How to organize your own trip to Portugal. An independent trip to Portugal is a trip for those who love variety. Traveling to Portugal by car - an opportunity to see everything at once Around Portugal by car

Portugal is a country for free travelers. Traveling around Portugal by car– this is the best way to get to know this country as closely as possible and admire its beauty. During this time, it is better to refuse standard excursions and take a ride in your own car along your pre-planned individual route. Of course, I would like to start getting acquainted with Portugal from the main city of this country - Lisbon. When you find yourself in Lisbon, the first thing you notice is the air - fresh sea air that refreshes and fills you with energy. Lisbon is one of the few cities in which so many ancient buildings have been preserved. Walking through the narrow streets of this city will bring you a lot of pleasure.

Traveling around Portugal on your own, it is advisable to plan your route so as to see as many sights as possible. One of the must-visit places is the Lisbon Aquarium. Excursions to this place are very popular among tourists. The Portuguese Aquarium is the second largest in the world. There is a permanent exhibition there, represented by a huge central aquarium, which creates the illusion of being under water. The aquarium itself is located in a famous place called the Park of Nations. In addition to the aquarium, this park also houses the Museum of Science and Technology, a cable car, and from here you can admire one of the largest structures in Europe - the Vasco da Gamma Bridge. There are a lot of cafes, restaurants and shops around the park. And due to the fact that, in addition to tourists, this place is also loved by the Lisbon residents themselves, you will be pleasantly surprised by the fairly low prices for food and souvenirs.

Continuing my traveling around Portugal by car, you can take a ride and explore the following attractions, such as the modern Museum of Design and Fashion, Belem Monastery, St. George's Castle.

Further traveling alone in Portugal, you can visit the small ancient Portuguese town of Sintra, which also houses a large number of attractions such as castles, palaces, monasteries and, of course, the fabulous landscapes of this town and the magical coastline with golden sands cannot but please you. Sintra is also a favorite place for surfers and fishermen. Not far from this town is the Quinta da Regaleira palace and park complex, which contains a romantic palace, a chapel, parks with lakes, grottoes and fountains. This place fascinates with its beauty.

Cascais is a town that you should definitely visit during traveling around Portugal by car. This place is a favorite place for young people, as this seaside town, located along the coast, is simply dotted with many bars, restaurants and various nightclubs. Cascais is also home to the Nautical Club, which offers marine entertainment for every taste. Lovers of natural beauty have plenty to admire in the large arboretum park.

Évora is a place in Portugal that is called an open-air museum. In Évora there are such attractions as: Se Cathedral, King Manuel's Palace, Church of St. Francis, Monsaraz Fortress, Church of the Holy Spirit, Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo, as well as the “Chapel of Bones” Osos is a chapel that is built from human bones and skulls that belonged to 5,000 monks. But these are not all the attractions of this city. It is also famous for the best wine and food.

Traveling independently in Portugal, you will understand that museums, churches, temples and chapels are not all that you can get acquainted with in this country. For those who love beach holidays, there are many hotels and various campsites, which makes your stay especially comfortable. traveling by car to Portugal. The length of the beach line in Portugal is 1800 km, which allows all campsites to be comfortably located along the coast, and allows tourists who travel to Portugal by car or motorhome to choose exactly the one that suits them. But for those who love privacy, Portugal has a great variety of wild beaches.

The cuisine of Portugal is rich mainly in dishes from fresh fish and seafood, which the Portuguese prepare according to special recipes.

In travel time in Portugal You should definitely try the wines of this country. The red and white wines of Portugal are mostly dry, but the most famous wine of this country is, of course, port. This dessert wine with a strength of 20% received its name due to the fact that it is produced in the Portuguese city of Porto. Port wine is also produced in the northern part of the country, but only in those places where it is stipulated by law. “Green” wines – “Vina Verde” – are very popular in Portugal. These wines got their name not because of their color, but because they age very little. Verde wines come in white, rosé and red. You will not find such wines anywhere else in the world, so during solo travel to Portugal you should definitely try them.

Portugal is a country that offers much more than just a beach holiday, or just excursions to local attractions. This is a country that will be of interest to everyone when traveling through it. Independent travel to Portugal by car– this is a vacation for those who love to travel around Europe and expect new discoveries from these trips.

Flying to Portugal and sitting on the same beach is not the smartest option, unless of course you live an hour's flight or drive away. It’s worth renting a car already at Lisbon airport and rushing towards adventure. I used Gold Car services and was satisfied. This is our third meeting with this European rental company, which risks soon developing into a friendship that is growing stronger thanks to the good price and quality of service. The very worthy Herz or Sixt sometimes try to break this friendship, but so far without success.

Main points along the route:

Lisbon – Cabo da Roca – Sintra – Vila do Bispo – Sagres – Lagos – Ferragudo – Silves – Lagoa – Albufeira – Lisbon

Total approximately 800 km. With stops at local points - observation points, beaches and just places you like - 900 km.

