Portugal

Portugal Claimed

5 days/May 2019/Mother-Daughter/Urban-Active

Average Reviews

Trip Overview

Lisbon and Porto, Portugal. Mother and daughter post--college-graduation trip. This was a spontaneous trip, planned one week in advance. Our criteria was to visit somewhere neither of us had been before, and we are so happy we chose Portugal. Flights to and from the States (California and Ohio) were relatively easy, and although we could have stayed much longer, the trip was very do-able with only five nights.

Full Itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival from the States. Stayed at the Pousada de Lisboa, located in the heart of the old city. Location was excellent and our room (suite) was spacious, clean, nicely appointed with pastries and port waiting for us upon our arrival. We grabbed lunch in the beautiful square across the street, my daughter napped while I walked the city, then we reconvened for a good local dinner (cod is the main staple in Portugal, and prepared any way you like it!).


Day 2 — After a hearty breakfast buffet, we spent the morning walking and shopping…all conveniently located from our hotel. In the afternoon, we hired a guide to take us on a walking tour through Lisbon’s characterful streets, exploring architecture and history in the Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa Pombalina, Alfama and the Sao Jorge castle. Dinner at JNcQUOI was an upscale experience.


Day 3 — We like to be active and decided to explore outside Lisboa. A driver drove us 1.5 hours to the Arrabida Natural Park on the Atlantic Ocean, where we met a hiking and kayaking guide. The hike was fine, although we much preferred the kayaking, where we paddled into caves and along the cliffs of the coastline. We also swam at a charming beach (note…the water is cold!). Between hiking and kayaking, we were prepared an amazing Portuguese picnic by two local women…outstanding! That night we had dinner back in Lisboa at Time Out, a food court with all kinds of Portuguese food.


Day 4 — A driver transported us from Lisbon to Porto (about a three-hour drive). We stayed at the Intercontinental Porto, which also was conveniently located between the old town and the main town. My daughter went to the hotel gym while I explored. Later in the day, we walked to the waterfront, crossing the bridge, riding a gondola, walking through charming alleys and eating at a restaurant along the water.


Day 5 — We hired a guide who took us to the Lello Bookshop (Harry Potter origin?), the Ribeiro district for a pastry, meat pie and chocolate (three different shops), followed by a latte machiado at Cafe Majestic. In the afternoon, we walked the narrow and winding cobblestoned streets in the Ribeira neighborhood and visited many beautiful buildings. We also had dinner that night at the wonderful Mistu restaurant.


Day 6 — An early morning walk through the old town, followed by an excellent buffet breakfast at our hotel, and we were off to the airport (short drive…20 minutes), where I boarded a flight to back to the States, via Newark to San Francisco, and my daughter continued on to Switzerland.

Author

Time of year

April-June

Type of Trip

Adventure/Active, Food/Culture/Arts, Urban exploration

Who Went

Family with adult kids

Accommodation Type

Hotel

Budget

$1000+

Statistics

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