Portugal 2024 was such a great adventure that we decided to give it another whirl. There were places we had missed on our first trip and some that we wanted to revisit, so off we went.

Our overnight flight landed in Lisbon early on October 16. A bonus of having been here before, we knew how to navigate the metro system, and easily found our way to central Lisbon. The Hotel Nicola Rossio faces Rossio Square, a major downtown hub. Luckily, our room was ready for an early check-in. From the fourth floor, we had a great view of the square with its wavy, patterned cobblestones.

After a quick nap, we went walking to shake off our jet lag. Lisbon is very walkable – you just need be ready for hills and cobblestone sidewalks. For folks who want to skip the uphill climbs, there are ways to do this: elevators, funiculars, taxis. For a modest fee, the historic Santa Justa Lift can whisk you to the upper parts of town.

On this day, we chose to walk and made our way down to Commerce Square and the harbor.

On our search for a dinner spot, we passed Pink Street, which is known for being the place to party after dark. Happy Hour was pretty busy. After dark must be quite the party.

Locals like to eat later in the evening. Many restaurants don’t open till 7 or 8. We’ve found that cafes that serve tapas during happy hour work well for an earlier dinner. This also gives us a chance to sample a variety of menu items. We found this beautifully tiled building on our first night. Tapas at a sidewalk cafe on a warm October evening. Perfect.

Back at our hotel, we were treated to a free concert in the square.

On our second day, we rose early to catch the train to Sintra. Sintra is a hilltop town, which is home to no fewer than six castles. It’s a popular day trip from Lisbon. This is where Lisbon’s royalty settled in. It’s colorful and scenic, but it’s also jam packed with tourists and perhaps a bit over-hyped.

We hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the crest of the hill. From there, we hiked down to the center of Sintra via the forested garden trail. Turned out to be a pretty rugged trail (and we do our fair share of hiking in our travels). We passed these climbers as we scrambled down the foot trail.

The trail was a scenic surprise, with a stream that flowed through tropical garden rooms and waterfalls down to the town.

Unfortunately, by not buying advance tickets, we missed seeing the palace interior. It’s a gamble we sometimes take; this time it didn’t work out. All tours were sold out. We did enjoy views from the outside and had a nice break in a sidewalk cafe in Sintra, but the interiors must wait for another day.

Obidos
The next day, we picked up our rental car and made the short trip to Obidos. Our little guest house was tucked right next to the towering walls surrounding Obidos. Founded by the Celts around 300 BC, it has stood as a hilltop fortress ever since. In 1282, King Dinis gifted his bride Isabel with this town. Subsequent kings followed suit and Obidos became known as the wedding town. The guidebooks are right. It sure beats a toaster.

The arched entrance to the city is lined with ancient tiles depicting the city’s history. The 45-foot-high walls date from 14th century.

The town’s narrow streets were crowded with tourists, but we still had fun exploring main and side streets, shops and churches. Blooming bougainvillea vines drape over everything.

Shops showcase pottery and art that’s too big for carryon luggage. I loved these giant fish.

Modest on the outside, church interiors literally drip with gold. A testament to the wealth that trade brought to ancient Portugal.

The streets head uphill to the castle, which is now a fancy pousada or hotel. A trail tops the castle wall, providing spectacular views of the valley below – and a place to take a little break.

This aqueduct, now the boundary for the parking lot, dates from the 16th century.

Our little hotel had a charming rooftop terrace with evening views of the modern city in the distance.

Elvas
We turned east from Obidos and drove to within a few miles of the Spanish border, landing in Elvas for a night. Our hotel – Sao Joao de Deus– was formerly a convent and, at one time, a military hospital. Our room won the prize for being the largest room we’ve had in Portugal. The little balcony overlooked a tiny private chapel.

The interior of the hotel has been carefully restored to preserve original features, including very thick walls and high wooden ceilings.

The hotel courtyard was a quiet, shady spot for afternoon drinks.

Being on the Spanish border, Elvas was a fortress town, positioned to watch for invaders coming from any direction. As a result, the walls of the fort (now the historic area) are sort of star shaped.