On the map our route looks approximately So :

1.Surroundings of Lisbon: Lisbon – Cape Roca – Sintra – Lisbon

On Lisbon you need at least 3-4 days, one of which should be devoted to Cape Roca and historical Sintra, located half an hour away.

Cape Rock(Cabo da Roca) is the westernmost point of Europe and is interesting precisely for its location. Among the attractions are the lighthouse and beautiful views of the coastline. However, the skyline in other places along the route will not be worse.

Sintra– an ancient town, quite nice, although very touristy. It is ideal to arrive in Sintra in the morning, right after the lighthouse at Cape Roca, before 10 o'clock. Firstly, there are more options for parking, and secondly, the city itself will take at least 6 hours. We see the palace, the fortress, walk along the winding steep streets and try delicious food in local pastry shops.

2.The second part of the route – the road from Lisbon to the Algarve

We travel by regional roads N5, N253, N261, N120, N268, N125. Follow the signs to the beaches and select “The best of”

Stop number one on the route is Comporta, a winery and beach inspired by the movie Knockin' on Heaven's Door. Beach from horizon to horizon, boardwalk, huge rampart.
Beach coordinates: 38.381372, -8.802608

Can be skipped Sines, if there is little time and immediately move to the side Villa do Bispo- This is the extreme southwest of Europe. There are several beautiful beaches in the vicinity, but the water in these places rarely exceeds +20, interesting from the point of view of wandering around, enjoying the ocean and watching the sunset.

Before reaching Vila do Bispo we stop at Amado beach - beautiful views, a surfer beach, but you can swim in the summer.

You can spend the night in the town of Vila do Bispo, solely as a transit overnight stay, or you can go straight to the town of Sagres - the extreme southwestern point of Europe.

Not so interesting Sagres, How many S. Vicente lighthouse. A very beautiful lighthouse and a magnificent view of the coastline, several observation platforms.

Parking coordinates near the S. Vicente lighthouse: 37.16858, -8.665534

Near the lighthouse on the road to Lagos is an interesting beach called Beliche, popular among the locals. Uncrowded with a good inexpensive restaurant, azure ocean, surrounded by beautiful rocks. (37.02421, -08.99426)

3. Part three of the route – the southern coast of the Algarve, the warmest and most favored by tourists of all calibers.

Points of interest: Lagos is a beautiful tourist town with ancient narrow cobbled streets, a promenade and restaurants. There are several beaches and lookouts in the surrounding area.

Praia dona Ana – (37.091233, -8.0669761)

The city's longest and warmest sandy beach is Maia Praia (37.106858. -8.665534)

Ponta da Piedade, an observation deck with a beautiful view of the rocks, from here you can also take a boat ride through the local grottoes. (37.08162, -08.66978)

Other interesting places:

The village of Ferragudo, a beautiful fishing village on a hill, a good place for photos - (37.125894, -8.52227)

Praia da Roca beach near Portimao

The town of Lagoa is, in my opinion, the best place to spend the night, conveniently located 3 km away. from the ocean and equidistant from all interesting places. For us, this was the main base for exploring the Algarve coast and historical monuments.

Silves – here is an ancient Arab fortress, well preserved, you can spend a couple of hours in front of the beaches.

Praia do Marinha (37/090073, -8.412599) is one of the most beautiful on the coast, but in summer it is difficult to swim due to the bloom of black algae almost all over the beach. Great for "sunbathing, drinking wine and enjoying the rocks)

- Senhora da Rocha– guidebooks report that this is the most photographed beach in the Albufeira area. Probably because there are a lot of hotels nearby... :) The beach is beautiful, but somewhere at the end of my conditional top ten Algarve. Coordinates: 37.09750, -008.38643

- Albufeira. White houses and several beaches in the surrounding area make it the most popular town in the Algarve. I would still prefer Lagos or Lagoa for exploring the Algarve.

- Praia do Castelo– Our favorite beach in the Algarve, ranked #1 beach, is located between Albufeira and Lagos. There are no hotels in the vicinity, so the contingent is mainly locals and independent road travelers. The Pic Nic restaurant is open all year round, overlooking the ocean and bright yellow rocks of indescribable beauty. Coordinates: (37.07354, -008.29812)

4. Road to Lisbon

We return, or rather fly along the E1 autobahn in 2.5 hours without stopping, enter the city through the longest bridge in Europe, Vasco da Gama, and spend an unforgettable 10 hours in the city before departure.

P.S. The Algarve is full of beautiful beaches and beautiful places, so it is wise to plan a little more time and just follow the signs at random.

