Portugal

Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:

Best: Sintra
Why: Palace was awesome and super helpful staff

Worst: Fado at Canto do Camões
Why: Dishonest business methods.

kat in NY, NY USA 08/28/2008

Worst: Policarpo City Tours in Evora (now Incoming Alejento)
Why: The RS guidebook says there is a two-person minimum. That is now a four person minimum and they will make absolutely no attempt to pair you up with others. If your party doesn't consist of 4 people, don't bother calling.

Colette in Cottage Grove, OR USA 06/29/2008

Best: Salema
Why: We agree this is wonderful. It is a very quiet little town with nothing "touristy" to do. But it is beautiful and relaxing and the people are friendly. Note that John and Annette are thinking of selling the Pension A Mare, so accommodation here may change next year - or a reader might decide to buy it!

Danny Mittleman in Chicago, IL USA 06/23/2008

Best: Pena Palace
Why: So eclectic with wonderful views both inward and outward.

Worst: Praca Commercial
Why: Though this may be the tourist hub, we avoid it as it seems to be a waste of time and there are better places to catch buses, et al. (Getting to know Rossio/Restaradore metro and the 3 squares above them is a far better central place for getting around Lisbon).

Christopher Allen in Berkeley, CA USA 05/05/2008

Best: Beaches around Cape Sagres
Why: Spectacular and pristine beaches

F. & C. Weiss in Victoria, BC Canada 05/03/2008

Worst: Coimbra
Why: Driving there from Spain was difficult-not clearly marked. We felt book overrated this destination...although Restaurante Italia was great-wonderful waiter.

Joan in JACKSONVILLE, FL USA 01/17/2008

Best: Cape St. Vincent (in the Algarve)
Why: I rented a bike in Sagres (10 euros for a half-day) and biked from Sagres to Cape St. Vincent (and back). The lighthouse was closed, but the views were amazing! It was my favorite thing in Portugal. A close second was the Moorish Castle in Sintra.

Worst: Castelo Sao Jorge, Lisbon
Why: I was there on a foggy day, so the view wasn't much, and the price has gone up to 5 euros (2.50 with student card). Taking little bus 37 up to the castle was fun, though!

Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 01/05/2008

Best: Fado at Canto do Camões.
Why: Superb food and music! My only complaint would be that the New Year's Eve prices were not made clear when I made my reservation (90 euros per person). However it was worth it.

Karis in Cross Plains, WI USA 01/04/2008

Best: The Douro Valley region
Why: Not being a wine snob,and my wife doesn't drink, I had discounted it for those reasons. We sere there on a day trip in early October and it was worth the visit for its beauty. Seems like we could have found friendly accommodations away from the tourist crowds.

Worst: Peniche, Pt
Why: I know this is not featured in your Portugal book, but nothing but tourists trying to find out why they traveled to this peninsula town. Loud music on the main square.

Don Karpen in Talent, OR USA 10/16/2007

Best: Salema
Why: Rick Steves absolutely got it right by recommending Salema as the best place in the Algarve. It was extremely relaxing and beautiful. Thanks!

Jon Seibald in New York, NY USA 10/02/2007

Best: Sintra
Why: Sintra seemed the most authentic and non-touristy of all spots we visited

Worst: Nazare
Why: I can't believe Rick devotes a chapter to this place. All my wife and I could think of was Atlantic City - touristy and cheesy.

Cort Cramer in Watertown, MA USA 10/02/2007

Best: Douro Valley / Pinhao & Chanceleiros
Why: This trip included my children (son 15; daughter 17), whose foreign travel has been limited to Paris and Quebec. The Douro was friendly, rural, primitive, spectacular ... and a great introduction to wine (yes, they tasted and actually liked wine as well as port!). Everything you described was accurate, although travelers to the Douro should pick up some of the books written for portophiles, that give driving directions to hidden quintas and special sites.

Casa do Visconde de Chanceleiros (http://www.chanceleiros.com) is another wonderful place to stay a short distance outside Pinhao. Pricing would probably make it moderate/luxury (ca Eu 120/day, breakfast included; dinner Eu 30), but it is like staying at a resort.

