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City Guides, Travel Planning and Dream Vacations
Lisbon is a magical and romantic destination, highly recommended for every traveler’s bucket list. Within the city’s unique and charming neighborhoods – Baixa, Alfama, Chiado, and Bairro Alto there’s enough to fill weeks of exploration. Click here for our city guide: Exploring Lisbon where we provide an itinerary that covers the major sights and experiences, while leaving enough time to take it all in at an unhurried pace.
But beyond the city limits, Lisbon is also the perfect jumping off point for spectacular day trips – within an hour of the major city you can escape to castles, gardens and medieval villages. Each tour we took was expertly guided by Lisbon by Locals, who we highly recommend!
Come with us as we share our experiences from days 3,4 and 5 of our 8-day adventure. Now, let’s embark on three unique day trips, covering 6 towns not to be missed. Enjoy!
Day 3 Sintra
Venturing West from Lisbon we journeyed to a land of fairytale castles and lush green parks. Just imagine vistas from turrets and balconies stretching to the sea. We began strolling the sculpted, yet natural parks of Peña Palace. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world.
We wandered the meandering paths past man-made duck ponds with mini-castles for the lucky inhabitants. Plant and tree species imported by former kings were designed to create a royal escape from city life.
Finally climbing to the castle itself, Peña Palace emerges from the trees, sitting majestically on the highest hilltop. Just as pictured in all of our travel guides, there were the soaring turrets and striking hues of yellow and red, adorned with multi-colored tiles.
We opted to spend our time exploring the outside of the palace. With the benefit of a guided tour we learned the castle’s unique history, inspiration and symbolism behind the decorative, dimensional tiles and architectural details.
We passed inside the lovely chapel and interpretive history display.
The views are breathtaking. Tip: in high season the crowds are enormous. Guided ‘skip the line’ tours are well worth the investment.
We continued on to the lower paths of the Moorish Steps. The ruins of the Castelo dos Mouros stand high above Sintra, and during the Moorish era (8-12th century) this once mighty castle defended the entire region. We opted to just walk the lower part, saving time in our day day for more stops, a tough choice given the many sights of Sintra.
Our next stop was old town Sintra. A delightfully bustling village of narrow hilly streets lined with shops and restaurants.
We had a wonderful charcuterie board and our new favorite green wine outside at Loja do Vinho. This is quintessential Europe, enjoying life’s simple pleasures!
We shopped at Sardinha Portucuesa, one of the most beautiful and unique experiences in and around Lisbon. It’s hard to imagine that artfully designed cans of fish can be so intriguing! We left with several to add to our take home treasures.
Leaving Sintra we made our way to the Atlantic for a fantastic lunch on Praia Beach.
Amazing fresh seafood paired with (yes) more green wine! Our waiter took us to the tanks holding enormous crabs and lobsters plucked right out of the sea.
After dipping our feet in the ocean, we journeyed through the coastal area known as the Portuguese Riviera and the towns of Estoril and Cascais, the scenic drive passes many interesting sights including museums, forts, beaches and the oceanfront boardwalk.
Day 4 Belem Located just west of downtown Lisbon, Belem features many iconic landmarks not to be missed.
Our walk started at the Monument to the Discoveries, paying tribute to the explorers who set forth from Portugal’s shores to the New World and beyond.
A short stroll away is Portugal’s most famous monument, Belem Tower. Tip: Purchase tickets in advance and avoid the crowds to enjoy the ornate, yet powerfully fortified structure, designed to both defend the city and welcome visitors.
A must visit In Belem is Pasteis de Belem, the originator of Portugals signature pastry. History has it that the secret recipe emerged in the 19th century from the Jeronimos Monastery, when in 1834 the monasteries and convents were forced to close and workers resorted to selling the sweet treats to make a living.
The breathtaking centerpiece of Belem is the sprawling Jeronimos Monastery. The vast building began construction in 1501 and took 100 years to complete.
The detail is stunning. Marvel at the lavish Renaissance and Spanish plateresque architecture while strolling the long regal wings and spectacular cloister.
We enjoyed a most-memorable lunch at Nunes Real Marisqueira – an incredible experience. Rated one of Portugal’s top seafood restaurants, we were first taken on a tour of the huge tanks containing enormous lobsters and crabs, and display cases packed with shellfish and fresh fish.
I had to try the barnacle – not the kind I’m used to, clinging to coastal rocks and pilings…this was a completely unique species available only in select areas of the Portuguese Atlantic.
Then, a 2.2 kilo lobster, incredibly prepared. An unforgettable meal!
Our wonderful tour guide Ligea from Lisbon by Locals helped us check an important box in terms of treasures to take home. We visited the Fabrica Sant’Anna tile factory where we purchased a beautiful collection of hand-painted tiles.
Day 5 Fatima, Nazare and Óbidos. Here is a day trip from Lisbon where we highly recommend a guided tour. We packed a lot into this day and never would have seen and done it all so efficiently without the expertise of Lisbon by Locals.
Day 5 Fatima, Nazare and Obidos. Here is a day trip from Lisbon where we highly recommend a guided tour. We packed a lot into this day and never would have seen and done it all so efficiently without the expertise of Lisbon by Locals.
It was pouring rain with gusty winds when we arrived at Fatima. For those not familiar, this is a pilgrimage for Roman Catholics around the world.
The Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children on this holy ground.
For us, it was a powerful, moving experience. Seeing the faithful offer their prayers was humbling.
We visited the small village nearby where the shepherd children who witnessed the miracle actually lived, the buildings seemingly untouched by time.
Our second stop was Nazare, the fishing village made famous by the massive waves that draw surfers from around the world. The waves are monstrous…an average of 50 feet and as high as 80 during the high season of November to February. Today the seas were calm and we simply enjoyed the view.
We began with a tour of the town square and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazareth.
Even without the famed waves, seeing Nazare in Summer was still a great experience as the coastal views are spectacular.
The small chapel overlooking the ocean housed the tiny Chapel of the Miracles Memory where in 1182 Our Lady of Nazaré saved the knight Dom Fuas Roupinho from falling off the cliff when he was following a deer on a horse. The tiled walls and ceiling are beautiful, and the view to the ocean is stunning.
Our final stop was Óbidos, an utterly charming medieval walled town 50 miles north of Lisbon. Within the stone walls is a brightly colored village of shops, cafes and cobbled streets making it a joy to explore. Beautiful flowers graced walls and doorways.
There were delightful treats to savor…Ginja served in a chocolate cup and the most delicious pastries.
Climbing the ancient walls provides views of the enchanting enclosed village.
Combining several days exploring the city of Lisbon with these guided day trips filled our itinerary with a treasure trove of unique experiences.
When planning your adventure to Lisbon, be sure to check out both of these articles for a complete and wonderful adventure:
We look forward to your comments and thoughts…Saude!
Interested in your own adventures to Lisbon and beyond? Carla is ready
help with custom itineraries and expert travel planning… please reach out to
carla@vacationkids.com for more info.
