We did Portugal in fifteen days in September 2021, the country's first proper post-pandemic summer. This is exactly how we'd recommend doing it: four nights in Porto, six in Lisbon, five in the Algarve. Total spend was around £2,680 between two. We came home five pounds heavier and wanting to move there.
Days 1 to 4: What to do in Porto
Stay in Cedofeita or Bonfim (we did Cedofeita, a flat on Rua de Camões with a view down to the Douro, £85/night).
Day one: Arrive, long lunch at Cufra on Avenida da Boavista for the francesinha (Porto's signature sandwich, €11 with chips and a beer). Dinner at Mercado de Matosinhos: buy your fish at the market, walk it across the road to the restaurants opposite, they'll grill it for €15. We had grilled robalo, turbot, and octopus. About €60 for two with wine. One of the best fish meals of our lives.
Day two: Breakfast at Masseira (potato bread bakery). Bolhao Market, Igreja do Carmo (the blue-tile facade), Rua de Santa Catarina to Cafe Majestic. Cross the Dom Luis I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia for port cellars. Skip Sandeman's, do Graham's or Cockburn's instead (€25 each, substantially better). Dinner at Esporao No Porto on Rua do Almada (modern small plates, €70 for two with wine).
Day three: Douro Valley day tour. €82/person, three wineries plus lunch.
Day four: Pizza at Pizzeria Antonio Mezzero in Matosinhos (yes, the best pizza in Porto is in Matosinhos). Afternoon at Cais da Ribeira watching the rabelo boats.
Days 5 to 10: What to do in Lisbon
Alfa Pendular train from Porto Campanha to Lisbon Santa Apolonia (3 hours, €33 each). Stay in Lapa: residential, walkable, ten minutes from the centre, twenty minutes from anywhere by tram.
Day five: Belem afternoon. Pasteis de Belem, Jeronimos Monastery, LX Factory.
Day six: Sintra and Cascais. Pena Palace, Moorish Castle, lunch at Nortada, gelato at Nannarella.
Day seven: The Alfama walking day. Start at the cathedral, work uphill through the narrow streets, cross to Castelo de Sao Jorge, descend through Mouraria, end at the Miradouro da Graca for sunset. Dinner at Coelho da Rocha in Campo de Ourique (Portuguese small plates, €55 for two with wine). Linda still talks about the bacalhau a bras.
Day eight: Linda's birthday. Dinner at Loco (1-Michelin-star tasting menu on Rua Navegantes, €145/person for ten courses). The standout: a single langoustine wrapped in a lardo curl, served with a foam of its own bisque. We stretched the meal to three hours. Book six weeks ahead.
Day nine: Beach day in Cascais. Train from Cais do Sodre (€2.30 each way, 35 minutes), lunch at a fish restaurant on the Marina, walk to Boca do Inferno.
Day ten: Time Out Market for lunch (touristy but the stall mix is genuinely good). Bertrand Bookshop (the world's oldest, founded 1732). Drinks at the Park Bar on top of a car park in Bairro Alto for the panorama. Dinner at Cafe de Sao Bento for old-school steak.
Days 11 to 15: What to do in the Algarve
Fly Lisbon to Faro (€55 each, 50 minutes). Stay in Carvoeiro, not Albufeira. Carvoeiro is a small fishing town with a 30-minute clifftop walk connecting seven beaches, and a tenth as crowded as Albufeira in September. We rented an apartment at Vale Covo for £75/night with a sea view.
Day twelve: Rent a moped (€25/day). Ride the coastal road from Carvoeiro to Lagos via Praia da Marinha (the most photographed beach in Portugal, genuinely, two-minute walk down a cliff staircase). Lunch at the cliff-top cafe. Continue to Lagos for ice cream.
Day thirteen: Drive south to Sagres and Praia do Zavial, an underrated wide beach with some of the cleanest water on the southern coast.
Day fourteen: Benagil sea cave by kayak (book in advance, €40/person, two-hour trip from Marinha beach). The cave with the natural skylight is the photograph. Going at 8am means you'll be the only ones in there for fifteen minutes.
Day fifteen: Last grilled sardine lunch at Carvoeiro harbour. Fly home from Faro.
How much does two weeks in Portugal cost for two people?
| Flights (Stansted return) | £180 |
| Porto Airbnb (4 nights) | £340 |
| Lisbon Airbnb (6 nights) | £660 |
| Carvoeiro apartment (5 nights) | £375 |
| Train Porto to Lisbon | £66 |
| Flight Lisbon to Faro | £110 |
| Food and drink (15 days, including Loco) | £600 |
| Activities (Douro tour, Sintra, Benagil, moped) | £350 |
| Total | £2,681 |
If you'd asked me in 2021 to nominate a country we'd want to live in, this was the trip that put Portugal at the top. Linda still keeps a Pinterest board called "Lapa flat" with screenshots of apartments in the neighbourhood we stayed in.
Frequently asked questions
Cedofeita or Bonfim. Both are residential, walkable, and cheaper than the tourist-heavy Ribeira waterfront.
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