Worst: Lisbon
Why: The city is wonderful, but (a) I now have personal experience with a pickpocket ... and it cost several hundred Euros in cash; and (b) parking is extraordinarily expensive (we used an underground car park in Restauradores and didn't move the car the entire time we were in Lisbon -- 3 days -- it cost €130, almost $200). You do advise travelers they don't need a car in Lisbon (you're absolutely right). It really would pay to turn one rental car in when you get to Lisbon and then re-rent another car when leaving Lisbon for the rest of your trip.

Jason Zielonka in Doylestown, PA USA 08/30/2007

Best: Sintra, all of it
Why: So beautiful and so compact -- the town looks the best it ever has (I've visited four times over about 7 years)

Earl Johnson in Dowling Park, FL USA 08/13/2007

Best: The Douro Valley
Why: We loved our time in the Quinta de Marrocos. We had them make us (two couples) an evening meal for 25 euros a piece for a three course meal with accompanying wines. We were served in the summer kitchen by Cesar and his younger daughter. It was magnificent.

Worst: Coimbra
Why: We just had a hard time. We were driving and had a very bad time getting into the city. We also chose badly from among the suggested activities I think.

Jane Leingang in Evansville, IN USA 08/06/2007

Best: visit to Quinta do Panascal
Why: great walk through the vineyards (but avoid the heat of the day!) nice tastings, cool views

Worst: Solar do Vino do Porto
Why: Showcases of lots of bottles of Port. Period. One unfriendly, unhelpful guy stood there watching us as we walked around the cases and checked out the maps. Couldn't even find the comfy chairs in what I assume is the sampling area until I stepped up to peer over the bottle exhibits. The guy never spoke, so I assumed you had to have a substantial number of people or book the place for tastings. The four of us were the only visitors there on a Saturday afternoon. Bummer.

Marcy Nicklas in Frederick, MD USA 07/23/2007

Best: Salema
Why: It was relaxing and beautiful. The people were very friendly.

Worst: Lisbon
Why: My family and I were severely disappointed with Lisbon. The city is dirty and overrun with drugs and prostitution. Getting through the airport was an absolute nightmare; it was totally chaotic and the immigration agents had no control over the unruly crowd. My 52 year old mother was literally shoved to the ground by a man who couldn't wait through the line like the rest of us and similar incidents happened about every 15 minutes. It took us over two hours just to get our passport stamped so that we could leave the country.

Daryl in Raleigh, NC USA 07/18/2007

Best: Sintra, Alfama in Lisbon, Evora
Why: The Alfama in Lisbon was truly "stopped in time". Mesmerizing to visit. Open doors & shutters with people shouting to each other across the building! It is amazing to see that people still live like this! Sintra was a wonderful to visit. Lovely shops with quality merchandise to purchase, beautiful, winding roads with lush vegetation. Both castles, Pena Palace & National Palace were fun to visit. Evora - loved visiting the little town especially the bone chapel! Lovely shops & restaurants.

Karen Reeder in Dallas, tx USA 07/05/2007

Best: Lagos
Why: The only place for crafts and unique shopping.

Marty in Vaughn, KY USA 07/02/2007

Best: Pastelaria de Belem (bakery) in Lisbon
Why: This is the original bakery where they first made "pasteis de nata", and they're still the best. Not to be missed.

Worst: Nazare
Why: Nazare is nice, just make sure you don't go there in the summer. It can get almost as bad (touristy) as the Algarve.

Beatriz Costa in Seattle, WA USA 06/29/2007

Best: Sintra was awesome.
Why: Moorish castle and Pena palace are amazing sites.

Mike Soboeiro in Pinehurst, NC USA 06/24/2007

Best: Sintra, the Douro Valley and Cape Sagres.
Why: In Sintra, the magical palaces, Moorish castle ruins and pretty town provided a really fun day. Unlike some other destinations in Portugal, the town of Sintra seems to “get it,” offering visitors friendly and patient advice on the logistics of touring the place. The vineyard scenery of the Douro Valley is stunning, rivaling that of Tuscany. The easygoing lifestyle here differs markedly from the touristy Algarve and hectic Lisbon, so the people are a lot friendlier. When you look off the cliffs at Cape Sagres and see the perfectly round horizon stretching into infinity, you really do feel like you’re at “the end of the earth.”

