Portugal in March
From Lisbon to Porto
Portugal is perfect for a road trip that blends cities and culture, coastline and countryside, and my recent holiday there did exactly that. Over 10 nights in March, we traced a route from Lisbon to Porto, with some magical stops in between that really showed off the country’s character.
We began with three nights in Lisbon, a city that feels both historic, a little scruffy yet effortlessly cool. Much of our time was spent doing what Lisbon does best: walking up and down hills, gazing from numerous miradouros (viewpoints), sampling local cuisine at the markets and hopping on and off the iconic yellow trams. Riding the trams was a highlight in itself, rattling through narrow cobbled streets between tiled buildings and balconied homes. In the evenings we lingered over cocktails and tapas in cosy neighbourhoods. We took the train to Cascais, along the coast, one morning and had a delicious brunch before walking through its old town and out to the wild coastline and fancy marina.
From Lisbon we picked up a hire car and headed out towards the fairytale palaces A quick tuk tuk ride took us up the steep hill to the Pena Palace - Sintra feels like you are stepping into a storybook with misty hills, turreted palaces and dense green forests. From the Palace we walked back down, below the Moorish Castle walls and through the lush Sassetti gardens before enjoying a coffee and the local delicacies, Travesseiros and Queijadas in the old town. It was a complete contrast to urban Lisbon and a lovely way to spend the morning.
Our drive took us next to Nazaré for 2 nights, famed for its dramatic Atlantic waves and expanse of sandy beaches. Even out of the giant-swell season, the ocean here feels raw and powerful – it was VERY windy and the waves which were around 5 metres did not disappoint and even though there were no surfers to watch it was still hypnotic and scary watching the sheer power of the ocean. The funicular was out of action, so it was a steep walk down (and back up!) to the main town for coffee and then lunch.
After 2 nights in Nazare, we then continued inland towards Coimbra. Known for its ancient university, Coimbra has a gentle scholarly feel and layers of history that you sense just walking its streets and through the botanical gardens.
From Coimbra the scenery shifted again as we made our way into the Douro Valley and on to Lamego for a two-night stay. Here, Portugal slows down. Vineyards climb the hillsides in perfectly neat terraces, and there is a peaceful, almost timeless quality to the landscape. Lamego’s baroque architecture and famous sanctuary on the hill (686 steps!) provided a beautiful backdrop. We stayed here for 2 nights enjoying the Spa facilities at the hotel and driving to Regua for a visit to the Douro Museum and a tapas lunch – one evening was spent in a local bar (drinking cheap but delicious cocktails!) watching a rival football match between Porto and Beneficia Lisbon!
From there, we followed the river further to Pinhão, spending a night in the heart of the Douro’s wine country at the wonderful Quinta de la Rosa. Hemmed in by vines and water, it is all about the views: shimmering river bends, steep slopes patterned with vineyards and traditional Quintas dotted across the hills.
Our final stop was in Porto for two nights, where we swapped winding country roads for cobbles once more. Dropping the car off at the Station we took the metro and walked to our guest house in the Ribeira waterfront district. Porto, although hilly, is wonderfully walkable, so we explored on foot: from the Ribeira district, across the bridges and on the cable car sailing over the Vila Nova de Gaia (port wine cellars), and up past tiled churches and characterful streets. Walking the city gave us time to soak up the atmosphere, from the smell of coffee and pastel de nata in the morning to the salted cod and cheese tapas in the food markets at lunchtime and finally the buzz of the riverfront in the evening.
Looking back, this holiday was the perfect snapshot of Portugal: tram rides and miradouros in Lisbon, fairy-tale Sintra, wild Atlantic coastlines, scholarly Coimbra, vineyard-clad valleys around Lamego and Pinhão, and finally the urban charm of Porto. It is a route I would happily recommend to anyone who wants a taste of Portugal’s cities, countryside, and wine regions in one carefully paced trip.