Travelling with my sister has become a bit of a tradition. Over the years, we’ve explored German cities, driven through the country’s sleepy backwaters, road-tripped around Croatia and explored northern France. And this year? We headed south for a proper Portuguese road trip — 11 days of good food, hilltop towns, sea views and lots of laughs.
We started in Coimbra, wound our way south to Óbidos, spent a few days in Lisbon with a side trip to Sintra, stopped at a few Atlantic coast beaches and finished up in Porto. Sunshine, yummy food, azulejos tiles and a lot of laughter — Portugal really delivered.
Coimbra: Grand, atmospheric and full of history
Our first stop, Coimbra, has a slightly faded grandeur about it. Once the capital of Portugal, it’s a university town with steep alleys, terracotta rooftops and a lovely mix of old-world charm and youthful energy.
The highlight was visiting the University of Coimbra — one of the oldest in Europe — and stepping inside the Joanina Library (no pictures allowed), an ornate baroque masterpiece where actual bats protect the rare books by eating insects at night (how cool is that??).
Even more unexpected was the “Cabinet of Curiosities” (Cabinete de Curiosidades) at the University’s Science Museum — a “theatre of the world” packed with bizarre and exquisite objects from the last 250 years: taxidermied animals, giant seeds, cultural artefacts, even a skeleton whale and a six‑legged donkey. It’s whimsical, a little unsettling and fabulously weird.
Fun fact: students in Coimbra still wear traditional black capes and it’s said J.K. Rowling was inspired by them for the Hogwarts uniforms while living in Portugal. Once you see them, it makes perfect sense.
Óbidos: A medieval postcard
Next up: Óbidos. Walled, cobbled and impossibly photogenic, it felt like stepping into a medieval fairytale. You can walk the entire wall circuit and the views over the red rooftops and surrounding countryside are just lovely.
We didn’t stay the night (booked too late) and I would highly recommend doing so. Places like this are usually a lot lovelier early in the morning and later in the day once the crowds have left.
Lisbon: Hills, tiles and food
We spent a few days in Lisbon and packed in as much as we could — starting with a food tour, naturally. From pasteis de nata fresh out of the oven to local cheeses, seafood and a glass (or three) of vinho verde, it was such a fun way to dive into the city’s food scene.
After filling our stomachs we wandered everywhere — through Alfama’s winding lanes, up to Miradouro da Senhora do Monte for fab views, past tiled facades and into more than a few ceramic and textile shops. Lisbon is hilly, colourful, full of energy and we both agreed we could have easily spent another couple of days just exploring more of the neighbourhoods.
Sintra: Palaces and pastels
From Lisbon, we made a day trip to Sintra: colourful palaces perched on hilltops, winding lanes and lush gardens everywhere you look. Unfortunately, the Palácio da Pena, one of Sintra’s main highlights, was closed due to the risk of forest fires while we were there. A shame, but a good excuse to come back one day.
Sintra gets busy, so go early if you can, but it’s absolutely worth braving the crowds. Between the pastel palaces, leafy trails and endless tiled details, it felt like stepping into another world.
Atlantic Coast Beaches
We made time to explore a few spots along Portugal’s Atlantic coast, and found wide, sandy stretches, dramatic cliffs and that untamed, wind-swept feel I love.
We stopped at Nazaré, famous for its monster waves in winter, but visited at the wrong time of year — flat seas, no surfers in sight. Peniche had more of a surf-town vibe and my favourite was Praia do São Jacinto — endless dunes and beautiful soft white sand. Unfortunately, we hit sea fog while we were there (that eerie coastal mist caused when warm inland air meets the cold Atlantic). It rolled in and blanketed the beach, turning everything ghostly and atmospheric — beautiful, but not exactly sunbathing weather.
Porto: Boats, bridges and port wine
Our final stop was Porto, which turned out to be the perfect place to end the trip. It’s smaller and more relaxed than Lisbon, but just as charming.
We took a boat trip along the Douro River, which gave us a fresh perspective on the city’s colourful riverside buildings and iconic bridges, including the Dom Luís I bridge (yes, we walked across it too).
We also did a port wine tasting — you can’t come to Porto and not. Tasting tawny and ruby port side by side, hearing about the traditions, and sipping slowly — it felt very “when in Porto”.
Special mention: the tiles!
I can’t not talk about the tiles. Portugal’s azulejos are everywhere — decorating façades, churches, train stations, staircases and even street signs. Some are the classic blue-and-white patterns, others burst with colour and storytelling and together they make the cities feel like open-air galleries.
Lisbon’s tiled buildings are gorgeous, Porto’s São Bento station is jaw-dropping with its huge hand-painted panels and I found myself constantly stopping mid-step just to take another photo (or ten). It’s impossible not to fall in love with them.
Already talking about the next trip
Eleven days disappeared far too quickly, and there’s so much we didn’t get to. We didn’t make it down south to the Algarve this time, but I went years ago and still remember those dramatic cliffs and golden beaches. I’d love to go back at some stage, maybe with a bit more time to slow down.
Portugal gave us a mix of history, good food, sunshine, sea air and enough tiled beauty to fill a whole camera roll.
We’re already tossing around ideas for next year’s adventure.
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