Portugal
planning for portugal
Planning the perfect European vacation is no easy feat, especially if everyone is telling you a million different things you must do at your destination. Friends will swear by the surfing classes they signed up for, random TikTok users will list 20 “underrated” restaurants, and your dad will crack open a beer and say “in the good ol’ days, my flight was only $250.” News flash! Your flight to Europe will never cost less than $500 and please (I’m begging you), don’t listen to the 17-year-old, bleach blonde micro-influencer. But, friends do recommend great surfing classes. That’s how I started my trip to Portugal; salty and sunkissed, I was riding the high of catching my first wave.
As a friend, here are my two cents on how to do Portugal.
What to Wear
“I swear we are always walking uphill,” my boyfriend muttered to me on our walk home from dinner. I was too out of breath to respond. A tight skirt shortening my strides and goosebumps everywhere, I wondered how I packed for Portugal so wrong. Prior to the trip, maxi, denim skirts were plastered everywhere on my Pinterest page; I was ecstatic when I found one on at a Madewell sale. Instead of putting it straight into my suitcase, I should have left it at home. In a city like Lisbon that is actually always uphill, I would recommend ditching denim skirts, tight jeans, and anything bodycon. Toss away the heels too; my pair never made it out of my luggage.
Instead, I would opt for light linens and colorful layering. In a country that’s heavily doused in pastel tones and vibrant tiled art, your modern beige will be a bore. Take this trip to explore a side to your closet that feels too eccentric for everyday dressing. The best piece I packed was my Grandma’s knitted fish sweater – an appropriate piece for a country known for their seafood. If you asked my boyfriend his favorite, he would say the green and cream Nike Air Max 97s that we bought to match for our trip.
Where to Go
Originally, the Euro summer vision was Prague and Vienna. When I looked at the airfare, I put a pin in it and opted for something more cost effective. Don’t get me wrong – I did book my flight solely through credit card points, but as a recent college grad, I needed a trip that I could trust wouldn’t break the bank. Portugal is great for any traveler; you can do it on a budget or you can splurge on luxuries. Either way, there is a place for everyone. If you are adventurous, book the extra flight to Madeira, also known as the Hawaii of Europe. If you want to bask in the sun with a good book, go to the hot new retirement destination: Algarve (recommended by our part-time surfer, part-time Uber driver in Porto).
Overwhelmed with options and on a limited budget, we stuck to the basics: Lisbon and Porto. After seeing Yorgos Lanthomos’s vision of Lisbon in Poor Things, I knew I wanted to see the city that inspired cotton candy coated skies and ancient architecture that still felt lively in a futuristic world. What I found instead was overcrowded streets that bogged me down; afterall, Portugal is one of the many countries that has been invaded by tourists. Besides surfing, the highlight of our four days in Lisbon was our day trip to Sintra, or as I like to call it, Adult Disneyland. While sitting in a packed, touristy restaurant, I kept waiting for a giant Winne the Pooh to walk over and sign our autograph books. But, all of that childish glee takes a backseat as soon as you hike for four hours, bewildered by views that have left royalty, priests, and many international visitors aghast for centuries. Standing at the highest point of Sinatra's hills – the High Cross – I was breathless. While Pena Palace (the Disney equivalent to Cinderella’s Castle) was packed, the High Cross was empty, except for a young tourist from NYC and two older women from Switzerland. We were all silent while we stared over the endless seas of the Atlantic ocean just beyond. .
Food You Will Crave Forever
The only dinner reservation I could muster at Leonetta in Lisbon was 10 PM; I booked a month in advance. While waiting for our reservation, we decided to do the second best thing: drink. We started at Foxtrot, an art nouveau, 80s themed cocktail bar that served complimentary popcorn and peanuts with our port spritz and old fashioned. While you wait for your drinks, you can play pool under the red, fringed hanging lights. After eating two servings of popcorn, we walked to Pavilhão Chinês, an old grocery store whose walls are head-to-toe with wacky WWII figurines and antiques from former centuries. More like a treasure chest than a bar, you will never be bored while scouring all the unique items that seem to be staring back. When we finally arrived at Leonetta, we started the meal with double shots of espresso. The caffeine stimulation was nothing compared to the absolute buzz I felt when tasting Leonetta’s sweet potato gnocchi. No matter the reservation time, it is a must-do.
Some other meals came close to our night of Italian delicacies; we canceled reservations at a traditional Portuguese spot when we walked into Bom Bom Bom, a fusion of wine bar and record store that has live DJs on the weekends. It felt more authentic anyways. Similarly, on our last night in Porto, we snagged one of the last tables at Taberna Folias de Baco, a natural wine bar and farm-to-table restaurant. Our closed reeked of smoked sausages the day following, but the small plates of fresh salads and large pours of orange wine were well worth it.
Museums to Wander
Because the Tile Museum in Lisbon was a tad-bit overrated, the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto felt like a hidden gem. I was worried that my boyfriend would hate the modern art, but what I should have actually worried about was that I did not leave enough time in the itinerary to stay there. About an hour into the exhibits, we looked at each other and said “I could spend all day here.”
That feeling was amplified when we left the museum and explored the large garden surrounding it. If we weren’t in a time crunch, I would have enjoyed wandering the dew-covered paths with no map. But, I was on a mission to see the Casa de Serralves – a motel-pink-colored art deco mansion with grounds that would have made Gatsby jealous. Leading up to the mansion, fountains waterfall down to a fountain-studded pool. Even with the grand exterior, nothing prepares you for inside the once-home. Architectural Digest would have had a field day.
Souvenirs to Bring Home
My heart was racing as I walked through the crowded streets of the Mercado de Santa Clara Flea Market in Lisbon. As an antique trinket obsessionist, I was overwhelmed with options. Would a hand painted pitcher break in my luggage? Does this vintage, refurbished jacket make my shoulders look big? In the heart of the market, there is an indoor artist hall, eerily reminiscent of Williamsburg's Artist & Flea. My boyfriend gravitated towards the ceramics, where he found two perfect espresso cups, molded and painted to look just like the ocean tide. On the bottom, the artist stamped “Made in Lisbon.” But, when traveling, you can never just shop for yourself. I stocked up on early Christmas gifts at Campo Santa Clara – more ceramics, of course.
Even though every tourist site (and even my most trusted source, Reddit) will tell you to go to LX Factory, I would stay far away and stick to the fleas instead.
In Porto, we spent almost three hours in Ó! Galeria, a print shop that will make you question your own art style as your scour through funky illustrations of imaginary creatures, screen printed New Yorker-esque cartoons and charcoal graphics of Portugal scenery. I guarantee you, your wallet will be a few pounds lighter when you leave the store.
As a friend, I would recommend Portugal. But, I would not recommend only staying in Lisbon. Explore all of what the country has to offer. From daunting Moorish castles to pastries galore, the country is rich in opportunities and excitement. If you are on the East Coast, the flight is just as far as California. So, book your next European vacation to Portugal. Just make sure to learn from me and leave the heels at home.
