Where To Go In Portugal This Summer
VERONIKA JORJOBERT/UNSPLASH
LISBON
For A Girls Trip
Few people go to Lisbon and don’t fall in love with the city. A fun and affordable option for a girls trip, the Portuguese capital is easily reached from London via a two-and-a-half-hour flight, followed by a 20-minute drive into the city centre. Offering the best of both city and beach life, Lisbon is spread across seven hillsides, with breath-taking views overlooking the Rio Tejo cradle. Visitors can discover ancient architecture decorated with intricate tiles, and explore cobbled alleyways and white-topped cathedrals. A tuk-tuk tour is a good way to see the city if you’re not keen on walking up the steep hills, or there’s the famous tram network. During a recent trip I booked a tour led by a local guide that started at Restauradores Square and stopped at the historic Praça do Comércio.
Alfama, with its independent bars and restaurants, is one of the best neighbourhoods to stay in. It’s a 15-minute walk to the city centre and has great views across the multicoloured buildings and harbour below. For a culture fix, there’s the beautiful Mosteiro dos Jerónimos monastery and Castelo de São Jorge, an impressive castle dating back to the 11th century. There are also boutiques and ceramic shops for souvenirs, cafés to stock up on pastel del natas and delis to buy tinned sardines – remember foodies are spoilt for choice in a city that prides itself on excellent produce and the freshest seafood, delivered to restaurants straight from day boats.
The Time Out Market is a great option for a casual meal. Home to numerous kitchens and bars, you’ll find everything from tapas and seafood platters to Asian street food and pizzas – all served with towering pitchers of sangria or white port-based cocktails. One of the buzziest spots right now is Javá Rooftop, which serves sharing Middle Eastern dishes. Sit on the terrace to watch the sunset or dine inside, where friendly waiters bring creamy hummus and mezze platters to your table. For something traditional, Pica-Pau serves typical Portuguese dishes alongside natural wines. Order garlic prawns, cod cakes and nisa cheese for the table, before tucking into mains of seafood rice or slow-cooked pork cheeks.
If you’re visiting with friends, there are a few activities to make the holiday feel extra special. We booked a private chef with Take a Chef. For ten of us, we chose a menu of sharing tapas dishes, seafood pasta, salads and dessert – all served by a friendly chef who cooked everything fresh at our Airbnb. Another highlight was a private boat trip around the bay – another great way to see the city’s sites and architecture. We cruised along the Tagus on a yacht while crew served us drinks and refreshments. Finally, set aside some time to visit the beaches, most of which are in pristine condition. We spent a day at the chic Casa Reia beach club in Costa da Caparica, a 30-minute drive from Lisbon. Here, you can lounge on cabanas, enjoy the DJ’s deep house tunes, swim in the clear waters, and eat at its excellent seafood restaurant.
Where To Stay
Over in Alfama, Memmo has a terrace pool bar and chic interiors. There’s a communal Scandi-inspired living area, plus rooms with great city views, some with balconies, others with private terraces. Nearby, there’s the newly opened AlmaLusa Alfama hotel (the group also has a property in the Baixa district, as well as the coastal town of Comporta). The building pays homage to traditional Pombaline architecture, but you’ll find contemporary interiors inside. There’s a relaxed restaurant and bar on the ground floor, plus a 24/7 concierge service for personalised experiences. For a luxe trip, book into Sublime near Bairro Alto. Rooms are modern with colourful accents, and guests can buy discounted day passes for the nearby Sayanna Spa and Club VII, which has a gym, pool and tennis courts.
PORTO
For A Foodie Break
Portugal’s second city is known for its eclectic neighbourhoods, riverside restaurants and world-famous fortified wine. Lots of tourists head to Lisbon before driving or catching the bus to Porto, which takes around three hours. The city has an excellent transport network – metro, trams and buses – but it’s fairly small so you can make your way around on foot.