Worst: The food. Salema.
Why: Although we had a few excellent meals, the food in general was disappointing. Also, Salema is not the haven it is cracked up to be. While it did afford a very pleasant morning beach stroll, that’s about all it offered. Plus, the people were openly hostile. I smiled and made eye contact with locals on two different occasions, but they glared back at me coldly. My husband was looking through his camera taking pictures of the cliffs, when a local fisherman in a boat on the beach became violent, apparently thinking he was being photographed. He started swearing and screaming and throwing things out of his boat at my husband.

Vicki Phillips in Denver, CO USA 05/17/2007

Best: Quinta Panascal near Pinhao
Why: After two hours of driving (including getting lost and ending up in Armarma), I was able to visit the Quinta Panascal. The self-guided tour was not too bad. The weather was just right for viewing the vineyards. The people were very friendly here, despite my limited knowledge of Portuguese.

Worst: Cristo Rei
Why: In Cacilhas across the Tagus from Lisbon, the bus line 101 doesn't operate every 20 minutes, sometimes there is a 40 minute gap. Be sure to have plenty of time to go up and back. Also, the Carris transit cards don't work, so be sure to get a ticket at Cacilhas before taking the bus.

Josh Hanz in Frisco, TX USA 03/03/2007

Best: Nazare in February
Why: What a refreshing change from touring museums. Many of the women in Nazare really do wear petticoats. We had fun sampling the dried fruit -the plumpest dried apricots I have ever eaten, nuts,and exotic (exotic to me) offerings from the street vendors. It was fun walking along the beach and seeing the sunset. It was enjoyable to take a ride up the funicular and have a fresh fish dinner in the upper part of town. We had difficulty finding our way back to the funicular - so pay attention. Nazare was a wonderful place to stroll and people watch. Hands down -our favorite destination of our 17 town trip. We stayed an extra day here - it was so good. We also enjoyed exploring the Rick Steves "Nearby Nazare towns".

Jan Wishau in Columbia, MO USA 02/24/2007

Best: Nazare
Why: The culture, people, and prices. + It is beautiful! The people were friendly and helpful. It was an expireance to see the women wearing 7 petty coats, the widows in black, the laundry hanging, the Carnival festival, and political campaigners. The funicular ride was fun. The seafood is great, we stayed in a residential(very spacious with washer). It was pretty cheap compared to most places we stopped. I love Nazare and highly recommend it, can't wait to go back.

Julie in Los Alamos, NM USA 02/22/2007

Best: Restaurante Adega do Ribatejo Lisboa
Why: Rick recommends this place. It was really great.My wife and I were the only tourists there. The audience sang along with the fado. The cook came out of the kitchen to sing fado...I even sang along after a few songs. It cost about 20 Euro for our food and drinks. The codfish is good too. The main fado singer is blind. We took a taxi from Placa dos restaurantes and the cost was about 5 euro. So all in all it was a fun evening for less than 30 euro.

Worst: Lisboa card problem and attitude of the company
Why: We bought lisboa cards to visit Sintra. BUt they never told us about the vouchers that have to be presented to get into palaces free. So we didn't take our booklets with us. Consequently, we had to pay for entrance into the Pena Palace and Moorish castle. When I complained the tourist agency basically said "tough luck". I wasn't too happy with their attitude. So if you buy the Lisboa Card, be sure to have your brochure with you as well as the card. Otherwise, "tough luck tourist".

Bill Skelton in Newnan, GA USA 01/01/2007

Best: Sintra
Why: A nice change from several days in Lisbon. Sintra feels like it's in a different world.

Worst: Coimbra
Why: Not much there. After seeing the University, we were out of things to do. We were there on a Sunday, so many things were closed. Plus our hotel in Coimbra was awful. On a different day, with different circumstances, we may have had a different experience...

Jennifer Orkney in Seattle, WA USA 11/06/2006

Best: Batahla
Why: It had such interesting architecture and history.

Amanda in terrace, bc canada 10/19/2006

Best: Douro Valley
Why: Breathtaking scenery. Do not miss this if you are in northern Portugal.

Worst: Algarve
Why: Skip it and go to Nazare, a much better option for a beach destination.

JS USA 10/16/2006

Best: Stock Exchange Porto, Queluz Palace Lisbon
Why: Buildings were beautiful. Tours were very informative

Jim Wattson USA 10/10/2006

Best: The Douro Valley
Why: We rented a car and took one of the driving trips advised by the wine center and it was magical. Little monasteries, megoliths and ancient medieval towns, not to mention wineries along the way and fabulous vistas. One word of advice though - you better be used to and not afraid to drive in the mountains because these roads are windy and narrow.