Travel by car along the Atlantic coast of Portugal following the westerly wind of change
Portugal has an endless variety of holiday options. You can bask on the southern beaches or spend hours in art galleries Lisbon. You can grow a liver while drinking vintage wines, ports, muscatels and green wines in the Douro Valley or enjoying endless fields and simple cuisine Alentejo. You can climb the mountain Serra da Estrela, where they make delicious sheep cheese, and then slide down from its snowy peak on skis or a snowboard. But there is another great option: take a trip along the west coast from Cascais to Nazaré.
This route is for those who love to admire ocean waves, high cliffs, wild beaches and lighthouses - solemn symbols of romance and determination.
Route: Cascais - Magoita - Ericeira - Santa Cruz - Peniche - Nazaré - Mafra - 469 km
Duration: 3 days

The journey begins in Lisbon. Stay in this city for a couple of days:

Now you can get into your car and drive along the scenic highway in Cascais. The highway was named by local residents "Margin"(from the Portuguese word margem - translates as "edge", "margin of the book" or, in this case, "shore")- due to the fact that it runs along the very edge of the water: first along the banks of the Tagus River, to the place where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and further, towards interesting discoveries.

Cascais

It's worth spending half an hour exploring the rock known as Boca do Inferno(can be loosely translated as “Mouth of Hell”). It is very close to the Cascais Yacht Club, less than a kilometer from Santa Marta lighthouse. Waves burst into a hole in a steep rock with a roar. Hitting the rocks, the salty water whips into white foam, spins in whirlpools and rushes back into the ocean. Looking at this riot of elements, you don’t understand why the rocks have not yet been torn apart by the oncoming waves, why the collapsed stones have not filled up this hellish throat. There are many signs in the city directing the way to this impressive creation of nature. Parking is free, and for those who are especially hungry there are a couple of restaurants and cafes nearby.
If you follow the route, you can see the majestic lighthouse Farol da Guia- one of the first built in the 18th century with public money. Nowadays, the buildings adjacent to the lighthouse house the services of the Ministry of National Defense, so whether you will be able to get behind the fence and touch the warm stones of the brown and cream tower is a big question.
Then the road leads straight to Guincho beach and will begin to wind through mountain serpentines, climbing higher and higher. On the left is the lighthouse Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of the continent. This article will be useful for planning your trip:

Further extends Praia das Maçãs – “Apple Beach”. According to local legend, the name appeared due to the fact that a river flowing into the ocean, flowing among orchards, often brings apples that have fallen into the water to the ocean. It is difficult to vouch for the veracity of this legend, because the local apple groves are no longer what they used to be, and are reluctant to share their harvest with the ocean, but I want to believe in this fairy tale, because the analogy with apples - strong, juicy, rosy, healthy - is very suitable this beach. It is spacious, with a very wide line of sand and easy access to the water. High hills protect from the wind, waves roll onto the shore gently and slowly - in short, an almost ideal picture for relaxation.

Magoitu

A tiny beach located far from all big and even small cities. Despite its remoteness, it enjoys the warm and strong love of tourists and local residents. The Portuguese love to hold surfing competitions here, especially bodyboarding (a type of surfing where the athlete does not stand with his feet on the board, but rolls while lying on it with his chest and stomach). For tourists, there is a wonderful boardwalk road leading over sand dunes between low pine trees. You can walk along this convenient path under spreading trees.
Be sure to pay tribute to the dishes in the local restaurant Dunamar (Ramp Beach Magoito), clinging to a high rock: from its terrace there is a beautiful view of the ocean, the dishes are worthy of the most flattering reviews, and the prices are quite affordable. Here you can try rare shellfish percebes, and any snacks from sea reptiles, and grilled fish, and finish it all off with coffee and sweets.

One of the most picturesque and famous places on the west coast of Portugal, it has existed for almost 800 years. Now it is a popular favorite Portuguese resort. Lisbon residents and residents of other surrounding towns flock here on weekends and holidays to sunbathe on the excellent beaches. Total in Ericeira 10 official beaches, best suited for swimming praia dos Pescadores (in the very center of the city) And Praia da Sul (slightly south of the center), and Foz do Lizandro– probably the most convenient, although it is not located in Ericeira itself. It’s about 3 km away, which you can cover by car in 2-3 minutes, by bike in 5-7, and on foot you’ll spend no more than half an hour. There are cafes, restaurants, a surf school, and a huge beach, but the most interesting thing is that a river flows into the ocean here, and lovers of calm water can spend time on its banks without going near the ocean waves.
For those who like to admire the ocean, we recommend taking a walk along the beaches in Ericeira Algodio And São Sebastião, and then spend the evening in one of the restaurants for which Ericeira is so famous - thanks to the excellent quality of food, generous portions and quite affordable prices, which you will not find in the capital. For example, in Ribas (Rua Mendes, 32)- seafood, Tik-Tapas (Rua 5 de Outubro n.7)- be sure to pay attention to the local lamb or El-Rei (Rua Capitão João Lopes, nº 14)— fish, meat, drinks, excellent service and a wonderful view of the sunset ocean.
Ericeira gained worldwide fame thanks to surfing. The city received the title of World Surfing Reserve; it is considered the main surf resort in Europe and the second in the world, second only to California. Ericeira's main surf beaches for professionals are Ribeira da Ilhas And Coxos, and beginners and “continuing” souls do not like Foz do Lizandro. Therefore, if you want to look at muscular guys and flexible girls cutting through the waves on light boards, you definitely need to look at Ericeira.
If you are planning to spend the night in Ericeira, keep in mind that this is a resort city filled with people, so it is better to book a room in advance. The best hotel is considered 4* Vila Gale Ericeira, but also a lot of hostels, surf camps and 2* hotels. For example, you can try your luck in a guest house that opened just a year ago Blue Ocean– it has rooms to suit any budget.

