As you explore Lisbon, you’ll no doubt be wowed by the beautiful tiles everywhere. They come in so many shapes, sizes, and styles. From bold coloured wall coverings to artistic murals, and the classic blue and white façades covering the insides of many churches and palaces. Once inspired, many people soon want to buy, or even paint their own version of these tiles! Painting your own tiles is a fantastic experience, not only will you learn about the process of how these tiles were traditionally made. But you’ll get your very own, and very unique souvenir to take home with you! This guide will h ..read more

One of the most beautiful castles I’ve ever seen in Portugal is the Castle of Almourol. Surprisingly, you might not have heard of it. Despite being an important place to build a castle and fortify the area in the 12th century, it’s not really known for anything else in the modern day.  The closest major town is Entroncamento which is well off the usual tourist route for most visitors to Portugal. Where is the Castle of Almourol? The Castle of Almourol is located on the islet of Almourol, a small island in the middle of the Tagus River. Yes, the very same river that flows all the way past ..read more

As one of the hottest destinations in Portugal, the Algarve gets a lot of attention and so does its major cities. At the top of most lists when it comes to picking somewhere to stay in the Algarve are Lagos and Faro. Faro is the typical arrival city, which is also the only city in the region which has an international airport. It’s also the capital of the Algarve so serves as a commercial and transport hub, and has a year-round population of both locals, students, and of course seasonal tourists. Lagos on the other hand has developed more recently as a destination for visitors. It has the glor ..read more

This tiny fishing village is regarded as one of the most stunning in all of Portugal, and it’s only 45 minutes from Lisbon! Laying on the coastline of the Arrábida National Park it’s a beautiful and isolated experience. Where is Portinho da Arrabida? Portinho da Arrábida is on the coast of the Serra da Arrábida, in the Arrábida National Park. It is approximately 40km south of Lisbon, or 13 km west from Setúbal and 21 km east from Sesimbra. It lies within a small bay on the Atlantic Ocean. How to Get to Portinho da Arrabida? This part of Portugal is difficult to explore by public transport, so ..read more

Cabo de São Vicente – The Cape of Saint Vincent near Sagres marks the most southwestern tip of continental Europe. It’s an incredibly beautiful and dramatic area to explore, and one of the top day trips to make in the Algarve. The area holds a special place within Portuguese history, and blends legends and history with some of the most impressive scenery you’ll find in the Algarve. Cape St. Vincent is tied to its location on the sea, a dramatic area of tall cliffs that has mystified the local population for perhaps millennia. During the Portuguese era it would become closely tied to the voyage ..read more

Lagos with its stunning beaches, incredible cliffs, and a buzzing historic old town, makes it one of the best towns in the Algarve to stay in. Yet if you’re looking to get more out of the Algarve you’re probably looking for a few day trip ideas. If you’ve already chosen Lagos as your base, you probably know it’s well connected to the wider Algarve, with both a central bus station and train station to help get you around. This makes it a great place to base yourself from and explore! We lived in the Algarve for over two years, so made all of these day trips ourselves and we’ll share a few local ..read more

Faro is one of our favourite places to stay in the Algarve. This waterfront city has an easy-going vibe, a great beach, and is well connected to the rest of the Algarve. That connection to the wider Algarve makes it an ideal place to base yourself and explore the rest of the Algarve with day trips. We’ve handpicked 10 of our favourite day trips to in this guide. How do we define a day trip? Well for us, you should be able to be visit somewhere and return to Faro within the same day, ideally being back in time for an evening meal.   The best bit? We lived in Faro for over two years, so got ..read more

The area surrounding Lisbon is an incredibly vibrant and diverse place, offering visitors to Lisbon a wide range of options when it comes to day trips. How do we define a ‘day trip’? Well it should be reasonable to get to and from the attraction or site within a day, and potentially be back in Lisbon for dinner! Well, that part is optional as some of these places just so happen to offer the best food in Portugal. The best bit, we’ve done all these day trips from Lisbon ourselves! Many of these towns and cities, also offer easy return trips by public transport, so you don’t need to worry about ..read more

If you’ve experienced a traditional Portuguese restaurant before, your meal probably started with bread, butter, olives, and a type of pâté. That’s what the Portuguese call couvert, an assortment of appetizers to nibble on while you decide what you want to order. Our favourite part of it is always the small basket of bread, usually made of two or three types of sliced homemade bread. Typically, a crusty white bread, a seeded one, and a cornbread called broa de milho or just broa in the local language. Broa de milho is a dense bread that has a characteristic cracked top and a mildly sweet taste ..read more

One of the most popular destinations in Portugal is the stunning Algarve Region. However, the majority of international travellers arrive in Lisbon’s International airport, around 250km or so north of the Algarve. This gives you the perfect excuse to take a road trip and get so much more out of your trip to Portugal. Read on to find out the best road trip routes from Lisbon to the Algarve! The Main Road Trip Routes from Lisbon to the Algarve and Back Again There are effectively 3 main routes people choose to do, the coastal Alentejo route, the inland Alentejo route, or the quickest direct rout ..read more