A good place to start is the Old Town, a Unesco Heritage Site of neoclassical buildings and cobbled alleys. Other top sites include the gothic São Francisco Church, decorated with nearly 100kg of gold leaf, and the impressive Serralves, which includes a contemporary art museum, gardens, and a 1930s art-deco villa. The Crystal Palace Gardens offer panoramic city views, while the Dom Luís I Bridge, designed by a student of Gustave Eiffel, is another landmark. If you have time, book a wine tasting or sample the city’s finest export at one of the port houses. Kopke Port House is the oldest in the city, while Vinhos Quinta Do Noval (just a few doors down) is another institution offering drop-in tastings. If you’d prefer a glass or two of wine, the immersive World of Wine is a cultural hub with seven interconnecting museums dedicated to Portuguese food and wine.
For a taste of local life, head to Matosinhos, one of the city's coolest areas with some of Porto's best beaches. Locals hang out here to try the freshest seafood, often grilled on the street. It also has some excellent seafood restaurants if you'd rather sit down. Walk along the Avenida da Liberdade coastal path for beautiful views or head out of the city centre to find Porto’s small but pretty coastline. Praia do Carneiro is one of the nicest in the upmarket Foz do Douro district. Visitors can sunbathe, swim in the sea, and walk along the promenade which is lined with bars and restaurants.
ROYA ANN MILLER/UNSPLASH
Book a food tour to try the city’s best delicacies. With Locals offers a three-hour tour that includes ten different food and drink tastings. We tried everything from sardines and oysters to charcuterie meats and port. It’s also a great way to see the city and learn about its rich culture. Restaurant-wise, Early is a great spot for brunch. It’s near the Crystal Palace Gardens in central Porto and serves fruit and acai bowls, shakshuka with sourdough, and other breakfast options, as well as salads and open sandwiches later on. Época next to the National Museum was another favourite, with a daily changing menu featuring dishes like radishes with walnut oil, labneh with carrots, and toasted brioche with eggs, all at affordable prices. For dinner, book a table at Cantina 32 on bustling Rua das Flores. Here, it’s all about relaxed dining among modern industrial-chic interiors while waiters serve hearty, rustic food like seafood stews, grilled sardines and roasted meats. If you want to experience the nightlife, Mirajazz is a rooftop jazz bar along the waterfront, known for its live jazz musicians and vinyl DJs.
Where To Stay
Rosa Et Al Townhouse ticks all the boxes. The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the city’s riverfront and is surrounded by galleries, boho boutiques and cool bars. A blend of traditional architecture and mid-century design, rooms are spacious and airy, while the restaurant is a local favourite for brunch, six-course dinners and cookery workshops. For a girls trip, The Editory Boulevard is a fun hotel in central Porto. It’s colourful, with quirky artwork, bold interiors and a cool rooftop pool featuring giant rubber duck inflatables. There’s a buzzy restaurant with a pink winding staircase in the middle of the dining room, and a circus-themed bar for champagne and cocktails. Cocorico offers the best of both worlds – an excellent location in central Porto that still feels tucked away. The guesthouse has ten individually designed rooms, while the terracotta-coloured restaurant serves French dishes.
COMPORTA
For A Luxe Weekend
The Algarve is a failsafe choice, and Comporta is where the fashion set go in the summer. Just 90 minutes outside Lisbon, this old fishing village offers secluded golden beaches, excellent restaurants and relaxed beach clubs – and there’s no shortage of show-stopping hotels and villas. Whatever type of trip you’re planning, Sado estuary is a must visit. The nature reserve comprises sandbanks, rice paddies and woodland where you can spot birds including flamingos. You can also book boat trips to see pods of dolphins – Sado Emotion offers numerous excursions.
One of the best ways to explore Comporta’s beaches and rice paddies is to hire an electric bike. Comporta Electric Bikes has bikes sturdy enough to ride along the beach towards Pego and Carvalhal. It’s also worth exploring some of the neighbouring villages, like Melides – my favourite – with its secluded beach of golden sand. It also has a few small art galleries, as well as sandstone cliffs and a deep blue lagoon you can swim in.
In terms of beaches, Tróia Galé, Carvalhal and Pego top the list (you’ll find parasols, restaurants and beach clubs), while Robinson and Brejos are a little quieter with beautiful views. Horse riding along the beach is a popular pastime for locals, and there are two riding schools in the area: Passeios a Cavalo and Cavalos na Areia – the latter runs group tours if you don’t want to go solo. For surfing or paddleboarding, hire equipment or take lessons with Surf in Comporta, which operates across most of the beaches in the area. And for private tours and bespoke itineraries, Concierge Comporta can help you plan your holiday from start to finish.