Santa Cruz

Moving further west, we find ourselves in the absolutely amazing town of Santa Cruz. There are several beautiful beaches for swimming: white sand, fairly calm waves for the ocean, sun and beautiful views of the vast waters and picturesque cliffs. Choose any of the beaches: they smoothly transition into one another, so you can think of it as choosing a place for your towel on a huge expanse of white sand. Residents of all surrounding towns come to relax on this beach, and this is really the right choice.
The most surprising thing is that besides local residents, almost no one knows about Santa Cruz. In addition to the beaches, here you can enjoy views of picturesque rocks, a tall white tower above the embankment, or go to the local local history museum, which operates in the premises of an old water mill. Also very close to Santa Cruz there is an airfield for small 1-2-seater planes, and you can admire their takeoffs and landings.

Peniches

The city of Peniche is located on a cape protruding into the ocean, so it is always windy and fresh here. Climb the rock with the lighthouse and circle the entire cape to admire the beaches. By the way, there are also a lot of surfers here, and the beach Supertubos has long been a venue for international competitions. It is huge, stretches for several kilometers, and with a good wind, the waves here actually curl into large tubes, inside which skilled surfers love to fly.
However, even if a person is not inclined to surf, he should pay attention to this city. Especially if you find yourself here in February, during the carnival period: in Peniche the street procession is one of the most colorful in this part of Portugal.

Admire the old fortress and the active fishing port, or even take a boat to the nearby Berlengas Island- wild and picturesque, with a special natural world in which Portuguese scientists constantly find a breeding ground for new discoveries. Cruise ship companies Julius And Nevada, as well as a ferry Viamar depart from the port of Peniche three times a day in summer (at 9.30, 11.30 and 17.30), the rest of the navigation time (from September 15 to May 15)– only once a day, at 10.00, and returns back at 16.30 the same day. The cost of a cruise is from 18 euros in summer and 10-15 euros in low season. If you wish, you can stay and spend the night on the island in a fort converted into a hotel - this will probably be a special and very unusual pastime, given the seclusion of the island.

Perhaps Nazare is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal. If it had not been separated from the capital by 130 km, it would have long ago become the main tourist center of the country, but for now it remains a place for those in the know and the elite.
A tour of the city should begin with the so-called Sitio- places on a high cliff with stunning views of the city, beach and endless ocean. The Nazaré lighthouse also stands here, and it was from here that surfers filmed the feat of Hawaiian Garrett McNamara, who conquered a record wave of almost 30 meters high in Nazaré. Then take the funicular down, stroll along the embankment, buy dried fish from the fishermen, and nuts, the main delicacy of Nazaré, from the grandmothers with baskets.
If you want to have lunch, go to one of the many cafes or restaurants on the huge embankment, or turn to a small square where, among other restaurants, there is one famous for its seafood dishes O Casalinho (Praça Sousa Oliveira, 6). Both the interior and the kitchen in it are beyond praise.
Stay overnight in Nazaré to watch one of nature's most spectacular attractions, as the hot sun hisses into the ocean, bathing the surface of the water and sky in liquid red gold. The seagulls cry with cries for the past day, but even they, foolish ones, know: tomorrow the sun will rise again over Portugal, and again thousands of eyes will look at the restless waves of the entire western coast of Portugal, from Cascais to Nazaré.
If you want to spend the night in Nazaré, you should pay attention to the designer hotel Magic or eclectic Pensao-Restaurante Ribamar .

When returning to Lisbon, be sure to spend time on its suburbs, at least Mafra. The only and main attraction in the city is the huge Royal Palace, built at the beginning of the 18th century. The palace was built, literally, by the whole world. Pink marble was transported 12 kilometers from Lameiras, Peru Pinheiro, Montelavar; 92 bells, the largest selection in the world, were cast in Antwerp; the statues of saints were made by Italian sculptors from Carrara marble, and the 6 organs from Brazilian wood on the antiphons of the palace church were built by the French military during the period of occupation of Mafra from 1792 to 1807. For a long time, restoration work was carried out on the musical instruments, and on June 2, 2012, they began to play together again, just like two centuries ago. The famous tenor Placido Domingo attended the opening concert as a sponsor.
The huge royal library, located right in the palace, is said to be protected from harmful insects by bats. And that's not all... The palace has 1,200 halls, 4,700 doors and windows, and about 160 staircases. In short, the Royal Palace of Mafra is a huge, outstanding marvel that should not be missed. The palace is open from Wednesday to Friday from 10.00 to 16.45, in winter (from November 1) there is a break from 13.00 to 14.00.
By the way, on the way back from Portugal to Russia, we recommend reading the work of Nobel laureate Jose Saramago “Memories of a Monastery” to refresh your memories of the wonderful journey and the magnificent palace.

