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Itineraries, places and ideas for your next escape. Find inspiration and practical details to travel at your own pace.
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Gerês's famous waterfalls draw crowds, but a 20-minute walk along a forgotten levada in Pincães, or hidden in the Mata da Albergaria with zero signage, there are cascades you'll probably have entirely to yourself. A practical guide to finding them.
Sines isn't just beaches and a castle. The walk from the historic center to the industrial port zone at sunset is one of the most striking visual experiences on the Alentejo coast, cranes against an orange sky, container ships in the bay, and the refinery lit up at dusk.
In Ponte de Lima, the best evening starts with a glass of Loureiro by the river and ends with aged bagaço watching the lights on the bridge. In between, there's hand-carved presunto, pica-no-chão, and red vinho verde that most visitors never try.
In Ponte de Lima, the best hour to eat is after sundown: when the cellars open, the loureiro flows, and petiscos emerge from the old-town kitchens. This itinerary takes you from a first glass on the riverfront to a last digestif by the water.
In Ponte de Lima, locals don't eat by the bridge, they eat in the alleys, with jugs of vinho verde and portions of rojões that defy reason. An honest guide to real Minho food, from arroz de sarrabulho to the biweekly market.
In the early morning, when low-angle light hits the granite facades and the streets are still empty, Ponte de Lima offers the Minho's most compact catalogue of Portuguese architecture. A walking route from Romanesque to neoclassical in under two hours.
Ponte de Lima after dark becomes one of Minho's finest food experiences. An evening route from the first riverside Loureiro to the last glass of aged bagaço, with rojões, sarrabulho and Vinho Verde in between. Budget €60-90 for two, no holding back.
May is the sweet spot for hiking Madeira: no summer crowds, the laurel forest at peak green. From the 25 Fontes to Pico Ruivo, these five trails from Funchal cover forest, altitude, and sea cliffs. But fair warning: in 2026, no SIMplifica booking means no trail access.
In May, Monchique's markets smell of heather honey and medronho brandy. The monthly market runs on the second Friday at Largo do Mercado, 8am to 2pm, and the bolo de tacho alone justifies the drive up the mountain.
In Soajo, 24 granite espigueiros have stood on a natural rock slab since the 18th century. Arcos de Valdevez is Alto Minho's largest municipality and one of the best places in Portugal to understand how granite shaped the life, architecture, and landscape of the north.
Terceira's best swimming spots have no sand at all. The natural pools around Angra do Heroísmo, from Cinco Ribeiras to Biscoitos, offer spectacular ocean bathing without the crowds. You just need to know when to go and where to climb down.
Angra do Heroísmo doesn't end at Praça Velha. São Mateus da Calheta's fishing port, Monte Brasil's full circuit, and the backstreets where actual Angrenses live, that's where the city starts making sense. Plus the alcatra at Tasca das Tias, which alone justifies the plane ticket.