Worst: Porto
Why: It's worth seeing Porto for one day but driving in this city is a nightmare and the restaurants are mediocre except for one: Restaurant Abadia. In general, expect to have a "touristy" time.

Cecile Bouchardeau in New York, NY USA 10/10/2006

Best: The Monastery of Jeronimos
Why: Beautiful church and wonderful old monastery buildings very well restored. We only visited Lisbon, Obidos and Sintra.

Milo and Susan Tedstrom in Denver, CO USA 09/27/2006

Best: Lagos, Sagres, Salema
Why: I thought Rick poo-poo'd Lagos a bit too much. My husband and I had a lovely time wandering around this quaint city's old quarter. Sure there are people selling t-shirts and towels on the main drag, but that is a small price to pay for a laid back experience that can still give you a pinch of nightlife if you want. AND the caves are just fantastic - especially if you are a swimmer - you will love them. I thought the caves deserved a better review. Sagres was wonderful- it was an amazing experience to be "at the end of the world" looking out. Salema was relaxing, but I couldn't stay there for more than a day. There really isn't anything to do but kick it.

Worst: The food!
Why: Everyone we knew who went to Portugal and Spain told us - AFTER - we came back that "yeah, we knew the food wasn't that great, but we didn't want to ruin your trip..." And why doesn't Rick warn you that you pay for everything on the table? This was our first European trip, and they charge you for the bread (2.5 EUR) the butter (.75 EUR a pat) and everything else they bring out, and they do it so unassumingly, you think it comes with dinner... but no! We learned the hard way after 250 EUROS were spent for a ho-hum dinner for 4! I really think Rick should warn the newbie European traveler about that trick. It is ok that it is that way, as long as you know what you're getting into. But then again, we wouldn't have a great story to tell and laugh about later.

[Editor's Note: Actually, Rick does warn about the common European practice of charging for bread and other items on the table. It's on p. 28 of the 2006 Portugal book.]

Beth Levitan Pa USA 09/25/2006

Worst: Lisbon
Why: My wife and I are both in our early 30's and planned 3 days in Lisbon. We arrived on a Saturday at 2pm and decided to start our visit off with Rick's walk. Halfway up the street to the top of the hill a woman approached us who was just attacked by a man with a syringe. I found a policeman (who spoke english) who indifferently shrugged his shoulders to the story, said ok and smiled.

We decided to head back down to the main square to figure out another way to the top of the hill to start the walk. While looking at the map we were approached by a guy selling drugs.

We finally made our way to the top of the hill and all the buildings were covered in graffitti and two men drinking water out of the gutter were yelling at random people. (All of this mind you was at 2pm on Saturday afternoon!)

By the end of the stay I had been solicited for drugs 3 times. Not a big fan of Lisbon. We left a day early and drove down to the Algarve. Beautiful area.

We had no problems in any other areas of Portugal or Spain and we were staying out until 1 am or so.

Michael in Chicago, IL USA 09/22/2006

Best: Coimbra
Why: Because of the university with its library and chapel and nearby churches located on the steeply rising hill above the river. The town was quieter and more relaxing than Porto.

J A H Brown in Wentworth Falls, NSW 2782, Australia 06/24/2006

Best: Salema and Porto
Why: Salema, because of its idyllic setting, relaxed pace, and excellent restaurants.

Porto is an extremely impressive city, in all ways.

Worst: Evora
Why: Evora actually was a great experience, and a facinating town, but it also was extremely hot.

Ken Kleszynski in Portland, OR USA 06/16/2006

Best: Pena Palace, Sintra
Why: Fantastic, dreamlike architecture; interiors are exactly as Portuguese royalty furnished them in the early 20th century.

Worst: balcalhau (salted codfish)
Why: It's really salty.REALLY salty.

Tom Nelson in Minneapolis, MN USA 04/30/2006

Best: Gulbenkain Museum
Why: Rick was right on to recommend a trip to the Gulbenkian Museum. It was the finest collection I have ever seen. The museum is laid out so well you do not feel overwhelmed. Don't miss this amazing experience to see artifacts from BC in mint condition.

