Portugal Travelers Recommend

Lisbon is a city to get lost in, wandering steep, narrow streets lined with tiled buildings, and discovering hidden bars and cafes. Day 1: History, Hills & Local Flavor Start at Rossio and head south into the Baixa district. Wander along the old shopping streets past elegant buildings with their tiled facades. At the other end of Baixa, you reach Praca do Comercio. Day 2: Museums, Monasteries and the River Tagus The western waterfront area of Belem on the River Tagus is full of museums, including a Naval Museum, an Archaeological Museum and a modern cultural center. Day 3: Day Trips from Lisbon Sintra is famed for its gardens and turreted buildings. Enjoy the beaches on the Sunny Coast or Portuguese Riviera. Visit the Estoril casino, the Bay of Cascais and the wild waves of Boca do Inferno.

Portugal is renowned for its wines and fortified port wines. Tours head off from Lisbon to the surrounding vineyards and wineries, where you can see how the wines are made, get a feel for the centuries-old winemaking traditions and, most importantly, taste the fine wines produced here. Pair wines with Portugal’s famous Azeitao cheese, or visit the Herdade do Esporao estate in Reguengos de Monsaraz to sip award-winning oak-aged wines. At Quinta de Santana in Mafra, wines are served in the picturesque surroundings of rolling hills striped with vines, providing glimpses of the sea. Of course, you don’t need to leave Lisbon to sample a good drop. The city’s atmospheric wine bars serve sparkling whites and ruby reds accompanied by Portuguese tapas like sausage and olives, or garlicky prawns and clams.

Seafood abounds throughout the city; sardines, dorado and sea bass come perfectly grilled, while the rich fish and seafood stew Caldeirada is spiced with chili and bulked with green vegetables, but the national dish of Portugal is cod – bacalhau – and it is served in virtually all Lisbon restaurants, whether grilled, cooked with rice and scrambled eggs, cooked au gratin or as fritters. Pork comes in many guises too; carne de porco Alentejana pairs pork with clams and roast potatoes, while the bifana is the Lisbon street food of choice, comprising layers of thinly sliced pork steak sautéed with garlic or onions and presented in a bread roll. Rivaling cod in the popularity stakes, Caldo verde (literally ‘green soup’) is a broth made with onions, cabbage, potatoes and occasionally chourico (smoked sausage). It’s often served late at night in fado clubs, as reassuring and nourishing as fado is mournful and haunting.