Bom Dia!
Not a day goes by that I don’t think to myself “when can I go back to Porto?” I look at Instagram at all the travel accounts I follow with their gorgeous, aspirational Portugal pictures and immediately want to log on to find the next cheap flight across the pond.
This Portugal trip was a big one - 10 days, 3 cities, 8 girls. It required a lot more planning and logistics than the 3-days-notice trip I had just taken to Buenos Aires, but had a few last-minute adjustments of its own. After this trip, I wrote my own novel in Google Docs about what to do, where to eat, places we missed that I wish we had time for, and have sent it around to bunches of people.
Our trip to Lisbon, Porto, and Gran Canaria is one I’ll never forget. We had some unique experiences that I doubt I will have elsewhere --
Standing still in the JFK T5 security line for an hour due to await the arrival of a bomb-sniffing dog (glad we showed up 3 hours before departure)
Climbing 62 flights in a day to explore the Moorish Castle and Peña Palace in Sintra
Getting pooped on by a bird, inside a food hall
Taking the shortcut home down some back streets in Lisbon only to be greeted by an upward climb up massive hills
Being dropped off by a taxi at an abandoned gas station along the Rio Douro and told to walk the remaining mile to our hotel (you know, because of street closures)
Accidentally eating one of the best meals of my life, at a mozzarella bar in Porto
Having an almost-private luxury catamaran tour and being able to drive the tender
As much as I’d love to share my love of the tiled sidewalks, holiday lights, and the architecture with a full recap, it would be a long, winding tale. I’d rather just share some of the best experiences we had so you can add them to your plans.
Lisbon
Favorite Eats: Cafe de Sao Bento, Sr. Lisboa, Red Frog Speakeasy
Favorite Places: Sintra (day trip), A Vida Portuguesa, viewpoints all over, Praca do Comercio, Alfama
Favorite Stay: PortoBay Marques
Places I Wish We Had More Time For: Park Bar, Embaixada Concept Store, LX Factory
Porto
Favorite Eats: Puro 4050, Terra, Postigo do Carvao
Favorite Places: General Exploration, Ponte Dom Luis, Rua das Flores, Livraria Lello, azulejos, Cais da Ribiera
Places I Wish We Had More Time For: Palacio da Bolsa, Jardins do Palacio de Cristal, Foz, Douro Valley vineyards
Gran Canaria (we stayed in the Puerto Rico area)
Favorite Eats: Maria Salinas
Favorite Places and Activities: Magic Delux Catamaran Tour. We were 4 of the 5 people who didn’t cancel for cold (it was 70-ish degrees outside). Definitely worth it. Puerto de Mogan, Playa Amadores
Places I Wish We Had More Time For: Roque Nublo, Maspalomas Dunes, city of Las Palmas, Cosi Come Sei