Portugal is a beautiful country. When you decide to go here, be careful you don’t fall in love with the nice weather, nature, people and the clear water of the Atlantic Ocean. I saw some lovely places, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

What I’ve done and seen

When we arrived in Lisbon, we rented a car and drove to the south of Portugal. We made a long walk among the magical coast from Burgau to Lagos. You can’t underestimate it though: it’s warm, the path goes up and down, and the sun is very bright. When you feel like you’ve had enough, give yourself a break or just take the nearest bus to bring you back.

Lagos has a few beautiful beaches, also called ‘praia’. Pinhao Beach and Praia de Dona Ana are my favorite! After that intensive walk we made the day before, we gave ourselves some free time to relax on the beach, with the sound of the ocean. Since I like seeing things from up-close, I strongly recommend a boat trip to visit the caves and rocks along the beachside. The view from the water is absolutely stunning.

The day after, we drove more north way. The road led us through the mountains of Estrela de Monchique, and we decided to make a stop at the spring (‘fonte’) of Monchique. Later, we continued our trip to Coimbra.

Coimbra is a real student city. The large university with a gorgeous antique look, gives a panoramic sight of the city center. It also has a lovely botanical garden. The school offers an interesting history, frat houses, and great traditions. Of course, there are other (historical) monuments to see too. We booked a tour guide that showed us around and told us all about this marvelous city.

The enchanted forest of Buçaco is only a 30-minute drive away, and therefore our next location. It’s a great place for a magical hike through peaceful nature with more than 700 exotic plants. In the middle of the woods, you will find a palace which now functions as a luxury hotel.

The west coast is never far away, so you can always find yourself a nice spot to enjoy the sunset.

Some recommendations

• Be sure to take a few days off to visit the capital Lisbon too. We sadly had to scratch this out of our plans due to COVID.
• Cool off at an ice-cream shop.
• Other popular cities to visit are Tomar, Faro, Tavira, Albufeira, Aveiro, and Porto.
• Find a town near the Atlantic Ocean where you can learn how to surf!

What is your favorite travel destination? Can you guess where I’m going next?

See you in the next post! 🙂

Lara