The town is a mix of old and new, as are many Portuguese towns.

We walked through a shopping district to the town square, and then further uphill, to the castle walls.

View of the surrounding town from the hilltop.

Elvas felt more like a working town. Fewer tourists and tourist type shops. Less foot traffic. More locals zipping around to get home in late day traffic. On our walk, we found small shops that were selling everyday items: fruits and vegetables, fish and meats, breads, dairy, and olives. We bought items for picnicking and snacking and called it an early night.

The Algarve
Tavira
We traveled to the southern coast of Portugal to the Algarve region. Our first few days were in Tavira at the Residencial Mares Guest House on the Gilao River. Our room was up a scramble of stairways over the hotel restaurant. We had a lovely room with a balcony and good views. Additionally, the rooftop had a patio with lounge chairs and more of a view.

Some around town sights from an afternoon walk:

Churches, like other historic buildings, have layers that reflect different periods of time, rulers, and periods of influence. It’s thought that this church, the Church of Santiago, was built in the 13th century over a building from the earlier Muslim period. Much of the church was damaged in the 1755 earthquake and was rebuilt in a much “plainer” style, if you can call this plain.

Tavira has at least six churches around the castle area. Below is a good way to end an afternoon of church gazing.

An afternoon gelato is a good bridge to dinnertime. (Pistachio and white chocolate…) Tavira went by too quickly, and we left much to be explored another time.

Lagos
Further west in the Algarve, we stayed at the Carvi Beach Hotel in Lagos, a short walk from town.

This is one of our favorite spots. The hotel was bright and modern. We enjoyed daily breakfasts in Lucas’ rooftop restaurant, and one evening we splurged with a dinner there.

Paved trails and boardwalks along the cliffs held spectacular views. Rock formations and kayakers exploring caves. Some views:

Inside Lagos’ old city walls, there are shops, restaurants, and side streets to explore. Locals live within these walls. (And deal with tourists, building regulations, a lack of parking, and tiny roads.) Ancient buildings are repurposed for houses and businesses. We spent an afternoon wandering around old town. We had delicious, steamed clams at an outdoor cafe and enjoyed people watching.

It was hard to say good-bye to Lagos. Hopefully, one of these days there will be a return visit.

Setubal
Heading north, back toward Lisbon, we spent a couple of days in Setubal. Setubal is less than an hour south of Lisbon but is a world apart. Its port is a busy, working one, where you can watch fishing boats return at day’s end. There are museums, churches and are public squares with gardens, fountains, and art. But while Setubal has shops with beautiful, high-priced fashions, it is also an industrial town with high unemployment. So, it’s a real city mix of haves and have-nots.

We had a dinner along the waterfront. This is how shrimp, and often grilled fish, is served in Portuguese restaurants. Head, tail, and all. (Here’s looking at you, kid.) It was garlicky and yummy.

Public art by Joao Duarte. Clowns by Kutylas.

Our last night in Setubal we had a wonderful dinner at Italia No Prata, near Bocage Square. A family-owned restaurant with red-checked tablecloths and Halloween decorations. Such a memorable experience.

Lisbon
The next morning, we turned in our rental car and spent our last night in Portugal near Eduardo VII Park in north Lisbon. Soon after we checked into our hotel, the rains came. A real thunderstorm. How lucky for us that this was at the end, rather than the start of our trip. We dashed out to a nearby pizza shop and had a great farewell meal.

Time to sort out our suitcases and get ready for a day of homeward-bound travel. Portugal 2025 didn’t disappoint. The exciting jumble of ancient and new, the fun of seeing foreign places, trying local food. and the satisfaction of meeting the everyday challenges of traveling (Uh oh, did we pass our exit?? Isn’t our hotel supposed to have parking out front?? Wait… didn’t we come from the other direction? The museum is closed on Wednesdays…are you kidding? ) are all worthwhile.

So, once again we wave good-bye to the land of sardines. The sign at the sardine store proclaims that Portugal is “The fantastic world of the sardine.” Indeed, it is.