) which brings wildflowers, glorious color, and bounty harvest. Accommodation prices are lower and the tourist crowd is thinner.
September through November is best for surfing because of the combination of predominantly favorable winds, consistent west swells, and good weather.
Final Thoughts
Visiting Portugal is a great vacation idea. Many people have also relocated to live and retire in Portugal.
It is one of those countries with lots of beautiful places to visit, you will run out of time before you can visit them all.
I hope this post on visiting Portugal was helpful and gave you ideas on the best places to visit in Portugal. Share it with fellow travelers and let’s help each other out.
