Lisbon
We arrived to our final country of the trip, excited to explore the vibrant and colourful capital first. Portugal’s somewhere we were considering moving to one day, so we decided to extend our time here and spend a solid 3 weeks, visiting 4 different cities.
Lisbon is chaotic, charming, full of life and history. It is also very hilly as we discovered while walking around exploring, but that didn’t stop us from experiencing it to the fullest!
We explored Alfama (the oldest area of the city) and stopped at some famous viewpoints overlooking the city such as Miradouro de Santa Luzia, Portas do Sol, Miradouro Senhora do Monte and Monte Agudo. Exploring all the areas of Lisbon was really fun because there are so many small markets that you just happen upon in your travels, selling art, knickknacks, handmade souvenirs, etc. The colourful buildings and amazing tiles are also fun to spot as you explore the city and made walking between all of the sights a bit of a treasure hunt.
Of course our time in Lisbon wouldn’t have been complete without trying the famous pastel de nata (egg custard tart) and fortunately we found bakeries that could accommodate both of our diets. These are must-tries as they’re absolutely delicious!
Some other neighbourhoods we explored included Baixa, Lisbon’s historic downtown, Chiado, a cultural and commercial district, and Bairro Alto, known for its lively nightlife. We also hopped on a train and took a day trip to a small nearby town called Sintra, where we walked around the small town and did a hike.
After days of walking up and down the steep hills of Lisbon, we were off by bus to our next beautiful destination in The Algarve: Lagos.
Lagos
This time, we managed to snag a place to stay right in the main city centre close to so many shops, restaurants and beaches. There is a long stretch of boardwalk called the Ponta da Piedade that stretches across the coast and overlooks the stunning cliffs and beaches below. We walked almost the whole thing, which took a few hours with breaks to take pictures. We had booked a grotto tour that would have taken us inside of the cliffs by boat, but it was much too windy on the day so they had to cancel it. We were so excited to do it that we actually re-booked it for the next day but once again it got cancelled due to high winds. This was a disappointment for us, but we were happy that they didn’t try and go out in choppy tides and to be honest, you do still get a great experience just by walking above on the boardwalk for free.
We also spent time lounging at the beach and playing cards inside a nearby restaurant when it got too hot outside. Lagos is a small place but it’s so beautiful. We would definitely recommend adding a couple days here in the Algarve to your Portugal trip to check it out.
Alas, after a few days enjoying the beautiful Portuguese coast, our time had come to an end. Next, we headed north back to Lisbon and then took a train to the most western side of the country to spend a few days in the beach town of Cascais.
Cascais
Cascais is another coastal town known for perfect sandy beaches and incredible cliffsides, so of course we had to check it out. The town is famous for the “Boca do Inferno” (Hell’s Mouth), which is a collapsed sea cave located inside the limestone cliffs. It got its name because of the sounds the waves make when they are crashing into the rocks. We walked from our hotel through the cute little town and checked it out, and then happened upon Parque Marechal Carmona, a beautiful park located in the city that has wild peacocks roaming around and turtles swimming in the pond! It never ceases to amaze us how well designed European cities are. The parks are all perfectly integrated into the cities and they allow a break from the busy and warm streets.
Now, back we were in Madrid, we had discovered a restaurant called 100 Montaditos, which offers small plates of food and drinks at a discounted price. Safe to say, it was a huge hit. So, imagine our surprise when we found out they have them in Portugal too and with one being in Cascais! It’s fun to sample lots of different dishes, and you can’t beat a 2.50 euro jug of sangria!
Cascais is a cute little town but it’s actually the most expensive place to visit and live in the country. It’s definitely worth a visit and we loved our time there (it truly is beautiful!) but I think we both preferred Lagos for its more laid-back vibe. Nonetheless, after so much coastal time, we were ready to head north to our final city in Portugal and of our whole trip: Porto.
Porto
Our first full day in Porto happened to be Julia’s birthday (yay!) for which Jack had organized a fun surprise day of activities! It started with a delicious brunch followed by a big bike ride around the city to explore more. We followed the bike path along the coast line and then ended the ride at Crystal Palace Gardens, where we were greeted by numerous peacocks (we had no idea that they just roamed freely in so many parks across Portugal). Once we returned our bikes, we had worked up a sweat and of course needed to reward ourselves for our hard work, so naturally we stopped for a gluten free pastel de nata and gf beer. After relaxing at home for the afternoon, we headed out again for our dinner reservation at Restaurante Praia da Luz, which was located right on the beach and had an amazing patio overlooking the water. We enjoyed a delicious meal of steak and potatoes, while enjoying a gorgeous sunset. Pro tip: this restaurant has a beach club on the main floor that was jam packed while we were there. There was a bachelor party going wild, with their shirts off and drinking heavily. Make sure to choose the correct area that matches your vibe (lol). Upstairs was mellower and had a fancier menu which made for the perfect relaxing meal and sunset evening.
While in Porto, we knew we had to sample some port wine. So, the next day we went on a big walk through the historic and colourful riverside neighbourhood of the Ribeira district. Then, we made our way across the Luís Bridge on our way to Taylor Fladgate. They have been operating in Porto since 1692! Julia had never tried port before, and she can confidently say that this was the first and last time she will have it. Jack doesn’t mind it as much, but he finds it far too rich, so it is not his usual drink of choice.
One thing that we both do enjoy is trying different red and white wines, so we were both very excited to take a scenic train ride from Porto to Pinhão to try some amazing wines the day after. Pinhão is the wine capital of the Douro Valley in Portugal and it produces wine that is shipped all over the world. Following a fresh and delicious lunch at O’Porco, we chose to do a tasting at Quinta das Carvalhas, a beautiful winery located next to the Douro River. We really enjoyed learning about the wine making process and all the different wines that they produce in the Douro Valley. The train ride was about 3 hours each way, but we both agree that it was absolutely worth the visit. If you can find somewhere to stay out in the valley, we’d recommend it so you can experience more of the world-class wineries that line the entire valley for many kilometres.
On our final day in Porto, we wandered through the Mercado do Bolhao market which had stalls selling souvenirs, amazing food and fresh produce. You could also buy a glass of wine and wander through the market with it, which was a nice touch. As we took in the market, it was hard not to feel content with how far we’ve come so far.
9 months have flown by and we cannot believe that we are at the end of our trip. So much has happened over the course of this trip and we can confidently say it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. Our lives have been permanently changed for the better and we feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to experience so many different cultures and to grow together as a couple. Thank you so much to those who have been following along from the beginning or checking our blog when you can. This has been the trip of a lifetime for both of us and we highly recommend that anyone with even an inkling of a desire to travel to listen to your heart and to get out there and do it! It really is a matter of asking yourself “why not me?” I know for us, we found it so easy to live vicariously through the lives of YouTubers and bloggers but it’s really not the same thing as getting out there and experiencing the world for yourself. It will make you so much more aware of how other people live, and increase your compassion for others tenfold. We feel so much more confident in ourselves and we can’t express enough how much we’ve learned about ourselves and the world through taking this crazy journey.
We feel so fortunate to have been able to check off so many countries on our bucket list, but there are still so many more to go. We want to visit every continent of the world, and so far we have only been to 3 out of 7 (Jack has been to 4 – he went to Australia without Julia – I know, how dare he). For now, we are taking a pause on the travelling as we get settled back into our life at home, spend time with friends and family… and start planning the next big trip 😉 stay tuned!
Thank you for being a part of our journey!
Lots of love, Julia and Jack
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