All tagged Travel to Escape Reality
No trip to Portugal is complete without visiting the Algarve region on the country’s southern coast and for us, this was the best part of our trip. Some of our favorite memories of visiting Portugal were from the times that we spent exploring the beautiful beaches and towns of the Algarve and to this day, Nina still has “saudade” whenever she reminisces of our time there. The people are so welcoming, the beaches are quite stunning (whether it be dramatic cliff structures, red and white rock beaches or deserted beaches that you find while hiking/canoeing) and best of all, the food is perfect (which is really the only way to describe the gastronomical delight that is the Algarve region). Traveling around the region actually feels like you’ve stumbled upon the most idyllic little paradise with each town more memorable than the last and to be honest, we selfishly didn’t even want to write this blog post, lest hordes of rude tourists start arriving and spoiling it. Nevertheless, the Algarve region is officially one of our favorite places in the world to visit and if anybody out there in the internet universe is reading this, we really hope that you consider experiencing this little slice of heaven at least once in your lifetime. You will not regret it.
Located just an hour train ride outside of Lisbon, Sintra’s picturesque palaces, parks and fairytale castles are a magnet for wanderlust. With its microclimate and magical scenery, the entire town has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and should be included on every traveler’s itinerary. We first encountered Sintra while on a tour with a private company, but we loved it so much that we decided to come back a second time for an entire day during our visit to Portugal. In actuality, Sintra is so big and has so many sites that you could realistically stay here for an entire two week vacation and still have a reason to come back. Between all of the parks, historical buildings, and beautiful beach towns of Cais Cais and Cabo de Roca, travelers will be rewarded with a uniquely Portuguese experience. Read below for some of Sintra’s top attractions.
Situated on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula, Lisbon is the second-oldest European capital and gateway to Europe for anyone who is traveling from the Americas. It now stands as a legacy of a vast and storied empire that once spanned from the Americas to Africa and Asia. Additionally, its position in the middle of the country and status as a global city combine to bring you a melting pot of culture, history and delicious cuisine. Walking around Lisbon and seeing all of the colorful buildings, statues and characteristic trolleys feels almost like you’ve been transported to the late 19th century. For us, Lisbon (and Portugal in general) is one of Europe’s best kept secrets and we encourage every traveler to visit this beautiful city.
Just a half hour north of Porto lies the city of Guimarães, considered to be the birthplace of Portugal ever since Afonso Henriques defeated his own mother in battle and her Galician allies and proclaimed himself Portugal’s first king. Since it was so close to Porto, we decided to take a daytrip to this historic city which has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was well worth the visit.
Braga is the oldest city in Portugal, with a history that goes back to prehistoric times as evidenced by archaeological discoveries of an Indo-European Celtic people who inhabited the region long before the Romans. Walking around the city gave us the feeling of being in many different time periods with Neolithic, Roman, Medieval and Modernist buildings everywhere. We visited Braga on a daytrip from Porto and although we didn’t spend much time here, Braga was much more than expected and we recommend that anyone visiting Portugal make a daytrip to this interesting city.
Situated at the mouth of the Douro River, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and gateway to the northern regions. Although the city is quite large, it’s so charming that you might feel like you’re in a small town. In recent years it’s grown in popularity, with many young tourists and retirees alike flocking here to pack the city’s famous wine cellars. In Porto’s historic city center (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), you can roam cobblestone streets, marvel at the various buildings with decorative blue tiles known as azulejos and find many hidden gems. Porto was our first stop when visiting Portugal and we must say, it was a perfect introduction to this beautiful country.
