This past June, my friend Fi and I spent a week exploring the picturesque country of Portugal. Portugal has much to offer, including lively cities, medieval castles, pristine beaches, and delectable food. We were based in Lisbon but ventured to explore a few surrounding areas.

Here are 4-day trips from Lisbon to add to your Portugal Itinerary:

Praia do Ribeiro do Cavalo

How to Get There?

While preparing for my trip to Portugal, I contacted a few friends for suggestions. My friend Felix raved about Praia do Cavalo! He described it as paradise and said it is less crowded and touristic than other Lisbon beaches, but he cautioned that it is a bit far and hard to reach (I will return to this later).

My friends and I took an Uber from the Baixio Chiado neighborhood to Praia do Ribeiro de Cavalo. It was about an hour’s drive, costing 37 euros (9.25 euros per person). The beach is in a remote area where cell service is non-existent. We all had a “oh crap” moment and realized that we probably wouldn’t be able to request an Uber back because of the spotty service. Our awesome driver offered to pick us up if we gave him a specified time.

Now, back to my friend’s “it’s a bit far and hard to reach” statement. I thought he was referring to the hour-long commute to the beach, but nope! He was referring to the 30-minute hike to the beach area, which he failed to mention! When we exited the car to start walking to the beach, we were greeted by tons of signs reminding us how unstable the cliffs were. The path to the beach wasn’t the easiest to navigate, but we made a few friends along the way and helped each other climb some of the more complex patches.

Driving on a bridge to hidden beach in Portugal

What to Bring?

Sneakers: Since my friend didn’t mention the intense hike to the beach, most of us weren’t prepared. I brought my swim sneakers with me, but the rest of my friends wore flip-flops, making hiking incredibly challenging.
Food & Water: No businesses are near Ribeiro de Cavalo. We bought sandwiches and water in Lisbon. Trust that the hike and the heat will make you hungry and thirsty.
Sunscreen & Sunglasses: No explanation needed.
Beach towel: As mentioned, there are no businesses, so you must bring essential items.
Miscellaneous items: Beach umbrellas and animal floats! As someone in Portugal for a limited time, I wasn’t keen on buying a beach umbrella or a float for a day trip, but many people had these items (kudos to them for hiking with that stuff). One of our Portuguese friends we made on the way down to the beach kindly let us borrow her swan float.

Overall, the surprise, intense hike to the beach was a special experience, making us enjoy it even more! The good news is the hike back was way more manageable!

Sintra

Sintra looks like a scene from your favorite fairytale. This resort town is nestled in the pine-covered hills of Serra de Sintra.

How to Get from Lisbon to Sintra?

The train to Sintra departs Lisbon from the Rossio train station, which is located in central Lisbon. It is about a 45-minute ride and costs 4,30 euros. It’s a popular route, so expect the train to be crowded. We were there between 1 and 7 pm and could see most of the main attractions.

How to See Sintra?

When we arrived at the Sintra train station, we were annoyingly haggled by people trying to sell us tours. There are many ways to spend a day in Sintra. The three main transportation options to explore Sintra include public buses, city sightseeing hop-on/hop-off buses, and private drivers. Since we got to Sintra in the afternoon, we didn’t want to be at the mercy of bus schedules, so we decided to go with a private driver. I highly suggest you speak to multiple drivers before committing to one. When we were about to go with one guy, we saw a man with a sign that advertised tours for 10 euros cheaper. We went with Ana’s Adventures in Sintra with Ruben as our guide. We customized our tour and paid 20 euros each (not including admission prices for some attractions). Some people prefer to see Sintra in a Jeep or Tuk-Tuk, but we were fine in the car.

Sights to See

Moorish Castle

The Moorish Castle is a military fort built around the 10th century by the Muslim population living there. It served as a control tower for the Atlantic coast and land to the north. Per the suggestion of our guide, we didn’t go inside to see the castle, but we walked around its lush grounds.

Pena Palace

The Pena Palace is a Romanticist castle built in 1836. I was obsessed with the castle’s bright bold colors. We didn’t go inside the castle, we just bought a ticket (7,50 euros) to explore it’s perimeter.

Cabo Da Roca

Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of Europe. Although it was windy, it was nice to soak up this glorious view.

Things to Eat

Please don’t leave Sintra without trying Queijadas! They’re a local treat made with flour, sugar, egg yolk, fresh cheese (unsalted), and cinnamon. I could eat these all day!

If you’re traveling with children, check out this article on visiting Sintra with kids.

Porto

Porto is a coastal city in Portugal famous for its Port wine, which I couldn’t taste because of my wine allergy. It is the second-largest city after Lisbon.

How to Get There?

We took the train from Lisboa Santa Apolonia station to Porto Campanha station. The ride was 2.5 hours, and the ticket was 49,50 euros. The trains were also WiFi-equipped!

Sights to See

Beautiful Buildings

We spent a lot of time walking through Porto and admiring the stunning tile designs of the residential buildings.

Dom Luís I Bridge

This iconic double-decker bridge spans the Douro River and connects Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto. For the best views of Porto, walk to the Gaia side of the bridge. If you aren’t allergic to wine, visit the Port wine houses in Gaia.

Church of Saint Ildefonso

This 18th-century church has a beautiful exterior decorated with blue and white ceramic tiles.

Livraria Lello

Livraria Lello is considered one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores. Unfortunately, we arrived 10 minutes after they closed. However, the security guard did allow me to take one picture from the outside. J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for 10 years and was a frequent visitor to the bookstore. It is rumored that Livraria Lello inspired Hogwarts.

São Bento Railway Station

São Bento Railway Station is the most beautiful railway station I’ve ever been in. Inside, intricate tilework highlights key events in Porto’s history.

What to Eat?

Francesinha

Francesinha, or “little Frenchie,” is a Portuguese sandwich that originated in Porto. It’s a meat lover’s dream! It contains bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage, steak, or roast meat and is smothered with melted cheese and a hot, thick tomato and beer sauce. It’s not something I would eat daily, but it was tasty!

Belém

Belém, a district in western Lisbon, should be part of your Lisbon itinerary. It is a cultural and monumental center with the largest concentration of museums in Portugal.

How to Get There?

Belém is not on a metro route. We took the 15E tram from Baixia Chiado and arrived in about 30 minutes.

Sights to See

Jerónimos Monastery

This monastery is one of the most visited attractions in Lisbon and is a UNESCO Heritage site.

MAAT Museum

The Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology was phenomenal! The museum was very interactive. If you want an incredible experience, you can sleep at the MAAT. One of the art installations is a domestic space that is listed on AirBnB.

Monument to the Discoveries

This monument is a tribute to some of the most famous Portuguese Navigators.

What to Eat?

Pasteis de Belém

As my friend so eloquently put it, Pasteis de Belém is the Cafe DuMonde of Portugal, a.k.a you have to eat here. They are famous for their custard tarts, pasteis.