Unmissable Itineraries: Places to Visit in Portugal

It’s hard to find a country in the world that, in just 90,000 km2, manages to condense as much cultural, landscape and gastronomic diversity as Portugal.

From the hot lands of north-eastern Trás-os-Montes with its smoked products, to the long, beautiful beaches of the north coast and Costa Vicentina and ending with the tropicality and volcanism of the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores, there is no shortage of places to visit in Portugal.

Faced with so much diversity and beauty, it can be difficult to choose a place to visit on vacation, but we have the solution: take advantage of the walking tours in Portugal that we have to offer and that will certainly live long in your memory.

 

Timeless Tours in Portugal

It’s time to pack your suitcase and take note of these four Portugal Walking Tours we have to show you. Come along!

We start with an itinerary through one of the most fascinating natural and human landscapes not only in Portugal, but in the world: the Douro Wine Region.

Douro Valley

If you want to immerse yourself in a World Heritage Site, we advise you to take advantage of this walking tour that starts with you boarding the train in Porto and ends with a nice glass of Port wine in your hand as you sit and enjoy the peaceful flow of the Douro River.

Among other things, along the 68 km walk, you will, for example, cross the Douro on the iconic Pinhão Bridge, which Gustave Eiffel designed, delight in the monumental shade of the Plátano oriental in Alijó, which is also a National Heritage Site, and discover some of the region’s best-hidden gems of religious architecture.

In addition to these “dishes”, you’ll also be able to visit stately homes and manor houses steeped in history, such as the Palácio dos Távoras or the Casa de Vilarinho de São Romão, and taste some of the most emblematic delicacies from this part of the country, especially the “bôla de carne” and “sopa da pedra”.

To relax, this itinerary includes stays in some of the estates that helped build the magnificent landscape that opens up before our eyes, such as Quinta da Pacheca, where you’ll have the opportunity to spend the night in a gigantic Port wine barrel.

Green Minho

We have wine, but it’s green and unique in the world. It is in the lands of Vinho Verde (which owes its name to the region’s abundant vegetation) that we find our second vacation proposal: a tour of Minho.

On this route, which takes us from Melgaço to Ponte de Lima in 8 days and 7 nights, we’ll drive 115 km on the back of the Alvarinho vinho verde typical of the Alto Minho, through towns and villages that still retain their Celtiberian charm in the granite of their houses and churches.

There’s no need to mince words when it comes to gastronomy: from the veal that is so popular in this region, to codfish à Braga or à Gomes de Sá, rojões à Moda do Minho or Papas de Sarrabulho, there’s no resisting it.

On this tour, there is also room for landmarks in the country’s landscape and history, such as the Montedor lighthouse, the Barrosa Dolmen, the Valença Fort and the Eiffel Bridge in Viana do Castelo, where the Santa Luzia Sanctuary awaits your visit.

 

Alentejo Rural

Before we finish with a visit to the Costa Vicentina, we head into the rural Alentejo for an experience that promises to make you forget any worries you might have after the first few steps.

From Meada to Monforte, you’ll discover the well-kept megalithic secrets in the Coureleiros Megalithic Park that live in harmony with the religiosity of the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Estrela and the Castelo de Vide synagogue, cross the Roman bridge of Ammaia (located at the gates of the ancient Roman city) and go “into space” in Cabeço de Vide, a place that, due to its hydrogeological characteristics very similar to Mars, has been visited by NASA.

Between this mapping of past history and possible future history, you’ll have the opportunity to visit the famous Montado Alentejano, a protected area where the balance between natural and human structures is delicate but extremely beautiful.

Vicentine Coast

We end up on the beaches of the Costa Vicentina, a place still protected from the mass tourism that plagues its Algarve neighbor.

After, as Rui Veloso sang, “eating an orange on the cliffs” of Porto Covo, the tour heads towards Vila Nova de Mil Fontes with the island of Pessegueiro in the background.

With no major difficulties (the route is essentially flat), this route along the Alentejo coast brings you into close contact with the still wild beauty of Azenhas do Mar, Almograve and what has already been voted one of the seven best beaches in Portugal: Odeceixe beach.

In between, don’t forget to fill your stomach with a plate of Carne à Alentejana (Alentejo-style meat) topped with the region’s very typical clams and have a dance at the Sines World Music Festival which, in July, takes over the stretch of coastline from Sines to Vila Nova de Milfontes.