The Ultimate Portugal Travel Guide for 2021
Gorgeous beaches of Cascais
Flights are filling up and airports are getting busy once again! It’s clear that the cabin fever of 2020 has made travel all the more desirable this summer. Following suit, we just got back from a 10 day holiday in Europe, specifically Spain and Portugal, and it was a dream! If you’re still trying to plan the perfect getaway this summer, check out my ultimate Portugal travel guide below to see why it might be perfect for you!
Best Time to Go & How Long to Stay
Charming streets of Lisbon
You’ll find that the best times to visit Portugal are March to May and September to October; however, we visited in July 2021, and it was lovely! Temperatures were around 70-75℉ with lots of sun and cool breezes. I actually could have done with a bit more warmth! With that being said, I think anytime of year besides November to February is perfect to visit.
Portugal is such a beautiful country with so much to offer from city life to wine country, from castles to gorgeous beaches. I recommend staying for a minimum of 7 days to see the major cities, which is how long we stayed for. During this time, you should have ample time in two of the most popular cities - Lisbon and Porto - with several day trips to other cities including Sintra, Douro Valley, and Cascais.
If we had not done a few days in Spain prior to Portugal, I would have done a full 10 days in Portugal to see the beautiful beaches in the south located in the Algarve! So just a word to the wise to include those few extra days to see the Algarve if you love stunning beaches with the bluest waters and most majestic, golden caves.
Travel & COVID Requirements
Views of Lisbon from the airplane prior to landing
As of July 2021, Portugal is only open to U.S. citizens who have been vaccinated. You are also required to have a negative antigen or PCR COVID test result within 72 hours of travel to Portugal. Lastly, you must complete the Portugal Passenger Locator Card online, which is just a way for you to be contacted in case of any COVID-related impact. Upon completion, the Passenger Locator Card generates a QR code that is sent to your email.
Our negative test results were reviewed at the airport prior to us flying to Portugal; however, the Lisbon airport did not check for any documentation (our negative results nor the QR code) upon arrival.
Before heading back to the U.S., we were again required to have a negative antigen or PCR COVID test within 72 hours of travel. Please note that the Lisbon airport will only accept test results from a certified facility. Our hotel in Cascais recommended a traveling testing site in a bus; it was free of charge, but the airport would not take these results. Luckily, our flight was two hours delayed so we had plenty of time to visit the airport’s on-site test center. We had the antigen test done for 30 euros per person and received the results to our emails after 30 minutes.
Where to Stay, Costs, & COVID Safety
View of Porto from our AirBnB
Lisbon has so many beautiful neighborhoods to stay in. Here are my top four:
Alfama - oldest neighborhood with charming streets and stunning views
Baixa - city center with history and tourist attractions
Chiado - artsy and theater district with plenty of shopping
Barrio Alto - buzzing nightlife with the best bars, restaurants, and clubs
Mainstream hotels are located throughout Portugal, but you definitely get more for your money at AirBnBs. Some of Portugal’s AirBnBs are just gorgeous! The view of Porto in the picture above was taken from the terrace of our AirBnB!
Even though the euro is stronger than the dollar (1 euro = $1.18), Portugal is one of the most inexpensive Western European destinations to visit. Transportation, lodging, food, and drinks are generally reasonable and affordable. U.S. credit cards are accepted at most places, but there are a handful of places that only accept cash (euros) or Portuguese credit cards. ATMs are widely available in Portugal.
In terms of COVID, Portugal is taking all of the standard precautions of masks, sanitizer, and social distancing. You also have some level of comfort knowing that all of the other tourists also had to test negative before arriving (even though there’s still always a chance). In general, restaurants and shops all close by 10:30pm due to a country mandated curfew.
The one thing to check before your trip are the exact local restrictions and curfews. One week before our trip, Lisbon had put in place a very strict weekend curfew of 3pm for all shops, restaurants, and tourist places. We were so disappointed since we were going to be in Lisbon over a weekend. But luckily, we managed to swap the Lisbon and Porto segments of our trip so that we could spend the weekend in Porto where the curfew was less strict (10:30pm) and the week in Lisbon.
How to Get Around & General Safety
Famous tram on Rua da Bica
I would recommend renting a car if you plan on traveling long distances across Portugal, like Lisbon to Porto or Lisbon to Algarve (both 3-4 hours). But within the actual cities, I recommend relying on Ubers, taxis, trams and even the tuk tuks as intercity roads can get pretty narrow and parking can be difficult.
For shorter distances to neighboring cities, like Lisbon to Sintra, I recommend the train as it’s super easy, inexpensive, and comfortable.
In general, Portugal is very safe and has a very low crime rate. The people are warm and friendly, especially to tourists. Even when walking back late at night, I never felt unsafe whether I was with my family, with just my husband, or with just the other women in my family.
Boat cruise and wine tasting in the Douro Valley
Best Things to Do
Buzzing nightlife on Pink Street
Here are the best things to do in Portugal by city:
Lisbon
Viewpoints - Miradouro das Portas do Sol & Miradouro de Santa Luzia
Jeronimos Monastery
Belem Tower
Pasteis de Belem (try the famous pastel de nata)
Pink Street
Praca do Comercio & Arco da Rua Augusta
Santa Justa Lift
Rossio Square
Castelo de S. Jorge
Day trip to Cascais (beach town)
Day trip to Sintra (see below)
Porto
Ponte D. Luis bridge
Ribeira District
Churches - Chapel of Souls, Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, Porto Cathedral / Se Cathedral, Igreja do Carmo
Other sites - Livraria Lello (library), Sao Bento Station (train station), Bolsa Palace (historical building)
Day trip to Douro for wine tasting and boating
Sintra
Park and National Palace of Pena
Quinta da Regaleira
Monserrate Palace
Castelo dos Mouros
Sintra National Palace
The Algarve
Lagos
Benagil Caves
Praia da Marinha
Faro Old Town
Praia do Camilo
Silves
The fairytale-like Park and National Palace of Pena in Sintra
Food
Dining in Portugal ranges from cute mom and pop restaurants to decadent fine dining and covers all types of cuisine. We had Italian, pizza, Mexican, burgers, Indian, falafel, and Asian cuisine while there. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, and even when we went to a random restaurant, there were always some good vegetarian options. One place I highly recommend is Cinnamon Indian Tapas Bar right by Lisbon’s Pink Street.
Portugal’s famous egg custard pastry - pastel de nata