From personal experience, I was convinced of what has always been obvious to me: if you want to see the real Portugal, you need to see the country not on your own on public transport and not as part of a tourist group, but individually and with a car. Below I will talk about our 20-day car trip around Portugal, as well as the features of a car holiday in this country.

Route: as much as possible in 20 days

Having decided to see Portugal by car, we immediately abandoned the idea of ​​spending a lot of time in large cities. The emphasis was placed on those places and attractions that are difficult to reach by public transport. However, if a large interesting city came across on the way, then we also stopped by it - for a quick acquaintance.

Part of the route was planned in advance, part was improvised on the fly. As a result, he turned out like this.

1 day. Early in the morning we arrive in Lisbon with TAP Portugal. Acquaintance with Lisbon, overnight at the Pensao Londres hotel.

Day 2. Walk around Lisbon, trip to Cascais, overnight in the same hotel.

Day 3. We take a car from Avis, we get a manual Volkswagen Golf 1.6, a diesel one - a car with special features, but it didn’t let us down, and by the end of the trip we really liked it. We go south: see Sesimbra, Palmela, Cromlechs (Cromeleque dos Almendres). By nightfall we arrive in Evora and spend the night at the Evora Inn Chiado Design hotel.

Day 4 We walk around Evora, then go to see the mountain fortresses of Moran (Mourao) and. We stop at Vila Vicosa. We arrive in Estremoz and spend the night at the Imperador Hotel.

Day 5 We spend half a day visiting Estremoz, then we go to the fortified towns of Portalegre, Marvao and Castelo de Vide. Next, the path goes through Castelo Branco to an overnight stay at the Orbitur Idanha-a-Nova campsite.

Day 6 We swim in the reservoir next to the campsite and go to see the towns of Idanha-a-Velha, Monsanto, Penamacor, Sortelha, Belmonte. We are trying to find a campsite in the Serra da Estrela National Park, but maps and GPS show different things, in the end we decide to go to Viseu, where, on the advice of random people we meet, we check into the Durao hotel.

Day 7 We spend half a day looking at Viseu, then we go towards Aveiro, by ferry we get to the spit north of the city and begin to move along the ocean. We stay for the night in a room with an excellent view of the bay at the O Veleiro restaurant in the village of Torreira.

Day 8 We go to Porto and check into the Residencial Triunfo hotel. We walk around the city in the rain.

Day 9 The morning begins with a port tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia, then we walk around Porto until dark. In the evening we leave for Braga, where we check into the Estacao hotel.

Day 10 We walk around Braga, then go to Guimaraes, Ponte de Lima, Valenca, and for show we stop in Tui in Spain. By nightfall we find ourselves at the Orbitur Caminha camp.

Day 11 We spend half a day relaxing on the ocean shore, then we walk around Caminha, and then we leave for Viana do Castelo, where we check into the Orbitur Viana do Castelo camping. Relaxing on the beach.

Day 12 Until noon we are back on the beach, and then we go very south - to Coimbra. We walk around the city and spend the night at a municipal campsite near the city.

Day 13 We go to Tomar, where we walk for a long time and with ecstasy. Then for some reason we go to Fatima - if you are not a Catholic pilgrim, then do not repeat our mistake. Then we go to Batalha, but the monastery-museum is already closed. We stop in Leiria, but the city center is full of renovations and the castle is closed. We leave for the night in Nazare, where we settle in the private sector.

Day 14 We spend half a day watching Nazare, then we leave for Alcobaca, and then to Obidos. By nightfall we arrive in Peniche, where we spend the night at the PinhalMar hotel (perhaps the only one that I would not recommend - the hotel itself is normal, but located in a very stupid way).

Day 15 An ocean trip to Berlenga Island was planned, but the weather did not allow it. After a walk along the shore of the Peniche peninsula and in the port of the city of the same name, we leave for the south. We arrive in Sintra in the evening and only make it to the Moorish castle before closing time. We leave to watch an unforgettable sunset on Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of Europe. We spend a long time looking for the nearest campsites or rooms in the private sector, and in the end, closer to midnight, we check into Pensao Real in the resort of Praia dos Macas.

Day 16 In the morning we return to Sintra, see the Capuchin Monastery (Convento dos Capuchos) and the Pena Palace, after which we head very south towards the Algarve. We stop at Vila Nova de Milfontes and Aljezur. Before sunset we arrive in Sagrish and check into a private accommodation.

Day 17 We see Sagrish and Cape Sao Vicente, then go east. We look at Praia da Rocha, Silves and Ferraguda. We stay overnight in a private accommodation in the resort of Carvoeiro.

