Flight day - Denver departure
Jul 28–29 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
We stayed with Dan and Emalyn over the weekend and will leave our car there during our trip. We have explored by car for so long that it's quite different for us to be living out of 2 bags each!
Porto
Jul 29–Aug 12 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Our first home in Portugal. Steep hills, cobbled streets, very old buildings, and good seafood, wine, and port.
Douro Valley wine tour
August 4 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
We found a great tour on Viator. Three wine tastings, boat tour, and lunch. The weather was hot but the valley was beautiful.
Matosinhos
August 5 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Seaside town where all the shipping occurs and the fish processing is done.
Guimarães
August 7 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Day trip to the birthplace of Portugal, complete with a castle and palace.
Braga
August 8 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Day trip to Braga. We visited the Bom Jesus cathedral and walked through the downtown.
Aveiro
Aug 12–17 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
Beautiful seaside town with canals. They were once the main transport system but now just for tourism.
Praia da Barra
August 14 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Beach day! It's been a while since we had a lazy day on a beach.
Obidos
Aug 17–22 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Very interesting walled city. Well-maintained, full of cobblestone streets, and you can even walk the perimeter walls!
Porto do Mos Castle
August 19 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
We rented a car for the day to make a loop to some well-known sights in the area. First stop at a small castle.
Batalha Monestery
August 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F
Huge monestery in Batalha with an interesting self-guided tour. Giant cathedral, very ornate chapel, and a large unfinished portion at the end.
Leiria Castle
August 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Nice castle, with a lot more inside the walls than we've found at other spots.
Nazaré
August 19 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
People say this is a great surf spot, with a nice view from the church on the cliffs above town. All that is true, but the town was super-crowded and touristy. Would not return....
Berlengas
August 20 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 68 °F
Adventure day trip. Had to get a taxi to the port town of Peniche, then took a speed boat to a nature reserve on Berlengas Island. Another boat tour once there, then we explored a fort and hiked backRead more
Lisbon
Aug 22–Sep 12 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F
Lots of history in this city. Remnants of pre-historic civilizations, Celts, Romans, and Moors prior to the invasion and settlement by the Portuguese in the 12th century. There have been multipleRead more
Templar tour - Almoural and Tomar
August 28 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
Day trip from Lisbon to Almoural Castle and 2 sites near the town of Tomar. Lots of Templar history here!
Sintra
August 31 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We took back-to-back day trips to this little town with lots of great scenery, history, and hills!
Albufeira
Sep 12–24 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Taking a break how the Portuguese do - with a trip to the southern coastal region known as the Algarve. There's a bit less to see from a historic or cultural perspective. Instead we'll just relax andRead more
Boat tour - Benagil, Caves, and Dolphins
September 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Took a boat tour from the Albufeira marina. Stopped multiple times along the coast, including going into the Benagil Cave. Then out to open water where we found some pods of dolphins.
Beach day - Praia do São Rafael
September 20 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Just a few hours at a popular local beach. Little cloudy and windy, so not too hot today.
Praia do Castelo
September 22 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Another beach day at a nice beach club.
Beja - Roman ruins and a castle
September 24 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Bit of exploration through some Roman baths from the 1st century. Then wandering through the Beja Castle.
Évora
Sep 24–Oct 1 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
We rented a car for the next 3 weeks so we could see a bit more of the countryside. We chose this town for our home-base while we explored fortresses, walled cities, castles, pre-historic rockRead more
Monsaraz
September 25 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
The walled city of Monsaraz reminded us of Óbidos, though much smaller. There's a restored castle at one end, and a small, active community inside with shops, taverns, hotels, and restaurants.
Mourão Castle
September 25 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
We drove over to this other town. The abandoned castle was really the only attraction here.