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Crossing from Alfama to the riverside Belém district, Lisbon’s evolving faces continue to unfurl. Luxury labels line Avenida da Liberdade’s Paris-inspired boulevard leading to baixa (downtown), built on a grid following a 1755 earthquake. Soon, Lisbon’s more contemporary quarters appear: LxFactory, an industrial complex-turned-cultural and culinary playground; and Lisbon’s futuristic river-facing art space, the MAAT: Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology.
Ambling along the breezy River Tagus to Belém, passing monuments dedicated to the Age of Discovery in the 15th–17th centuries, you’ll be reminded that this nation’s story is shaped by the Atlantic. After an obligatory custard tart inside cavernous Pastéis de Belém, the de facto home of Portugal’s signature sweet treats, and a wander around the elaborate Manueline-style Jerónimos Monastery, you’ll be ready to heed the coast’s call.
Lisbon’s tangible allure is strung across the city’s seven hills. Vintage canary-yellow wooden trams trundle, homes clad with azulejos (hand-painted ceramic tiles) cling to slopes, and the crenelated walls of 11th-century Castelo de São Jorge crown it all.
Of course, the ethereal appeal of Portugal’s capital has long been its mystical golden glow – one best relished at daybreak. For the city’s finest first impression, set your early compass to Miradouro de Santa Luzia. Framing Alfama’s labyrinth of russet rooftops and laneways, the bougainvillea-veiled tiled viewpoint is Lisbon’s painting-like introduction and my favorite before-the-crowds moment.
Peering down on the slumbering scene of the city’s oldest district, Alfama appears as a time capsule. By midmorning, fresh seafood and seasonal sardines waft from the district’s cupboard-sized restaurants, visitors savor their first sweet taste of ginjinha cherry liqueur, and laundry flutters above streets, echoing the melancholic sounds of fado, Portugal’s hauntingly beautiful melody. The most authentic fado ticket in town is arguably Restaurante Maria da Mouraria, where performances spill into the square on warmer evenings, reverberating along Rua do Capelão, the birthplace of the genre.
From Alfama, an uphill climb leads to the restored castle. Turn right, though, and a succession of often overlooked architectural wonders appear: the azulejo-lined cloisters and Italian-frescoed hall of Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora; the imposing Panteão Nacional’s polished floors and tombs of Portuguese personalities; and eventually, the Museu Nacional do Azulejo, displaying centuries of ceramics inside a 16th-century convent.
Whether at mainland Europe’s westernmost point, Cabo da Roca, or the grassy slopes under Lisbon’s Miradouro da Graça, the arrival of spring is almost palpable in Portugal as crowds congregate to witness winter’s last sunset sink into the Atlantic. In the months ahead, rainbows of wildflowers will carpet the cape, delicate cherry blossoms will drape the Douro Valley, and jacaranda trees will illuminate Lisbon in lilac – all soundtracked by the song of swallows.
In a country where life is best lived outdoors, this new season signals more than longer days and a reawakening from winter’s slumber. The streets once again hum with alfresco tunes, the River Douro’s vines return with verdant triumph, golden shorelines are soon speckled with sunbathers, and the nation counts down until caracóis (snails) and grilled fresh sardines feature on menus. By June, fever pitch reached, the Festa dos Santos Populares catapults Lisbon and Porto into city-wide celebrations.
Embark on a journey from Lisbon to Porto and, interspersing the age-old sights, you’ll experience a seasonal window into the country’s soul.
Image credit: Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club. Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club’s stunning beachfront location
Golden light over seven hills
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Avenida da Liberdade is one of Lisbon’s most exclusive streets and is the main avenue for luxury shopping. Image credit: Shutterstock
Image credit: Shutterstock. Colorful textiles for sale at a Jaipur market
Porto sits in the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, the Douro Valley, as revered for its varietals as its vistas. Tiered walled terraces rise steeply from the river, vertical vines hug ridges, and Hollywood-style signs spell out legendary estates.
Traversable by train, the valley is one of Portugal’s most scenic rail journeys, though embarking on a riverboat sailing under Porto’s six bridges and over Douro’s five locks will elevate your experience.
After gliding past Resende’s pretty pink and white almond blossoms, and seeing workers trim and treat the grapevines, alight in Peso da Régua to tour the Douro Museum’s informative overview of the region and its vintages. Its top floor is reserved for first-class wine and port tastings.
In this stupendously scenic setting, spending time indoors is almost criminal. Instead, plan an afternoon around Pinhão’s esteemed estates, where your wine flight will likely be poured by vintners, and gourmet picnic hampers of local produce, such as Lamego’s presunto (cured ham), are served among the vines – a perfect position to raise a glass to Portugal’s primavera (spring).
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Image credit: Shutterstock. Castillo San Felipe del Morro was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay
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Lights at dusk from the picturesque historic center of Porto create a golden glow on the River Douro. Image credit: Shutterstock
Moored Portuguese fishing boats create a serene scene on the River Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia, just south of Porto.
Image credit: Shutterstock
From Lisbon, it’s a short, scenic train ride west toward Cascais. Pockets of beach periodically punctuate the view until sweeping shorelines and palatial homes announce your arrival.
Once an unfussy fishing village, Cascais turned chic in the 19th century as Europe’s most affluent anointed it a favored seaside retreat. Fronting the town are golden sands separated by stately summer residences, some now serving as period museums, while trails wend to untamed beaches, such as dune-ribboned Praia do Guincho and mainland Europe’s westernmost point, rugged Cabo da Roca.
Settle in and soak up the Portuguese Riviera by strolling along the people-watching promenade and snuggling into the sands of Praia da Duquesa, which is overlooked by a palace. At sunset, savor fresh-from-the-boat seafood paired with a citrusy Malvasia wine courtesy of nearby Colares’ small-batch and unique sand vineyards.
Sensational shoreline
From Lisbon, it’s a short, scenic train ride west toward Cascais. Pockets of beach periodically punctuate the view until sweeping shorelines and palatial homes announce your arrival.
Once an unfussy fishing village, Cascais turned chic in the 19th century as Europe’s most affluent anointed it a favored seaside retreat. Fronting the town are golden sands separated by stately summer residences, some now serving as period museums, while trails wend to untamed beaches, such as dune-ribboned Praia do Guincho and mainland Europe’s westernmost point, rugged Cabo da Roca.
Settle in and soak up the Portuguese Riviera by strolling along the people-watching promenade and snuggling into the sands of Praia da Duquesa, which is overlooked by a palace. At sunset, savor fresh-from-the-boat seafood paired with a citrusy Malvasia wine courtesy of nearby Colares’ small-batch and unique sand vineyards.
Image credit: Shutterstock. Colorful fall foliage near Woodstock, Vermont
Porto grocery store Pérola do Bolhão sells traditional Portuguese products. Image credit: Shutterstock
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The arrival of spring is almost palpable in Portugal as crowds congregate to witness winter’s last sunset sink into the Atlantic
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Traversable by train, the valley is one of Portugal’s most scenic rail journeys
August 2023 (Volume 22)
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I love chic Cascais, but for a contrasting coastline, I recommend heading south of Lisbon to my favorite Portuguese beach bolthole, the Parque Natural da Arrábida. More serene than sophisticated, the calm turquoise waters here lap unspoiled sandy bays backed by low-slung verdant hills, while the twirling whites of Tróia Peninsula sparkle in the distance. Visit on a spring weekday and these pristine coves are almost a private paradise.
Most visitors arrive in the Parque Natural on a fleeting day trip via the city of Setúbal (pronounced se-tubal), but if you opt for an extended sojourn in Sesimbra (pronounced se-sim-bra), you’ll find the beaches of the fort-fronted fishing town a more tranquil entrypoint. From Sesimbra’s diminutive marina, board a boat for a cinematic coastal sailing, pausing at secluded coves and paradisiacal beaches such as Praia de Galapinhos, and you’ll find it inconceivable that these scenes can exist so close to a European capital.