Day 18 We continue east, see Albufeira, Almancil, Olhao, Tavira, Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo Antonio. . In the latter we check into the Residencial Baixa Mar hotel.

Day 19 We relax in Vila Real and at the nearby beach resort of Monte Gordo, overnight in the same hotel.

Day 20 We move towards Lisbon, on the way we stop at Alcacer do Sal and the fishing village of Carrasqueira. In the afternoon we walk around the Parque das Nacoes area in Lisbon - closest to the airport. We drop off the car at the Avis airport office and take a convenient evening TAP Portugal flight to Moscow.

Saturated? Very! But we accomplished our goal of seeing Portugal to the maximum.

A few subjective conclusions from our trip:

  • I would like to look at the small mountain towns a little more calmly;
  • several cities turned out to be a real waste of time (for example, Fatima, Vila Nova de Milfontes and Aljezur);
  • you could drive around Portugal and look, look, look endlessly and want more and more, until you suddenly accidentally find yourself on the ocean - you’re immediately hooked and don’t want to go anywhere else;
  • if you want to see the sights, then there is nothing to do in the Algarve (those attractions that are there are entirely designed for the beach tourist vacationing in this region and for some reason leaving his beautiful beach to get acquainted with the historical heritage of the surrounding lands - that is, roads and however, they are not of particular interest). If you are going to Portugal to swim, then the Algarve is what you need;
  • without a car we wouldn’t have seen even half of it;
  • Lisbon and Porto are worth returning to without a car and seeing them for at least three or four days each, and considering the nearby attractions, you can budget for a week.

Comfortable driving

Foreign guidebooks always warn that the Portuguese drive like crazy. One of them colorfully describes the Portuguese driving style: “the locals drive as if they had just stolen a car and were rushing away from the crime scene.” I don’t know what other foreigners really think, but for a Russian person, the Portuguese drive quite sanely. At least we never had a single unpleasant situation on the road. We also didn’t see anyone else’s accidents.

Perhaps the only thing that cannot be taken away and that could confuse the authors of European and American guidebooks is that few people follow the speed limit in Portugal. Having merged with the crowd, we didn’t follow it either :)

The main thing that is unusual and almost shocking for us is the narrow, uneven streets of old cities. Often - with blind turns and intersections. Often such a width that from the side mirrors to the walls of houses is no more than a meter. Often with strong slopes, since most cities are located on hills or mountains. It’s good that the vast majority of narrow streets are one-way. Driving through historical towns can only be mastered by people with good driving experience and nerves of steel. In general, before traveling to Portugal, remember how to drive off with the handbrake and all that.

The ability to masterfully park in narrow places will also be useful to you. But this is easier: if you can’t park in the place you like, you’ll find another one. Once, in an underground garage of several square meters with three cars and two columns inside, a local resident helped us to sort things out - without his advice we would not have left, and for him the solution to the problem was completely obvious. In general, experience and more experience!

Toll and free roads

The roads in Portugal are excellent. Every time we moved from one mountain village to another, we never tired of being amazed at how high-quality roads were built where only a couple of dozen cars actually pass a day - and this is at the height of the tourist season! Or - we are driving along another ideal road somewhere in the Algarve, and suddenly concrete-colored roughness appears against the background of beautiful, smooth asphalt. Precisely roughness. But the exclamation mark warned that these rough spots existed on the road! The quality of the surface on highways and highways is also not discussed.

In general, if you want to travel around villages, then drive calmly. But if you need to get from one remote point to another, then spare no expense and take the highway. I have no experience driving in other countries, but the prices on toll roads in Portugal seemed ridiculous. Usually we paid something like 4-5 euros for an hour and a half of travel. At most we paid about 13 euros, driving through about a third of Portugal. Considering that everyone is traveling at speeds exceeding 150 km/h, the toll road guarantees you a fast and comfortable ride.

Please note that some motorways in Portugal use the Via Verde system. Payment for travel on such roads is not made directly when leaving the highway, but after a couple of days - when the security cameras process the information received on the highway.

If your car is equipped with a special device, which you can rent if you wish, then on roads with barriers you drive past the barrier under the letter V, and on roads without barriers you drive as you please.

If your car is not equipped with a special device, it’s okay. On roads with booths and barriers, you act in the standard way: when entering the highway, take a ticket, when leaving the highway, pay (to a person or a machine, in cash or by card). But if you find yourself on the Via Verde highway, then a couple of days after the trip (but no later than 5 days), you need to find any post office and ask there to make payment for Via Verde, dictating the number of your car. The operator will print out your trips and accept payment.

Paid and free parking

We also did not experience any problems with parking. We were often able to find official free parking or park somewhere on the side of the road (we focused on locals). However, in large cities we used paid parking (both on the streets and in specially designated areas), and they did not seem expensive to us. The most we paid was 4 euros.

For overnight stays, of course, it is more convenient to select hotels with parking in advance. But even if the hotel does not have parking, the reception will definitely tell you where to park the car for the night.

If you park your car in a private paid parking lot, then the system is the same as with toll roads: at the entrance you take a ticket, at the exit you pay (to a person or a machine).

If you park your car in paid street parking, try to understand its rules. Many indicate the period during which parking must be paid. For example, if it says 9.00-19.00, then this means that if your car is parked here from 9 am to 7 pm, then there is a simple fee. And if you arrived at this place late in the evening and are going to leave early in the morning, then parking will be free for you. Usually such parking is free on weekends. The times of the paid and free periods are indicated for each parking lot and may differ from each other.

Street parking must be paid in advance. Having parked the car, you need to find a booth, decide how long you are going to walk without a car (the cost of the period - usually from 15 minutes to 4 hours - is indicated in the price list). You throw in the required amount of coins, press the green button - and the machine issues a ticket on which is written the time until which you have paid for the parking space. Place the ticket under the windshield and go about your business.

Important: for paid parking you need to have a lot of different coins with you, since the machines do not accept banktons and bank cards.

Car rental from Avis

We rented a car from Avis because it was our first experience of traveling abroad by car and we wanted to entrust this part of the program to an experienced company, which would be guaranteed (we wanted to think so) to come to the rescue in case of problems. Fortunately, we didn’t have any problems – neither with the car nor on the roads. So we were unable to assess the quality of Avis’s anti-crisis behavior.

All required procedures were completed comfortably. When we arrived at the rental center, the car was already waiting for us. We were immediately given all the documents. For peace of mind, we examined the car for existing damage, but then it turned out that they were all schematically marked in advance on the documents that were given to us.

The standard scheme for a car of our class is as follows. The payment includes a car with a full tank, the possibility of unlimited mileage, and insurance against theft and damage. Franchise – 1500 euros. If we damaged the car, then if the amount of assessed damage was up to 1,500 euros, we would pay for the breakdown. If the amount is higher or if the car were suddenly stolen, then 1,500 euros are written off from us, and the rest is paid by the insurance company. If you wish, you can take out more expensive insurance, which lowers the amount of the deductible and even reduces it to zero, but for our 20 days, paying for super-insurance significantly exceeded the amount of the deductible, so we refused additional insurance.

Remembering the need to return the car with a full tank all the way, at the very last moment we still forgot to refuel. A fine of 30 euros, as well as the cost of a full tank (about 50 euros, which is approximately true) were charged to us on the spot.

Upon return, an Avis employee inspected the car, filled out all the paperwork and immediately gave us a check, which indicated the cost of the rental, a fine for an unfilled tank, the cost of gasoline and VAT. All that remains is to sign on the check - and you are free, if you want the payment to be debited from the card that you presented when registering the car. If you want to pay with another card or cash, you need to go to the office to the cashier and pay in the way that is convenient for you.

If you drop off your car at Lisbon Airport, there are carts right in the garage where you can load your luggage. A few meters down the corridor and you find yourself in the airport building.

Route "Classic of Portugal" will allow YOU to see this wonderful country in all its splendor and diversity. Along with « travel icons » Portugal, such as: , Sintra, Cabo de Roca, Tomar, Batalha And Alcobasa, we have included other lesser-known but very attractive places: border castles, historical villages, wonderful landscapes of the Douro River, the Traz az Montes area, the natural park in the Serra da Estrela mountains.

Duration: 8 days/7 nights

Arrival and departure: Lisbon. Portela Airport

Overnight locations: Sintra, Obidos, Coimbra, Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto), Meda area, Covilha, Lisbon (everywhere 1 night)

Total route length: about 1300 km

Budget from 3000 € for two

Places visited along the route:
Sintra* and Paço Real; Pena Palace; Natural Park of Sintra-Cascais; Cape Kamenya(Cabo da Roca); Masa beach and Azenhas do Mar; Ericeira; Obidos; Alcobasa(Monastery*); Batalha(Monastery*); Tomar(Monastery of Christ*); Coimbra(University*); Aveiro; Porto*; Guimaraes*; wine-growing landscape along the Douro River*; castles and “historical” villages of Portugal; Natural Park Serra da Estrela and Mount Torre - the highest point in continental Portugal; Almourol Castle; Lisbon(Jerónimos Monastery* in the Belém region).
Note: Cities and sites marked with an asterisk are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The budget includes the cost of purchasing visas , two plane tickets Moscow-Lisbon-Moscow (maximum price of an economy class ticket is approximately 600 €), rental of a compact class car with manual transmission for 6 days (from 250 €), accommodation in a double room with breakfast (350 € - 700 €), food (400€ -560€), expenses for gasoline and travel on toll roads, entrance tickets (150€). The indicated amounts are enough for a budget or comfortable trip. Traveling in luxury class will cost more.

Program by day

Arrival in Lisbon on Saturday afternoon. After completing all the formalities for crossing the border, go to the rental office counter, where you will receive the car according to your reservation.

When booking a car, pay attention to the franchise amount (the amount that is blocked on the card in the event of an accident/damage to the vehicle due to the fault of the client). If it significantly exceeds the cost of renting a car, then it makes sense to take out insurance against all risks. IMPORTANT: standard third party insurance does not cover glass broken by young vandals or tires. For example, replacing a window glass will cost 200 € (for a Peugeot 207 class car).

We load our things into the car and leave Lisbon airport for a hotel in Sintra, where we will spend our first romantic night in Portugal.

HOTELS with parking in SINTRA

LUX (> 100€)
»»» Tivoli Palacio de Seteais *****
Address: Rua Barbosa do Bocage, 8P – 2710-517 Sintra
»»» Sintra Boutique Hotel ****
Address: Rua Visconde De Monserrate nº48, 2710-591 Sintra

COMFORT (50 -100€)
»»» Casa da Pendoa
Address: Rua Da Pendôa, 17, 2710-610 Sintra

ECONOMY (< 50€)
»»» Ibis Lisboa Sintra**
Address: Avenida Raul Solnado, 23 – 23A, 2710-162 Sintra (10 minutes by car to the historical center).

After checking into the hotel, we go for a walk to breathe the air of the historical part of Sintra. If you manage to be in Sintra before 6 pm, you can enter the Royal Palace(Paço Real/Palácio Nacional de Sintra). The palace is open until 19.00, but the ticket office closes at 18.30. If you are unlucky, you can be satisfied with an external inspection and a walk through the streets of the town. The two chimneys above the palace kitchen and the stone frames of the windows (manueline) give a general idea of ​​some of the features of Portuguese architecture. Take a moment and get to know Portuguese pastries. Fortunately, Sintra, like other cities in Portugal, has its own unique recipe called “ Queijadas da Sintra"(Queijadas). The sweet delicacy is made from egg yolk and fresh cheese with the addition of cinnamon. You can try authentic “quejada” at the pastry shop pastelaria Piriquita or in a tea salon "Factory das Quejadas da Sapa"(Fábrica das Queijadas da Sapa, Volta do Duche, 12), where the dessert comes with a wonderful view of the Royal Palace.
While walking around the city, pay attention to "Hotel Lawrence"(Hotel Lawrence) - the first hotel of the Iberian Peninsula (opened in 1780). At one time, Lord Byron (the famous romantic poet) stayed here.

You can have dinner in the city or at the hotel restaurant.
One option is Cantinho de S. Pedro. Address: Praça D. Fernando II-18 P – 2710-483 Sintra
Site www.cantinhosaopedro.com
Prices: Lunch/Dinner of the day (multi-course set): 19€/ 30€
Order to choose from the menu: 30€ (average cost). Price range: 12€/45€
Type of cuisine: traditional Portuguese.
*Note: The restaurant "St. Peter's Corner" (Cantinho de São Pedro) is located in a busy square, surrounded by other catering establishments and shops. The restaurant façade and bar are decorated in a rustic style. The dining area is located on two floors, and is decorated in full accordance with regional traditions.

ATTENTION! Catering establishments in Portugal operate according to the following schedule:
lunch – 12.30 to 14.30, less often until 15.00;
dinner - 19.30 to 21.30, less often until 22 (large cities and international hotel chains).

It is worth going to bed early, since the program of the 2nd day is very intense, in order to complete it completely you will have to get up at 8.00 in the morning.

SINTRA- one of the most famous towns in Portugal, located 30 km from Lisbon. The medieval historical center is perfectly preserved. The city's buildings are so well integrated into the surrounding landscape that Sintra has received UNESCO World Heritage status in the rare category of "cultural landscape".

In the past, there was a royal residence on the southern slope of the mountain range, and for several centuries the town played the role of the “summer capital of Portugal”. The status determined the size and character of the buildings, which are distinguished by grandeur and solemnity. City Palace(O Palácio da Vila) evokes a strange association with a launch pad: the chimneys sticking out above the kitchen roof look like rocket fairings. From the Castle of the Moors (Castelo dos Mouros) there are extensive panoramas of the entire mountain range (serra) of Sintra. In good weather, you can clearly see the ocean from here, which is located several kilometers south and west of the observation deck. Inimitable Pena Palace(Palácio da Pena) perched on one of the peaks near Sintra is a true icon of the romantic style and the most famous example of Portuguese architecture in the world.
But that is not all. There are many other attractions in the Sintra area that cannot be ignored: Quinta(palace and park) Regaleira(A Quinta da Regaleira), palace of montserrate(Palácio de Monserrate), Sintra Museum(Museum de Sintra). The latter features contemporary art from the Berardo collection (colecção Berardo). While succumbing to the magic of the city, don’t forget about sweets: Caijada of Sintra(queijada) and Travesseiro(Travesseiro de Sintra) are simply divine.
Sintra enjoys the reputation of the most romantic city in Portugal and a place full of mysticism, where famous poets and artists found inspiration. The idea of ​​the famous “Child Harold”, a poem written by Lord Byron, was born here.

 

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