Read Portugal as regions such as Lisbon, Porto, Douro Valley, not as a pin.
Lisbon-Sintra-Cascais is the spine.
Regions
- Lisbon — Lisbon is stop 1 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Porto — Porto is stop 2 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Douro Valley — Douro Valley is stop 3 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Algarve — Algarve is stop 4 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Sintra — Sintra is stop 5 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
- Madeira — Madeira is stop 6 in a Portugal map. Give it a night, not a cameo.
Routes
- Lisbon-Sintra-Cascais — Lisbon-Sintra-Cascais — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Porto-Douro-Pinhao — Porto-Douro-Pinhao — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Lisbon-Algarve — Lisbon-Algarve — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
- Funchal-Madeira loop — Funchal-Madeira loop — budget a day for the transfers, not a half-day fantasy.
Icons
- Lisbon — Why Lisbon photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Porto — Why Porto photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Douro Valley — Why Douro Valley photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Algarve — Why Algarve photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
- Sintra — Why Sintra photographs well, and why it closes in the afternoon.
Pairings
- Slow pair — Pair Lisbon with Porto; drop a third stop before you add one.
- Weather pair — Do not force a wet coast and a dry highland into the same week.
- Honeymoon pair — Two city nights plus three quiet nights recover better than a trophy circuit.
Dropping the third city is usually a gain.
When to goPlacesHow to travelCultureCostHoneymoon notesToday