You’re never far from the sea in Portugal. For a modestly-sized country, it boasts over 1,100 miles of coastline. The sea, specifically the Atlantic Ocean, is baked into Portugal’s identity. During the last two weeks of October, we explored a grand loop of Portugal.

We flew into Lisbon and spent three days sight seeing before picking up our rental car. The first thing you learn is that most of Portugal’s cities are hilly. Seriously hilly. Like San Francisco on steroids.

St. George’s Castle, which dates from the early 13th century, still stands guard, flags waving, on a hill high above the city.

On our second day, we trudged up to the castle, and quickly learned that locals have much easier ways to get around – or at least up and down.

Trams and tour buses snake their way through the twisty steets of Alfama – the old city. Their drivers have nerves of steel, lots of practice, and just enough patience to avoid collisions.

The old city of Alfama escaped the earthquake. The spaghetti tangle of steets was intentional. Invaders were meant to be stymied by the puzzle of streets. (As were we…)

Tram 28 is the most popular tram. Long lines of tourists have made this an impractical option for locals. To ease frustration, non-descript electric buses have been added to the mix of travel options.

Each time we passed a tram stop, the queue of eager tourists waiting for a chance to ride the colorful trolleys was two or more blocks long.

Scooters and motorcycles zip around the city and have carte blanche parking. Everyone else pays to park.

Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled personal taxis, that often come with a colorful tour guide/driver.

There are also buses, taxis, funiculars, Uber, and the Metro (inexpensive and easy once you figure it out)

Lisbon also has the Santa Justa elevator. This fancy iron tower was designed in the 1920s by Raul Mesnier de Pondard, a student of Gustave Eiffel. So, its resemblance to the Eiffel Tower is no surprise.

The elevator connects the Baixa district to the Chiado district and Carmo Square, 150 feet higher on the hill.

Lisbon has layer upon layer of history. Likely, its most monumental event was the earthquake of 1755. Much of the city was destroyed and thousands of citizens were lost in the quake, tsunami, and fires that followed.

This convent’s ruins were preserved as a reminder of the devastation. Today, it’s an indoor/outdoor archeological museum.

The quake changed Portugal politically, culturally, and philosophically – even scientifically. It’s said that this event led to the development of seismic forecasting.

Lisbon continues to embrace its past and incorporate ancient elements into modern Lisbon. Streets are narrow and paved with handset cobblestones. Surfaces can be tricky to navigate and very slippery when wet. No high heels here!

The stones are cubes of basalt and limestone, and streets and sidewalks are constantly being repaired. The artwork is remarkable for both its age and craftsmanship.

Tilework is also stunning – and everywhere. The first tilework dates back to the 13th century after the Moorish invasion, but it really took off in the 1600s. Public buildings, churches, and homes are faced with colorful, patterned tiles and murals.

Antique tiles for sale at a weekend market.

The building shown above has been gutted and awaits renovation. Almost a complete “tear down.” But note that historic elements, especially the tiles, are being saved for use in this renovation.

Lisbon was, and still is, a vitally important port. The main street, Rua Augusta, is a pedestrian thoroughfare leading down to the water. The Praca do Comercio is one of Portugal’s largest public squares.

For generations of sailors and dignitaries, this was the main entrance to the city. Today, government buildings and cafe dining ring the Plaza.

Dramatic monuments herald former kings and look toward the Tagus River. This massive monument is a tribute to Jose I, who organized reconstruction after the big earthquake.

It’s a magical day when you’re able to photograph a statue without a pigeon on top. (This wasn’t that day.)

Seafood is king in Lisbon – especially sardines. Whole stores, some rather elegant, are dedicated to sales of tinned sardines and other seafood.

John had his first grilled sardines in Lisbon. Our server told us that many locals eat the entire fish – head to tail. John gave it a go – with his first fish. His verdict was that the middle was better than the hard, bony ends.

There are oodles of restaurants. It seems that every street and alley is lined with cafes. Many are great; some are just tourist traps. Luckily, we found some really good ones.

One day, I had avocado tartare for breakfast. Quite good!

The little pastry in the corner of the photo is a pastel de nata. These delicate little tarts were first baked 300 years ago by the monks in Belem. They used the egg whites to launder their robes. The surplus yolks went into custard pastries.

You see these everywhere. They’re on most menus and in all the markets. The crust is flaky, and the filling is rich and creamy. It’s easy to see how they are a go-to snack.

Belem

We took a 30 minute, electric tram ride to Belem to visit the Jeronimos Monastery. The former monastery of Saint Jerome is an excellent example of Gothic Manueline architecture.

It was erected in the 1500s near the site where Vasco da Gama embarked on his first journey.

The Manueline architecture reminds me of ice cream cones and cake decorations. Quite a fantastic building in contrast to the austere life of the monks who lived here.

Across the street from the monastery, the massive Monument of Discoveries anchors the river harbor. Henry the Navigator leads the crowd of explorers and backers who risked everything to seek trade routes to India and the Orient.

Note that Henry is holding a caravel, the small sailing ships used by the Portuguese and Spanish. Although Henry never actually went on a such a voyage, he’s revered as the champion of exploration. Statues and tributes to him appear widely.

