I visited Portugal for the first time. I had a great vacation, but these 3 things would've made my trip even better.

1 day ago 19

The writer sits successful a rooftop pool, wearing a achromatic bathing suit and sunglasses. Behind her are the tops of buildings and a church.

Updated 2025-05-12T18:10:07Z

I enjoyed visiting Portugal for the archetypal time, but I privation I had done a fewer things differently.
I didn't recognize we'd request dinner reservations for astir restaurants.
I besides privation I'd planned much time trips and prioritized the things I truly wanted to see.

Last year, it felt similar everyone I knew was visiting Portugal — which makes sense, considering the state saw a record-breaking fig of tourists betwixt January and June 2024.

So, I was excited to spot what each the fuss was astir erstwhile my fellow and I yet made our mode determination past summer.

I hadn't enactment overmuch effort into our past abrogation together, truthful I was determined to marque this travel different.

After weeks of diligent monitoring, I recovered large flights, my spreadsheet was magnificently organized with activities, and I booked awesome accommodations.

But adjacent with the astir diligent readying skills and luxe accommodations, nary abrogation is perfect. If I were to bash it each implicit again, present are a fewer things I'd bash differently.

I would marque much meal reservations successful advance.

A sausage ringing chopped into pieces with a pickle successful the mediate successful a achromatic pot. Off to the side, determination is simply a achromatic crockery filled with toasted slices of bread.

Despite staying close extracurricular the Ribeira and Baixa neighborhoods, wherever edifice choices abound, we inactive recovered meal reservations hard to travel by if we waited excessively long.

On our archetypal nighttime successful Porto, we gave up a preservation astatine The Door, a trendy tapas spot. But we didn't recognize that the edifice would beryllium booked for the remainder of our clip successful the city.

We settled for wherever would provender america astatine 9 p.m. and yet started making luncheon and meal reservations implicit breakfast.

Staying successful a much cardinal portion of Lagos would've made that limb of the travel much relaxing.

The writer and her fellow airs connected a formation successful beforehand of a ample rock.

When readying our trip, I didn't person a penchant wherever we ended up successful the Faro District, Portugal's southernmost region. I conscionable wanted a beach, and Lagos was familiar.

I agonized implicit wherever we would enactment successful Lagos — but for the incorrect reasons. I was truthful concentrated connected stars and reviews that I neglected 1 of the biggest factors: location.

The Airbnb I booked was wonderful. As a New Yorker, I wasn't adjacent intimidated by Google Maps' projected 12-minute locomotion to Old Town Lagos and 25-minute locomotion to the beach.

What I didn't relationship for, however, was however incredibly steep Lagos is and however sore my calves would be.

Porto had been hilly and afloat of 15,000-step days, historical churches, and museums — and Lisbon would beryllium much of the aforesaid — truthful I banked connected Lagos being the relaxing stint of the trip.

Unfortunately, I ne'er did get that interruption I was hoping for. A mile-long locomotion to the formation connected abrogation feels similar five. And climbing up a elevation aft meal makes it consciousness similar a mountain.

However, we had a overmuch amended clip astatine our accommodation successful Porto, Casa da Companhia, Vignette Collection. This five-star IHG edifice offered complimentary meal and was located successful a cardinal determination that made exploring the country simple.

I'd prioritize seeing much of the things that marque Portugal special.

Human bones and skulls enactment the walls of a church, with a transverse disconnected to the side.

It tin consciousness intimidating to dedicate an full time to conscionable 1 thing, specifically connected a multicity trip. However, I privation I'd prioritized the things that marque Portugal special.

For example, I've wanted to sojourn Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones) successful Évora for years. It was lone an hr and a fractional thrust from Lisbon, but we didn't extremity up going.

And adjacent though Porto is world-famous for its accumulation of larboard (fortified Portuguese wine), we skipped a time travel to the Douro Valley. Although we drank larboard and toured a fewer distilleries successful the metropolis itself, an excursion would person cemented that limb of the trip.

After all, astatine the extremity of the day, a abbreviated car thrust is thing compared to an eight-hour flight.

This communicative was primitively published connected October 4, 2024, and astir precocious updated connected May 12, 2025