Praia da Comporta is the focal point of the village's food scene, with Comporta Café offering beachfront dining in a laid-back atmosphere. Guests can enjoy traditional Mediterranean dishes and local seafood with cocktails and wine, while watching the sunset and listening to DJs. Nearby, Ilha do Arroz serves white sangria, local cheeses and fresh seafood, encouraging guests to linger and share meals on the deck. Then there’s Sal in Praia do Pego and O Dinis in Carvalhal, both of which are fun for seafood and drinks.
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MANOLO YLLERA
Where To Stay
For a small village, Comporta has an excellent range of accommodation, from luxury five-star hotels to stylish villas for families and groups. Quinta da Comporta is a family friendly option with plenty of activities to keep little ones entertained. Styled like a traditional farm, the hotel has two types of rooms: thatch-roof cabanas and mock farmhouses with whitewashed walls and wooden beams. There’s also a 40m infinity pool, a second adults-only pool in the Oryza spa, a bar, and a Mediterranean restaurant.
Equally chic, Spatia is a boutique retreat with minimalist interiors and ten rooms, all with terraces and hammocks. Ideal for couples or groups, the hotel has a clubhouse (with a restaurant, lounge and bar) and two pools – one of which has a button for summoning wine. The service is excellent and individual stays can be tailored to include paddleboarding and dolphin-spotting trips.
Finally, Sublime Comporta is a luxe retreat on a 42-acre estate surrounded by wild dunes and rice fields. The hotel has rooms, suites and cabana-style villas for special stays, as well as an impressive spa. There are separate pools for adults and children, plus two restaurants serving healthy, authentic Portuguese food. Sublime can organise everything from Pilates classes and bike trips to horse riding on the beach and dolphin watching at Sado estuary.
MANOLO YLLERA
Douro Valley
For A Holiday In The Countryside
Sweeping hills, beautiful views and world-class wine have been attracting tourists to the Douro Valley for decades. Just a 90-minute drive from Porto, this is one of Portugal’s most beautiful regions and one of the world’s oldest winemaking areas. The river Douro snakes its way through the hills, with numerous towns and villages dotted in between, all offering different kinds of wine, port and cuisine. The roads zigzag up and down the hills, so travelling by train or boat is a good way to get around. The town of Peso da Régua is home to numerous vineyards where you can pop in for tastings before getting back on a boat to cruise along the river. Quinta Seara d'Ordens offers a two-hour tasting at its family run estate, while Sandeman's Quinta do Seixo has wineries set over 250 acres of land.
It’s also worth setting aside a day to visit the Côa Valley Archaeological Park, a world-famous gallery of rock art. The park is an active research zone, so all visitors must enter with a tour guide. It takes around three hours to walk across its two main sites to see rock formations and ancient etchings on the walls. From here, make your way to the small village of Pinhão, also home to some excellent wineries. Visit its train station, decorated with blue and white tiles that depict the production of wine.
The Douro Valley is all about settling into a slower pace of life, so you won’t find an abundance of attractions. It’s more about sampling the local food and drink, cruising along the river and taking in the views. Many of the luxury hotels offer private excursions, so if you’re not relaxing by the pool, you could be enjoying a tile painting or cookery workshop, or heading on a mountain bike ride. Food-wise, the region is home to Michelin-starred restaurants like DOC, as well as smaller spots run by locals serving rustic dishes.
Where To Stay
Octant has built eight boutique properties in Portugal over the last few years, all focusing on food, wine and local experiences. Octant Douro is set on the banks of Castelo de Paiva. The modern decor of the rooms, suites and interiors complements the classic northern Portuguese views over the river and Ilha dos Amores (Lovers’ Island). Guest can visit the nearby Paiva Walkways, a Unesco World Heritage site, or go for a dip at one of the nearby river beaches. There’s also a spa and a panoramic outdoor swimming pool. Six Senses has a property in the area, too. The eco-friendly resort is set in a 19th-century manor house, with rooms overlooking rolling hills or the nearby lake. Guests can relax with spa treatments, enjoy farm-to-table dining and wine tasting at the Vale de Abraão restaurant, and book experiences like cooking classes, river tours and more.
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