Worst: Tile Museum
Why: I was expecting a bit more as far as displays from the early centuries. The museum was laid out in a pretty boring fashion

Mary Jane Sackela in St. Petersburg, Fl USA 04/29/2006

Worst: Lisbon
Why: Not my favorate city, the Monastry was great but the rest was unexciteing.

John in San Diego, Ca USA 04/16/2006

Best: Restaurante Canto do Camoes
Why: Great Atmospere! The fado was great and a lot of fun! We spent about 4 hours listening to fado, then you eat and drink for a bit, then more fado and so on. Their food was good, not great, but the fado is an experience not to miss.

Worst: Hiking up to Sintra's Moorish castle could be more detailed in book
Why: On the map on Sintra Rick shows some hiking trails. It was a very nice day in Sintra and we decided that it would be nice to just walk up to the castle and palace. While not a big deal, realize that if you do this, you must walk past the castle to the parking lot (about 5 more minutes) in order to get tickets. Rick says to take a taxi or the bus, but if you have time for the ~30min hike up or down it's worth it.

Michael Dunn in Decatur, GA USA 04/11/2006

Best: Lisbon
Why: It's a fascinating city, but the topography is such that careful planning of sightseeing is necessary, and for this the guide was very useful.

Worst: Belem
Why: not so much the sights to be seen, which were fine, but I was a bit taken aback to find that Belem is bisected by not so much a boulevard as an 8 lane urban highway in addition to the expected busy suburban train line.

Perhaps we were overly fatigued, but somehow we failed to find the pedestrian underpass from the Monument of the Discoveries to the Jeronimos monastery. (The monument was closed at the time - could this have been a factor? Where did we go wrong?) Instead we used a pedestrian OVERpass near Belem train station, which served the purpose but was further away.

Clare MacIntosh in Halifax, NS Canada 04/09/2006

Best: Quinta da Regleira
Why: I loved the caves. I loved winding your way through the gardens and discovering hidden places. It was very picturesque even when it was raining cats and dogs.

Sarah Gilbert in Cedar Park, Tx USA 04/07/2006

Best: Alfama in Lisbon, Evora, Salema
Why: Alfama is a magically beautiful neighborhood that still feels like an authentic residential area. Evora lived up to the hype, although the town is totally dead at sundown. The Algarve in general was really disappointing, but Salema feels totally unlike the bigger cities nearby. The beach is beautiful and the scenery is amazing.

Worst: Belem
Why: The monument and Belem Tower are pretty boring, especially if you're going to any of the other castles in Portugal. Casa Pasteis de Belem was nice, but the sites overall were the only things in Portugal that felt explicitly touristy. If you are short on time, I would cut Belem out of your trip.

WDM in Tokyo, Japan 03/16/2006

Best: The cities of Fatima, Batalha, Tomar (which Steve does not mention) and Alcobaca
Why: Each of these cities offers great churches, monasteries, castles and profound experiences. Rick does not mention Tomar which should be a must see on anyone's list of towns to visit while in Portugal. The former home of the Knights Templar which is amazingly preserved and is very interesting from an historical view. Am Catholic and had no idea that Fatima would be such a profound experience. The cathedral and cloister at Batalha at night is a visual experience.

Worst: bone church in Evora
Why: Not worth the admission, particularly if you have seen the bone church in Kutna Hora in the Czeck Republic.

Tony ambrose in Louisville, KY USA 03/02/2006

Best: Villa Dame de Salema
Why: Frido and Xenia took us in like family. We went on nature walks with Frido and the dogs, joined them for wine and meals, and spent hours talking about anything and everything. They live across the street so you can have as much privacy as you want (we had the entire villa to ourselves for 5 of 6 days.) I can't recommend them highly enough.

Jared in Bend, OR USA 02/20/2006

Best: Renting a car and driving down along the West Coast of Portugal
Why: It was Dec 10, and we pretty well had the place to ourselves. The Temp was 15-18C, and it was just beautiful without masses of tourists.

Worst: Albefuria
Why: Too touristity, and no place to park.

Norma Davis in Sydenham, On Canada 01/25/2006

Best: Sintra
Why: The Moorish ruin and the Palace were fantastic. Sitting on a mountain, up a cobblestone road, over a great scenic town.

Robert and Marian Eichinger in Minneapolis, MN USA 01/21/2006