Travel Guides - Portugal

Mértola's Crafts: What's Worth Bringing Home

In Mértola, handwoven blankets cost between €80 and €200, and they're worth every cent. In an Alentejo full of generic souvenirs, this museum-village above the Guadiana still produces craft with a thousand years of Islamic influence. Here's what's actually worth bringing home.

21 Mar 2026 · Mértola

Guide

Day Trips From Mértola Worth the Detour

Fifteen minutes from Mértola, an abandoned mine looks like another planet. Forty minutes away, Serpa guards the Alentejo's best cheese. An hour south, you can zipline from Portugal to Spain. Mértola isn't just a destination, it's a launchpad for full days of exploration.

21 Mar 2026 · Mértola

Guide

Almada's Beaches: Why Skip the Algarve This Spring

While everyone plans their Algarve pilgrimage, Almada has kilometres of nearly empty coastline from March to June. From Costa da Caparica to the coves of Arrábida, this is the guide for beach days without crowds, and good bars at sunset.

21 Mar 2026 · Almada

Guide

Easter Sweets in Mafra: A Tradition Worth Tasting

At Easter, the municipality of Mafra becomes an artisan pastry operation. From overnight-leavened folares to sugar-coated almonds presented with bureaucratic solemnity, this guide takes you from Ericeira's bakeries to the confectioneries of central Mafra.

21 Mar 2026 · Mafra

Guide

Portalegre Museums: Which Are Worth Your Time

The Guy Fino Tapestry Museum alone justifies the drive to Portalegre, but the city has more to offer, and one museum you can skip without guilt. An honest guide to which collections are worth your time in the Upper Alentejo.

21 Mar 2026 · Portalegre

Guide

Portalegre Without the Filter: A Real Weekend

Portalegre doesn't appear on anyone's top ten, and that's exactly the point. The capital of Upper Alentejo has a tapestry museum unlike anything in the world, unfussy Alentejo cooking, and the Serra de São Mamede right next door. A weekend for two for under €250.

21 Mar 2026 · Portalegre

Guide

Portalegre's Real Food: Where Locals Actually Eat

In Portalegre, the daily set menu costs under €12 and includes black pork migas made by people who still raise their own animals. In an Alentejo without too many tourists, the table is honest, and that makes all the difference.

21 Mar 2026 · Portalegre

Guide

Portalegre on Foot: Neighborhoods Worth the Walk

Portalegre has no beach, no airport, and the nearest train stops in Elvas. But it has medieval quarters with traces of the old Jewish community, a tapestry museum that rivals any Lisbon gallery, and old-town tascas where lunch with wine stays under €15.

21 Mar 2026 · Portalegre

Guide

Portalegre Without the Tourist Traps: A Weekend

Portalegre has the best museum nobody visits, a mountain range with Iberian lynx and full dinners for €15 with wine. The Alentejo that locals know but never recommend, because nobody asks.

21 Mar 2026 · Portalegre

Guide

April Walks Around Caldas da Rainha: An Honest Guide

Caldas da Rainha doesn't make the usual hiking lists in Portugal. In April, with deserted cliffs, the Óbidos Lagoon at full capacity, and perfect walking temperatures, that might be just fine, more trail for those who know where to look.

21 Mar 2026 · Caldas da Rainha

Guide

Holy Week in Braga 2026: The Essential Guide

Braga's Holy Week is Portugal's largest religious celebration, hooded, barefoot farricocos carry torches through darkened streets in processions dating back centuries. A practical guide covering 2026 dates, where to watch, what to eat, and how to get there.

21 Mar 2026 · Braga

Guide

April Wildflowers Near Santarém: An Alentejo Field Guide

In April, the Alentejo plains become one of Europe's most underrated botanical spectacles, from wild orchids on the N370 roadside embankments to entire fields of poppies near the Alqueva reservoir. Santarém is the ideal base for exploring it all.

21 Mar 2026 · Santarém

Guides to discover Portugal

Keep exploring

Mértola's Crafts: What's Worth Bringing Home

Day Trips From Mértola Worth the Detour

Almada's Beaches: Why Skip the Algarve This Spring

Easter Sweets in Mafra: A Tradition Worth Tasting

Portalegre Museums: Which Are Worth Your Time

Portalegre Without the Filter: A Real Weekend

Portalegre's Real Food: Where Locals Actually Eat

Portalegre on Foot: Neighborhoods Worth the Walk

Portalegre Without the Tourist Traps: A Weekend

April Walks Around Caldas da Rainha: An Honest Guide

Holy Week in Braga 2026: The Essential Guide

April Wildflowers Near Santarém: An Alentejo Field Guide