Where you are

Here are my highlights from spending a week each in Porto and Lisbon. This list both contains realistic advice and my personal favorites. If you’re considering a vacation, a digital nomad adventure, or up and moving your life to one of these beautiful cities (jealous!), you should find this blog helpful.

WHERE TO STAY

Lisbon

• Be prepared to book your accommodation like, VERY EARLY if you’re going to stay here. Specifically for Air BNBs. If you’re doing a short stay in a hotel it shouldn’t be a big issue, but even those book up quickly. Lisbon is a very hot spot for digital nomads and there is definitely a shortage of lodging. If you’re willing to stay in a hostel, you may have more options.
• We stayed in Príncipe Real, which was a lovely, quieter area. 
• The nightlife is very lively here; you will likelyhave some random drug peddlers trying to sell to you on the street. Keep your wits about you in Lisbon, but overall Portugal is very safe. Just always be on the lookout for pickpockets.
• Lisbon is very affordable, bustling and beautiful. It is also very crowded. I’ve heard it be compared to San Francisco. We preferred Porto to Lisbon but they are both great cities.
• Neighborhoods to stay: Bairro Alto, Príncipe Real, Alfama, Chiado

Porto

• Favorite city on our trip to Europe, hands down.
• It was easier for us to find a nice place with enough space to spread out here over Lisbon, and we booked our accommodations pretty last minute.
  • We stayed in the neighborhood of Bonfim and it was perfect. It was young, there were cool bars nearby, and it was an easy enough walk to all the main attractions.
• I would describe Porto as artsy, whimsical & romantic. JK Rowling actually got much of her inspiration for the Harry Potter series here.
• Neighborhoods to stay: I would say Porto is more spread out than Lisbon, and most neighborhoods are walkable to downtown. We loved Bonfim. The more popular areas downtown are Bolhao, Miragaia and Ribeira.

Things to Do

Lisbon

• Go to the famous Time Out Market
• Pink Street/Bars
• Parque Eduardo VII
• Experience a traditional Fado show
• Visit the São Jorge Castle
• Walk around the Praça do Comércio
• Visit the Jerónimos Monastery
• See the Belém Tower

Porto

• Livraria Lello (beautiful old bookstore) You need to make a reservation in advance. It is pretty all of the time so be prepared.
• Visit one of its 6 bridges
• Port wine tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia
• Go on a boat tour on the river
• Go to Majestic Cafe
• See the Chapel of Souls
• Visit the Porto Cathedral
• Go pottery shopping
• Walk around old town
• Go shopping ViaCatarina
• Go to the beach/go surfing
  • Most of the beaches have a natural swimming pool protected from the aggressive waves
  • We had fun at Piscina das Marés
  • We also visited Praia da Madalena which is only about a 15 minute drive from central Porto. We enjoyed watching the surfers!

Food

Lisbon

• Sardines, of course! You won’t have a hard time finding them.
• Bolinhos De Balcalhaus – cod fritters/croquettes. We enjoyed them at the famous Time Out Market.
• Pastéis De Natas – They also have a Manteigaria here, and the famous Pastéis de Belém of course, but I never got a chance to go to Belém.
• We loved this rooftop bar in downtown Lisbon. It was also quite affordable for such a beautiful view of downtown.

Porto

• You must try an authentic Francesinha and a Bifana! I preferred the Bifana over the Francesinha. Both dishes are fairly heavy, so plan to rest after.
  • Restaurants to get a Francesinha:
    • Brasão Leça – nice restaurant atmosphere
    • Cafe Santiago – touristy option
  • Restaurants to get a Bifana:
    • Belami – family-owned, cheap diner/cafe. Keep it simple, this is all you need for a good Bifana and fries, all for under €10 .
    • Casa Guedes Tradicional – touristy option, so get in line early!
• Our favorite restaurant in Porto hands down was Trama. It’s a Spanish Tapas restaurant, and we even went twice! They have a great house-made Vinho Verde and a red Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is the most popular wine in Portugal…and also the best!
• Again, Manteigaria for Pastéis De Natas. I had one from various bakeries everyday while I was here. You can even get them from the grocery store bakery for almost nothing, but it doesn’t compare to the pastéis from Manteigaria.

Day Trips

From Lisbon

• Go to the Palace of Pena in Sintra
  • Regretfully we couldn’t make it here, but I’ve heard it’s magical.
  • It’s just under an hour away by train.
• Visit the Algarve Coast (Lagos)
  • It is about 2.5 hours away from Lisbon by car.

From Porto

• Tour the Douro Valley with a wine tasting by boat
  • We didn’t do this, but if I could go back I would. I’ve heard amazing things about this tour specifically.

Other

• Visit the coastal surfing town of Nazaré
  • Famous for its massive waves and surfing competitions