Visiting Portugal this past Summer was not in our plans. My wife's work wound up sponsoring a trip for her to co-work with a colleague, and fortunately I was able to tag along for the 2 week trip.
We had a notice of only 2 weeks to plan things, which is insane for someone like me who likes to plan. My wife's work paid for her things, but I was on my own and on quick notice. I thankfully was able to find award space on Swiss to Zurich and then a short hop down South to Faro on Edelweiss (great airline!) to meet my wife in Portimao for a while before heading to Lisbon.
I knew vaguely about Lisbon and Porto, but as far as Portugal went that was it. I had no idea of the country's southern region, the Algarve, or the city where we'd be staying for almost 2 weeks, Portimao.
Our time in Portimao was mostly chill. We were both working during the week and spending time after work walking around the town or hanging at her coworker's place. Despite our relaxed and slow time there, I left impressed with the area. Portimao is nice with great beaches (the Algarve as a whole has fantastic beaches), the Faro airport was quick and simple to get in and out of, and even some close-ish towns to Portimao like Lagos are well worth stopping by for a quick day trip.
The Benagil Caves are a main attraction in the Algarve and are definitely worth taking a boat tour around if you're in the area. Many tour companies to pick from when you arrive, and they all do mostly the same type of tour.
The Benagil area is definitely very popular, and for good reason. In addition to exploring the cavesmthe beaches in the area are some of the best in Europe. This really feels like how I'd pictured Portugal outside of the cities.
I quickly realized the Algarve's strength is definitely its beaches, and near the Benagil Caves there are plenty to choose from, all of them exceptionally stunning to experience. We decided to go to Marinha Beach for the day as a recommendation from my wife's coworker as it was apparently rated one of the best in Europe.
I gotta say, the Algarve is a nice little spot to not do a whole lot. And I mean that in a good way. It was a joy to have a quiet area like Portimao to hang out and walk around after work and as our base in the Algarve. Most people aren't going to spend close to 12 days in Portimao/the Algarve, but considering the situation I really quite enjoyed not feeling rushed and just getting to experience this part of Portugal for an extended period of time.
Now having said that, I couldn't come to Portugal for the first time and not go to Lisbon. While my wife was busy working one weekend, I hopped on a train from Portimao to Lisbon for a few days. I came into the city not knowing much, and left Lisbon as a huge fan of the Portuguese capitol.
I love bridges. Not sure why, but I do. The 25 de Abril Bridge is no exception and an absolute joy to see. It is obviously painted the same color as the greatest bridge in the world, and was visually designed to look similar to the other popular bridge in the SF Bay Area, the Bay Bridge.
I found myself in the Afalma neighborhood of Lisbon every day, whether for a photo opportunity, via public transit, or just to eat. Afalma is the oldest part of Lisbon and where a lot of the classic beauty is. The city as a whole is great to look at, but Afalma is where you'll really feel the history.
Lisbon has maybe the coolest vintage public transportation I've seen in a city yet. Budapest comes close, San Francisco of course comes very close. But the trams and what you see in the photos above and below this paragraph, the Bica Funicular, are something special. While not super practical, the funicular is nonetheless very cool to experience and was a total hit for me to ride up and down on.
One of the better Portuguese foods I had in Lisbon was a bifana. It reminded me of a more simple cubano sandwich. Afonso Bifanas is a popular spot on the edge of Afalma and very good. There was a consistent line when I was there, but worth it. I also had a lot of Super Bock in Portugal. 🍺
Now this ginjinha place I absolutely loved in Lisbon. I saw it on the Lisbon episode of Parts Unknown (or No Reservations?) and was incredibly excited to try it. They sell shots of ginjinha, a Portuguese cherry liqueur. It's not too strong and very tasty. I visited this place almost every day and brought a couple of bottles home.
There's just a lot to do and see walking around Lisbon. I feel most at home traveling when I can walk, wander, and take public transit around a new city – and Lisbon provides all of that. I was here for about 2 and a half days, but could have spent probably 4 or more just seeing it all and eating.
The Castelo de São Jorge is a neat castle area that provides some great views of the city from above (and has one of the most insanely challenging bus routes I've ever ridden on).
Lisbon and Portugal really surprised me. Maybe it was only having 2 weeks before the trip and not being able to really plan or get a true picture of what we'd be experiencing, but I left loving it more than I thought I might. I'm not sure how I pictured Portugal before the trip, but after the trip I am just a massive fan of the country in every way. 🇵🇹
