Lonely Planet Portugal (Travel Guide)

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Egg yolks, sugar and occasionally almonds are the core ingredients of typical Portuguese pastries known as conventual sweets. Key events: Porto Busker Fest, Silves Medieval Festival, Festas Gualterianas, Festival MEO Sudoeste, Romaria de Nossa Senhora d’Agonia, Feira de São Mateus, Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.

In the evening, why not forego conventional dining for a picnic in the park, at a viewpoint or by the sea. But that’s indeed the best strategy if you hope to discover one of the Algarve’s most attractive towns. From Argentina to Vietnam, our worldwide network of local experts can plan your trip from arrival to departure, so you can spend less time poring over train timetables and more having the best experiences possible. Here, the meandering Rio Douro flows past towering hillsides covered by the steeply terraced vineyards that make up Europe’s oldest demarcated wine region.At the journey’s end (or beginning), you can make an optional visit to Ponte 516 Arouca, the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge. Unprepossessing on the outside but as intricate as a Fabergé egg on the inside, Porto’s Igreja de São Francisco is an indulgent feast of baroque splendor. It passes through rural villages, cork-tree forests, and river valleys, with a scenic coastal section anchoring the southern end of the trail. Service has expanded in recent years, particularly in the south, where the new Vamus Algarve covers just about every part of the Algarve, from tiny beach villages on the central coast to the soaring sea cliffs near Sagres.

You can walk the ramparts of the citadel and wander through the exhibitions which describe the invasions and occupations over the centuries. Looping south, you’ll ascend to Monsaraz, yet another mesmerizing hilltop village with a medieval castle and more astonishing views. Experience Guides For travelers that want to design a trip that feels unique, these guides uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations.Don’t miss the optional detour up to Talefe, the highest point in the Rocha da Pena at 479m (1571ft), with mesmerizing views over the Algarve’s hinterlands. As part of the Costa Vicentina (which continues up into the Alentejo), this chunk of the Algarve has some delightful little towns where you can stay while exploring the pristine coastline. Just uphill from the golden sands, the village has a walkable center dotted with outdoor eateries that will please kids and adults alike. From golden beaches and mountainous peaks to lush river valleys, every region has its own diverse highlights across this small Iberian nation.

More demanding is the Serra da Estrela (which serves as the “mountain run” for the Volta a Portugal, a multi-stage road bicycle race).Ranging in duration from a few hours to a week or more, each route is graded according to difficulty and features a first-hand account accompanied by awe-inspiring photographs, illustrated maps, practical information and suggestions for other similar road trips. The black-stone houses’ traditional design was kept to honor and maintain the region’s cultural identity. Skipping the car rental also means you won't have to hassle with parking, toll roads and heavy traffic, among other things.

Porto’s west coast location, at the intersection of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River, makes for some epic sunsets. Squeeze every moment out of your next vacation with tips and tricks from Lonely Planet in our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. You can watch the ducks and geese on the ponds at the Parque da Cidade, Portugal’s biggest urban park, or sit beneath an olive tree and admire the view over the Douro from the elegant grounds of the ​​Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. Renting a car in Portugal is relatively straightforward, with rental outfits found in major towns, cities, and larger airports like Lisbon, Porto, and Faro. Many years ago, as a young backpacker, I made plenty of mistakes when traveling around Portugal – from trying to see everything on one trip to indulging in free appetizers that weren’t really free.Connecting Chaves in the north to Faro in the south, the picturesque Estrada Nacional 2 is a 740km (460-mile) stretch of road that shows road-trippers the kind of Portugal they’d miss if they stuck to highways and freeways. Start in the Ribeira district – a Unesco World Heritage Site – then cross the bridge to explore centuries-old port wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia, where you can sip the world’s best port. These vintage relics rumble through the narrow streets of Lisbon and Porto, offering a charming, inexpensive sightseeing tour of either city.