This was a magical day. Gorgeous blue sky and no one has a pigeon on their head.

Our Driving Loop Begins

We picked up our rental car near the airport and started south to the Algarve. Our 10-day loop covered more than 850 miles. Main stops included Lagos, Salema, Sagres, Evora, Coimbra, Conimbriga, Porto, Aveira, Nazare, and then back to Lisbon. Here’s the map, with our route highlighted in yellow.

Driving is pretty straightforward. Like in the US, the steering wheel and driver are on the left. Travel is on the right side of the road. The roads are excellent.

Major roads have electronic tolls. Rental cars come with a transponder which tracks your tolls. Kind of like an EZ Pass. You zip through the booths and pay the tolls when you return the rental.

There are very few stop lights. Intersections have roundabouts, which can be confusing, but ultimately doable, after a few misfires. (Rats! We missed our exit! Go around again!) Cars are really small. But with narrow roads, tight parking spaces, and gasoline that’s priced by the litre, it’s the only way to go.

Lagos

The Algarve is the southern border of Portugal. It enjoys a sunny microclimate with palm trees and wide beaches. The old towns have modern, upscale shops and charming dining spots.

We stayed in a lovely guesthouse in Lagos and daytripped along the coast to Salema and Sagres.

The beaches weren’t crowded mid-October and the water was warmish for wading. Parking was up above in the town. Lots of steps down to the beach (and back up again).

On the recommendation of our hotelier, we had dinner at Reis, a family-owned spot well-known for seafood. We had cataplana, which is a seafood dinner for two. It comes to the table in its cooking pot – quite a presentation. It was a great meal, and like most of our Portuguese dinners, very reasonable.

Evora

The walled city of Evora is in the heart of the Alentejo (“Beyond the River Tejo”) region. It’s hotter, drier, and more agricultural than the coast. Olive groves and cork trees line the roads.

The historic trade route from Spain to Lisbon passed through this valley. Walled cities protected churches and the populace from invaders.

Today, Evora bustles with tourists, students, and retirees. One of Portugal’s big universities is here. We stayed at the modern Evora Olive Hotel, inside the city walls. It was a challenge to locate in a city of only one-way streets. After stashing our car in the hotel’s underground parking area, we set out on foot to see the town.

The Roman temple and cathedral sit at the town’s highest point.

Church of St. Francis and the Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos)
There are varied stories as to the origin of the Chapel of Bones, but one plausible one is that numerous local cemeteries were occupying too much space in this small town. In order to free up real estate, local monks gathered the bones and built the chapel of bones.

The saying over the door, “Los ossos que acui estamos pelos vossos esperamos,” translates to “Our bones rest here, waiting for yours.” The lesson being that we should contemplate on the brevity of earthly life.

Every square inch of this chapel is filled with closely stacked skulls, femurs, ribs, and joints of more than 5,000 individuals. Ceiling murals compliment the theme. It’s a little creepy. Not sure that I’d want to come here regularly to contemplate earthly existence.

Megalithic Sites

Leaving Evora, the map indicated several ancient sites close to our route. Following directions, we soon found ourselves out in the country, only 20 minutes from Evora, but traveling up not-so-well maintained dirt roads. The destination was worth the journey.

We came upon our first menhir, or solitary standing stone, near Nossa Senhora de Gualalupe. We scrambled down a path next to a pasture, past casually grazing goats, to find this solitary stone standing in a clearing.

We drove a few more miles, down a deeply rutted, partly washed-out road to reach a cromlech – a group of standing stones. These date from the 6th millenium BC, which predates the construction at Stonehenge by nearly 2,000 years.

Some of the stones have markings. Their meaning is still being researched, but they were obviously placed with intention. It’s believed that these early peoples were more connected to the earth’s energy and celestial occurences than we are. Perhaps the meaning lies there?

The truly amazing part is that they were only discovered by accident in the 1960s. Before then, they had rested quietly in these hills for thousands of years. What were they meant to tell us?

Coimbra

This university town sits at the crest of the city of Coimbra. We stayed in The Hotel Vitoria, near the old town’s pedestrian district. We put the car in an underground parking garage, and then walked (and walked and walked) to explore the city.

Heading up toward the university, we stopped in the Mercado Municipal, which is a popular indoor market. The first floor features vegetables; fruits are on the second floor; and a separate hall holds the fish market.

All the market stalls are run by women, who are very engaging salespeople! We bought tangerines from Spain – juicy and flavorful!

The Portuguese are very fond of cod. So much so, that local waters have been over-fished. The retail cod, called bacalhau, is a salted, dried product from Norway. The slabs of cod are soaked before being used in stews and casseroles.

From the market, we took a combo elevator and funicular up to the university.

The Coimbra University is Portugal’s oldest, dating from 1290. It’s an honor to be accepted; there are fewer than 10,000 students here.

Tours of the famous library were sold out, but we did get to meet a few students.

The students wear traditional back robes on campus. Each area of study has a corresponding ribbon or “color.” At graduation, students tie their ribbons to the ancient university gates, and then head off to their future. Our new acquaintances will hang red ribbons representing their law degrees.

From Coimbra, we continued north, toward Porto. See Portugal, Part II to continue