1. Enjoy a food and wine tour in Porto
Upriver of Porto, the Alto Douro region has been producing wine for over two-thousand years. And the Portuguese relationship to food is very similar to the Italian outlook, in that they take great pride in their local cuisine. So we always recommend joining a food tour, so you can sample the best local wines, visit markets and try the street food, and enjoy eating their signature dishes in a hand-picked restaurant, where cured meats, ewe’s cheese, olives, breads, and seafood dishes will be a staple.
2. Take a scenic train into the Douro Valley
Porto, in the North of Portugal, is home to the worlds oldest demarcated wine region: the Douro Valley. And you can catch a train that takes you up the Douro River and deep into the valley. Starting at São Bento Train Station, you board a charming locomotive and journey into a landscape of rural villages with olive farms and small-scale vineyards. The most scenic part off your route comes after Mosteiro, where the track connects with the Douro and you chug your way upriver all the way to Pinhao, the hub of the Douro Valley. You can enjoy a cruise on the river, sample the port, and take the return train from Pinhao to Pocinho, where the river narrows and the valley is rockier and more rugged. It’s fun watching the locomotive engine switch sides, ready for your return.
3. Walk along the wild Algarve coast
The Algarve has been a popular beach destination since the 1960s, but move away from the resorts and you’ll find a wild coastline, with secluded coves, and peaceful rural communities that thrive here. Walk along this coastline and you will experience parts of the Algarve that most people don’t get to see: empty golden beaches, spectacular varied and colourful cliff scenery, paths bordered with a rich variety of plants and flowers, fascinating coastal limestone pavement, hidden valleys, serene forests, and sleepy towns not overrun with visitors.
4. Eat a Pasteis de Nata in Lisbon
Anyone who has been to Portugal is likely to have tried one of their custard tarts, or Pasteis de Nata. Shortly before the 18th century, many monasteries and convents were using vast quantities of egg whites to starch their robes. Rather than waste the leftover yolks, they used them to make a range of sweet pastries and this is what led to the custard tart becoming a quintessential part of Portuguese confectionary. It was the monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon who were first credited with developing the original custard tart recipe, though this sweet treat only gained notoriety after production started at an adjacent sugar refinery. The sugar-cane factory in Belem that produced them stills remains today and the recipe is a closely guarded secret. This is why some will say that you have only had an authentic Portuguese custard tart if you have eaten a Pasteis de Belem, which can only be purchased in the town itself.
5. Tour the Vineyards of Alentejo
The beautiful UNESCO-protected city of Evora is the gateway to Portugal’s rural Alentejo heartland. Known as the breadbasket of Portugal, the Romans were the first to tame this land. Their regimented fields of wheat, olive farms, and terraced vineyards are still evident across the landscape. The slower pace of life here allows you to really take it all in. It’s a great place to enjoy vineyard tours, and the cuisine is excellent too!