Pretty Praia da Rainha is a small beach located in the center of Cascais. Image credit: Shutterstock
Tranquility on the Coast
Porto is a city where headliners are effortlessly matched with more offbeat experiences. Marvel at azulejo-adorned Capela das Almas before painting your own ceramic tile in one of the Bairro das Artes’ workshops. Combine the contemporary art collection of avante-garde Serralves’ sprawling grounds with Porto’s thriving street art scene, or settle in for a chef’s table seafood degustation after packing your own-name-labeled sardines in Matosinhos’ century-old coastal canning factory.
Still, one pairing is undoubtedly the show stealer: touring Vila Nova de Gaia’s vintage port lodges before sailing upstream to see the source of the city’s fortified titular tipple.
From Lisbon, venture north to Porto, the nation’s second city, an easy three-hour drive from the capital. “As Lisbon plays, Porto works,” so the saying goes, and in recent years, the city’s kitchens have been laboring hard. There’s an ever-growing clutch of acclaimed chefs, Michelin-Starred restaurants, and the reimagined Bolhão Market, where ambling between food produce stalls – often with a wine in hand – is a palatable pastime. In short, Portugal’s second city is delicious.
If you prefer to travel by train, it’s less than three hours from Lisbon to Northern Portugal’s capital, which is as fastidious about its appearance as culinary excellence. From the outlandishly gilded Arab Hall of Palácio da Bolsa and dark-paneled Livraria Lello (often named the world’s most beautiful bookstore) to the photogenic slim Baroque townhouses perched on the steep hillside leading down toward the River Douro, the city’s architecture and attractions are one and the same.
Sunshine-colored tram on a colorful Lisbon street. Image credit: Shutterstock
Porto on a Plate
Styles of Vinho do Porto:
• Ruby Port: Bright red, fruity, youthful, aged for two to three years.
• Tawny Port: Aged for longer, often 10, 20, or 30+ years, with a nutty, caramelized flavor.
• White Port: Made from white grapes, ranging from sweet to dry.
• Vintage Port: Made from a single year’s harvest, often considered the highest quality, meant for long-term aging in bottles.
Porto sits in the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, the Douro Valley, as revered for its varietals as its vistas. Tiered walled terraces rise steeply from the river, vertical vines hug ridges, and Hollywood-style signs spell out legendary estates.
Traversable by train, the valley is one of Portugal’s most scenic rail journeys, though embarking on a riverboat sailing under Porto’s six bridges and over Douro’s five locks will elevate your experience.
After gliding past Resende’s pretty pink and white almond blossoms, and seeing workers trim and treat the grapevines, alight in Peso da Régua to tour the Douro Museum’s informative overview of the region and its vintages. Its top floor is reserved for first-class wine and port tastings.
In this stupendously scenic setting, spending time indoors is almost criminal. Instead, plan an afternoon around Pinhão’s esteemed estates, where your wine flight will likely be poured by vintners, and gourmet picnic hampers of local produce, such as Lamego’s presunto (cured ham), are served among the vines – a perfect position to raise a glass to Portugal’s primavera (spring).
Quaint Casa de Santa Maria and Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum in Cascais. Image credit: Shutterstock
Vertical vineyards
Traversable by train, the valley is one of Portugal’s most scenic rail journeys
The Sanchaya
Bintan, Indonesia
Image credit: The Sanchaya
Meet Mr. Morris. He encourages people to explore their artistic side and to better themselves and those around them. Caring for others and protecting the environment are essential values Mr. Morris holds dear. His vision is a world as “perfectly imperfect” as possible. His black and white stripes, he explains, “Echo my life. Sometimes black, sometimes white, or even somewhere in between.”
