Our Introduction to Portugal – Four Days in Lisbon and Sintra

When Mark, Maya, and I arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, after a bad experience with the airline company TAP Portugal, there was a lot of talk about “the storm” that had hit the southern Iberian Peninsula on the evening before our arrival and which had caused some of our delays. For the first time, we checked the weather. It didn’t look promising.

There was more rain — and wind — in the forecast, but we would make the best of our four-day stay, despite already missing out on a free taxi ride promised by Booking.com (because we had to postpone our arrival), moving our accommodation out for two days, having less time on the peninsula, and needing to pick up our rental car earlier than expected.

Since we had a six-hour delay (in addition to the two-day delay because of the blizzard in New England), we had to skip our nap upon arrival after a red-eye flight. All these experiences helped with our need for flexibility and resilience. We were not going to complain. Not even about our tiny and moldy, wet apartment, where nothing dried. Because its location in Alfama was perfect. It was our first time in Portugal. And we had finally arrived in Europe!

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)

Day one

Since it was noon by the time we checked in, we hit the cobblestone streets after taking a shower and settling in. We decided to try a typical local lunch of grilled sardines and a white fish. For some reason, I’d forgotten that serving entire fish with all the bones — and sometimes intestines — is a thing in Europe. While the flavors were great, I’m a lazy person when it comes to eating. The less work, the better. 🙂

In the afternoon, we explored the cute and mostly pedestrian Alfama neighborhood, climbing its hills, strolling its cobblestone streets, and eating my first of many pastéis de nata. For someone who loves pastries and pudding, this treat is heaven!

Day two

It rained all night and pretty much all day. We set out to explore another neighborhood in Lisbon in the morning, but returned home drenched. Maya was one wet puppy; we needed the heater on high to be able to dry out and get warm.

Late in the afternoon, we tried our luck again and, this time, we managed to stay dry while exploring the waterfront and the city center of Portugal’s capital city. The historic buildings and attractive plazas pleased the eye — and my camera — and we read descriptions of the sites on my GPSMyCity app.

Following a recommendation of our US niece, Josephine, we grabbed the last outdoor table at the restaurant Bonjardim to try their local specialty of chicken piri piri. It was tasty, especially with a glass of the delicious house wine. Maya behaved under the table as always.

Day three

Another rainy day. We managed to stay relatively dry and climb up to the castle in the morning. But when faced with the steep entrance fee of 17 euros per person, we decided to walk around the village within the walls instead. I couldn’t get enough of the cute, narrow streets with cobblestones and pretty buildings. They are a pain to pull your luggage over, but they are super photogenic.

We had a few chores on the agenda: picking up the rental car (which was initially planned for the day we would leave, but then our timetable changed), buying a bag of dog food for Maya, and shopping for groceries at Lidl (now that we had a vehicle). Of course, obtaining the car while still staying in the city meant we had to find a (free) safe parking spot in Lisbon for two nights.

We also put the vehicle to good use by driving to the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon. We had heard and read a lot of positives about it, so we set out on a little self-guided walking tour. It was a very windy and cloudy afternoon, but once in a while, the sun popped out.

Lots of buildings and sites were under construction and, when open, the entrance fees were steep. So, while we enjoyed this exploratory walk — and another incredible pastel de nata from the place it was originated, Pastéis de Belém — we were not impressed by the area.

We finished our day with some welcome rest and sunrays on a park bench, before finding decent parking a 20-minute walk from our accommodation in Alfama.

Day four

Our last day in the Lisbon area was by far the favorite of everyone. We went on a day trip to Sintra and entered a different world! Castles, nature, amazing views, and unexpected sunshine. In the morning, anyway.

We parked the car in an old part of the village and hiked up to the Moorish Castle through a green, lush, and peaceful park. We had picked this particular castle for a visit for several reasons — it would offer glimpses of all the other castles, it was cheaper than the others, and it was dog-friendly. What this means is that Maya was allowed on the grounds, but not on the walls. We “parked” her in an allocated area, while one of us stayed with her at all times.

Climbing the steps, entering the turrets, and walking along the walls of this old fort was exciting, special, and amazing. I truly enjoyed the views and the photogenic character of this site. With unexpected blue skies, the photos came out fantastic.

Mark and I took turns exploring this site, before eating our sandwich lunch at a square in the small town. We attempted to visit the parking lot of another castle, but the area was closed. We’ve noticed a lot of closures and scaffolding in this winter season.

I was curious to see Sintra’s historic downtown and we lucked out with the last parking spot. But when the only way for us to pay for the parking meter was with euro coins (we refuse to install parking apps) and our only cash was 40 cents, we rushed around the center within the allocated twenty minutes. We still had a nice feel of the cute downtown, so popular with tourists. This is certainly a place we wouldn’t mind returning to once we find our next campervan.

Our last stop of the day was a 60-minute detour to the coast and back. We were curious about Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. By the time we arrived, the fog had rolled in and the crowds had gathered.

A little walk, a glimpse at the lighthouse and the marker, and a few cloudy coastal shots concluded our fourth day in Portugal. We sure were happy to have the rental car for this day trip!

Back home, we packed up and prepared for the next stage of our Southern European journey.

Next up: The Eastern Algarve region in Portugal and two towns in Southern Spain.

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs? Check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir: