7 days at the end of the earth: first acquaintance with Portugal

Rich history, medieval castles and palaces, enchanting towns and typical small villages, endless beaches and the mighty ocean, delicious food and indescribably friendly people... and that's just the beginning!

Portugal is a country of extraordinary beauty, but what is the first thing to see?

I would like to suggest you an itinerary for 7 days, your first 7 days in Portugal, and I am sure: you will definitely want to come back again.

Start your exploration of Portugal with the capital city of Lisbon. It's a city of 7 hills, so walkers need to prepare for steep climbs, and for those travelers who prefer to drive, a tuk-tuk is a great option.

Day 1

Lisbon's historic center

Take a stroll through the center of Lisbon. Visit Rossio Square, the Bairro Alto neighborhood, which is known for its Fado restaurants. Take the famous Santa Justa elevator, over 100 years old, down to the Baixa neighborhood, Lisbon's central district.

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From there, head to Alfama, Lisbon's oldest neighborhood, where you'll find St. George's Castle. The castle offers a wonderful panoramic view of Lisbon. You can get to the castle by taking streetcar number 28. This is the longest streetcar route in Lisbon and passes through most of the main attractions.

If you buy a Lisboa Card day ticket, you can get off at any stop and then continue your route on the streetcar without paying a fare. Be careful, there are many pickpockets on this route.

After visiting the castle, take the same streetcar route and ride to Lisbon's Palace Square, where you can relax in one of the restaurants located on the square.

I advise you to visit Lisbon's most famous market - Time Out Market - iconic place, gastronomic paradise, unrealistically delicious food and atmosphere.

Day 2

Belém District and the Parque das Nações

Belém, like most places in Portugal, is associated with the history of seafaring and exploration. Here, on the banks of the Tagus River, is the Monument to the Discoverers and the Jerónimos Monastery, where Vasco da Gama prayed before going to sea. He is buried in this monastery.

Not far from the monastery is the most visited cafe in Portugal. It bakes the famous Portuguese pastries, pateis de Belém. The recipe has been kept secret for 180 years, the cafe employees sign a non-disclosure agreement and cannot eat at the same table at the same time, so as not to be poisoned. The secret is known only to 3-6 people, some of whom are the owners of the cafe.

If you are traveling with children, they will be happy to visit the Carriage Museum, a place where fairy tales come to life!

Also in this area is the Torre de Belém, the symbol of Portugal.

Then I suggest you move to the newest part of Lisbon - the Park of Nations. Futuristic architecture, space ropeway, Vasco da Gama Bridge - the longest bridge in Europe (17.2 km) and Lisbon Oceanarium. It is the second largest oceanarium in the world. You will not regret visiting it.

Day 3

Sailboat ride and Fado romances

I think you are already a bit tired, so I suggest you relax a bit and go for a sailing yacht ride. The yachts depart from the pier in the Belém neighborhood. There are group and individual cruises, and it is also possible to organize a romantic dinner at sunset.

In the evening you can visit one of the Fado restaurants - these are famous Portuguese traditional romances about the plight of Portuguese sailors, loneliness, nostalgia, sadness and love. They are performed by one performer (fadista) accompanied by two musicians. The performers change throughout the evening. Fado songs are listened to at dinner, during the performance of the romance in the restaurant lights are turned off, it is not allowed to eat and talk. After 2-3 songs the performer leaves, the lights are turned on and the guests continue to dine. After 20 minutes, a new fadishta comes out and so it goes on until morning.

Here we will finish our acquaintance with Lisbon and go to get acquainted with the amazing town of Sintra. For convenience, I suggest transferring here and staying in this town.

Day 4

Sintra National Palace, Philosopher's Park and Quinta da Regaleira

Sintra is a fairytale town 25km from Lisbon. It has the largest concentration of palaces in the whole of Portugal. The town itself is protected by UNESCO.

On the first day, stroll through the historic center and narrow streets. In the heart of the city is the National Palace of Sintra, an ancient palace that was built in the 14th century.

After visiting the palace, you can walk to Portugal's most mystical place, the Quinta da Regaleira Estate. It is a philosophical park and manor house of unusual architectural style. Every corner of the manor is full of symbols of alchemy, Freemasonry and the Templar Order. In the park under huge boulders is hidden the entrance to the well of initiation, and the whole estate is built on the motifs of "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri.

After exploring the palaces, I suggest driving to Cascais, Portugal's most prestigious and luxurious neighborhood. Here you will find many restaurants, walk along the long promenade along the ocean and see the picturesque Boca do Inferno grotto.

Day 5

Moorish Castle, National Palace of Pena and Monserrate Palace

There are buses running around Sintra, with a route that passes through all the palaces. It is most convenient to travel by them.

The Moorish Castle was built in the 8th-9th century during the Arab conquest of Portugal. From the walls of the fortress you can see the whole of Sintra

After walking around the fortress, head to the National Palace of Pena. This palace is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. The palace was built in the 19th century and the Portuguese King Fernando II designed the palace himself, as well as the landscaped park, with plants imported from different countries. The entire park with its lakes and trees was artificially created on the rock.

The Palace of Monserrat is a palace that tourists rarely reach and completely in vain.

The palace is built in oriental style, and the park around the palace resembles a botanical garden. For the creation of this park were brought plants from 5 continents.

Day 6

Land's Edge and traveling along the Atlantic coastline

You will need a rental car for this day. So, go for the experience!

Head to the westernmost point of Europe, the edge of the earth - Cape Cabo da Roca. Be prepared, the wind here will knock you off your feet! But the stunning scenery, the raging ocean and the cliffs are worth it!

Not far from Cabo da Roca is the hidden beach of Praia da Ursa. You can't get there by car, you can only go down on foot. Leave your car under the sign and walk to the huge rocks that look like fangs peeking out of the ocean. You will have to walk on the rock, so prepare comfortable shoes.

The next point of travel along the coast is Praia da Adraga. This beach is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The rock on the beach resembles a huge turtle that has crawled up to the shore.

Next drive to Azenhas do Mar, a fishing village on a cliff. An unusual place, the village is built right on the cliff and the beach has a natural swimming pool carved into the rock.

I suggest the fishing town of Erieseira as the last point of the coastal trip. This cute and typical Portuguese town is also a world surfing sanctuary. There are many good fish restaurants in Erieira, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner of fresh fish and seafood.

Day 7

A free day for leisurely walks, souvenir shopping (I recommend you to pay attention to cork products), enjoying delicious food and planning your next trip to Portugal :)

Useful information

• Almost all streets in Portugal are paved with calçada, a Portuguese sidewalk laid by hand with small cobblestones. Wear comfortable shoes.
• You can get from Lisbon to Sintra by train: from Rossio station, the fare is 2.15 euros, by cab about 55 euros
• Ticket to the national palace of Sintra - 10 euros
• Ticket to the Moorish Castle - 8 euros
• Ticket to National Palace of Pena + Park - 14 euros
• Ticket to Quinta da Regaleira - 6 euros

• Ticket to Monserrate Palace - 8 euros
• Ticket to the Jerónimos Monastery - 10 euros
• Ticket to the Torre de Belem Tower - 6 euros
• Ticket to the Carriage Museum - 8 euros
• Ticket to the Oceanarium - 18 euros (adult ticket)
• Ticket to the Santa Jushta ski elevator - 5,15 euros (2 rides + entrance to the observation deck)
• Ticket to St. George's Fortress - 8.5 euros
• Sailing yacht trip - from 38 euros for group trips, from 200 euros for individual trips.
• Fado + dinner with wine - on average 50 euros per person
• Rent a car - from 20 euros/day
• Lisboa Card - 19 euro/1 day, 32 euro/2 days, 40 euro/3 days. This card entitles you to free travel on public transportation, streetcar #28, free entrance to some museums and attractions, guarantees discounts on visits to attractions and discounts in some stores.

There is one very special word in Portuguese that cannot be translated into any language in the world, it is the word saudade. A rough definition: the feeling of sadness, nostalgia and love that one feels when the object of love is far away.

After a trip to Portugal you will understand this feeling and you will definitely come back to this wonderful and unlike any other country at the end of the earth.