He is the “spokescat” for his namesake foundation that supports education and scholarship programs; a unique housing initiative where orphaned children and seniors live together, interact, and help each other in various ways; ecosystem research and water conservation projects; and he partners with Smile Train. Find out how you can help at mrmorris.org
Image credit: Shutterstock. Moored Portuguese fishing boats create a serene scene on the River Douro in Vila Nova de Gaia, just south of Porto
Porto is a city where headliners are effortlessly matched with more offbeat experiences. Marvel at azulejo-adorned Capela das Almas before painting your own ceramic tile in one of the Bairro das Artes’ workshops. Combine the contemporary art collection of avante-garde Serralves’ sprawling grounds with Porto’s thriving street art scene, or settle in for a chef’s table seafood degustation after packing your own-name-labeled sardines in Matosinhos’ century-old coastal canning factory.
Still, one pairing is undoubtedly the show stealer: touring Vila Nova de Gaia’s vintage port lodges before sailing upstream to see the source of the city’s fortified titular tipple.
Sensational shoreline
From Lisbon, venture north to Porto, the nation’s second city, an easy three-hour drive from the capital. “As Lisbon plays, Porto works,” so the saying goes, and in recent years, the city’s kitchens have been laboring hard. There’s an ever-growing clutch of acclaimed chefs, Michelin-Starred restaurants, and the reimagined Bolhão Market, where ambling between food produce stalls – often with a wine in hand – is a palatable pastime. In short, Portugal’s second city is delicious.
If you prefer to travel by train, it’s less than three hours from Lisbon to Northern Portugal’s capital, which is as fastidious about its appearance as culinary excellence. From the outlandishly gilded Arab Hall of Palácio da Bolsa and dark-paneled Livraria Lello (often named the world’s most beautiful bookstore) to the photogenic slim Baroque townhouses perched on the steep hillside leading down toward the River Douro, the city’s architecture and attractions are one and the same.
Vinho do Porto (Port wine) is a fortified wine that originates from Portugal’s Douro Valley, one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions. It’s known for its sweet, rich flavor and is often enjoyed as a dessert wine, though it comes in a variety of styles that range from sweet to dry. Enjoy with cheese, desserts, or on its own after a meal.
Porto sits in the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Image credit: Shutterstock
Port Wine
• Ruby Port: Bright red, fruity, youthful, aged for two to three years.
• Tawny Port: Aged for longer, often 10, 20, or 30+ years, with a nutty, caramelized flavor.
• White Port: Made from white grapes, ranging from sweet to dry.
• Vintage Port: Made from a single year’s harvest, often considered the highest quality, meant for long-term aging in bottles.
Styles of Vinho do Porto:
Tranquility on the Coast
Image credit: Shutterstock.Pretty Praia da Rainha is a small beach located in the center of Cascais
I love chic Cascais, but for a contrasting coastline, I recommend heading south of Lisbon to my favorite Portuguese beach bolthole, the Parque Natural da Arrábida. More serene than sophisticated, the calm turquoise waters here lap unspoiled sandy bays backed by low-slung verdant hills, while the twirling whites of Tróia Peninsula sparkle in the distance. Visit on a spring weekday and these pristine coves are almost a private paradise.
Most visitors arrive in the Parque Natural on a fleeting day trip via the city of Setúbal (pronounced se-tubal), but if you opt for an extended sojourn in Sesimbra (pronounced se-sim-bra), you’ll find the beaches of the fort-fronted fishing town a more tranquil entrypoint. From Sesimbra’s diminutive marina, board a boat for a cinematic coastal sailing, pausing at secluded coves and paradisiacal beaches such as Praia de Galapinhos, and you’ll find it inconceivable that these scenes can exist so close to a European capital.
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Local writer Daniel James Clarke takes a tour from Lisbon around Portugal’s Atlantic coast.
Local writer Daniel James Clarke takes a tour from Lisbon around Portugal’s Atlantic coast.