Portugal is going on my list of favorite places I’ve visited.  It’s beautifully picturesque and inexpensive, with so much to see and do.  I had heard amazing thing about Portugal from friends who had gone, however finding a round trip ticket for $500 was what sealed the deal for us (thanks Kayak Explore!). We decided to split our time between Porto and Lisbon to ensure we had adequate time in each place. Next trip we will get down to the Algarve, but limited vacation time means it just couldn’t all be done in one trip.

Accommodations
We did Airbnbs in both cities, renting entire 2 bedroom apartments for dirt cheap (like $40-60/night total). My only other experience with Airbnb was during my trip to Ireland a few months back (stay tuned for that post!) but it was a rented room in an apartment with the owner. It was a little awkward with her being there so I was nervous to try it again.  However, renting the entire apt is much better. We got lucky and both apartments were in fantastic locations, right in the city centers.

There were plenty of restaurants, bars and shops within a 5-10 minute walk from both apartments, which was really convenient for us. We saw many hotels scattered through both cities but I think the Airbnb prices are cheaper and you get more space. The trade off is that most European hotels provide breakfast, which we had to get breakfast on our own.  However, none of our breakfasts were over €3 so it really wasn’t a huge deal. The Airbnbs can also be lacking supplies (extra towels, soap, toilet paper, etc) so you may need to contact the host for additional toiletries or purchase your own.

The Food

Portuguese food is fish and meat heavy. And unlike what you may think, it is NOT a Mediterranean diet, as the locals were sure to tell multiple times on various tours we did. Neither of us are vegetarian so we were okay with the options and we had some deliciously seasoned fish and chicken throughout the trip.

Try the Piri Piri chicken, a Portuguese speciality and delicious.  We were told we should try the Francesinha, another Portuguese speciality but were NOT fans.  It is a sandwich with 5-6 different meats and a fried egg on top, covered in a gravy like sauce with fries sprinkled around it.  You can try it for yourself and decide, but it was the only meal I really didn’t like on the trip.

There also seems to be a heavy Italian influence, as there were many restaurants that offered pizzas and pastas. In addition to Italian there were many other kinds of restaurants (Chinese, Turkish, Indian, Tapas, etc). In Lisbon, be sure to check out the Time Out Market, right near the waterfront and the train station. It’s modeled after an Asian night market with 20-30 different stalls, each selling a different types of food (Thai, Chinese, sushi, American and of course Portuguese) and CHEAP.  It’s a fun area and a great way to try a variety of foods and drinks.

A typical meal for us with the bread starters (which they automatically bring you but are NOT free), and entree each and a bottle of wine or a pitcher of sangria was around €12-15 each.  Of course if you have fine taste in food you can easily spend more, however we ate well and did not skimp out on anything and never paid more than €16 on a meal (including drinks).

Maybe the best part of our meals was the sangria.  Sangria in Portugal is dirt cheap and delicious; we just couldn’t get enough. We weren’t huge fans of the Port wine, so we stuck to ordering pitchers of sangria for dinner and dessert, in lieu of the traditional after dinner glass of Port. I’d encourage you to drink as much as you can while you are there because it is so much better than American sangria.

Below are a few restaurants I would suggest…

In Porto:

O Caçula. We had dinner here our first night.  They had the most amazing caramelized goat cheese dish. The other food was also really good and the have a great outdoor seating area (with heaters).

Casa Portuguese do Pastel de Bacalhau. Try a cheese stuffed codfish cake. Sounds super weird I know, but it’s good. It isn’t huge but a good snack, and comes with a port tasting from Taylor’s Port House.  The best thing about it was maybe the presentation.  It’s served on mini art easels with a picture of Porto…adorable. It’s right near the Clérigos church and bell tower with great indoor and outdoor seating.

Porto A.S. 1829 Hotel restaurant. We both had great pasta dishes, however this was our priciest dinner, at €16 each for our entrees and a Coke Zero.

In Lisbon:

Agra Indian. Great Indian food.  We had samosas, a potato and spinach dish, chicken tikka masala and naan for under €15 each.

Da Vinci Ristorante & Pizzeria. We split a tortellini dish and a margherita pizza, which were both great. They also have excellent sangria here.

Pastéis de Belém. This place makes the original recipe for the famous Portuguese pastéis de nata pastries. They are an egg tart pastry (sounds not great I know, but it’s freaking delicious) and are available everywhere for €1-2 each. Eat as many as you can while in Portugal, but most definitely try one from this place!

Pito do Bairro.  We were in a rush to get to our afternoon walking tour and stopped to get a quick bite here because it was on the way.  It is maybe the best chicken I’ve ever had.  The seasoned fries were also really good.  A really lucky find.

General tips

1– Portugal uses the euro. The euro and the dollar are very close at the moment which was great for us.  I’d recommend taking money out at the ATM when you arrive vs using a currency exchange as the fee for the ATM is cheaper than the commission rate at the currency exchange places. You will need both both cash and credit cards as many of the smaller shops and restaurants are cash only.

2 – Portugal is safe, however you must be very mindful of pickpockets. We were warned to be extra careful on the Number 28 trolley car bc apparently pickpockets like to take wallets and phones on the crowded cars. We also learned the hard way that eating outside is a place to pay close attention to your belongings.  On our last night, we were having drinks outside and Renee’s cell phone was stolen right off our table.  Unfortunately, we didn’t notice until a few minutes after, and by then the man was long gone. It was really unfortunate bc it was a terrible way to end an otherwise amazing vacation. Thankfully her phone is backed up to the cloud, but it added stress, frustration and expense that she should not have had to deal with.  I suggest always keeping your belongings in your bag when not using them and keeping your bag on your lap. It’s frustrating to have to be so overly cautious, but unfortunately it’s necessary.

3 – Bring comfortable walking shoes. I had NO idea how hilly Portugal is. It was like San Francisco but steeper and more hills. You walk everywhere and the hills are killer as it is, but worse if you aren’t wearing proper shoes.

4 – Depending on the time of year, bring a variety of clothing. In summer it gets really hot in Portugal so summer clothing is fine. However, it is NOT really hot all the time the rest of the year. The weather changes throughout the day and if the sun isn’t out it makes a big difference. I packed terribly and had to purchase warmer clothes to be comfortable outside on the cooler days. So moral of the story, pack smarter than me. Always pack at least one long sleeved shirt and/or a zip up hoodie.

Although our trip was unfortunately marred at the end because of the pickpockets, we still thoroughly enjoyed Portugal. It’s a stunningly beautiful country with delicious and cheap wine, sangria and food and very nice people. It was named as the 2016 Destination of the Year by Travel + Leisure and I think will become more commercialized and likely more expensive as more people visit. If it’s someplace you have interest in going, I’d suggest visiting sooner rather than later. You won’t regret it. Obrigado Portugal, I’ll definitely be back.