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Curated itineraries, local tips and inspiration for your next adventure in Portugal.
In Penafiel you do not sip coffee on the move: you drink it at the counter, in minutes, with thick buttered toast. An honest guide to what to order, when, and how to fit it between vineyards and gardens.
Spoiler: there are no river beaches in Angra do Heroísmo. What there is: volcanic lava pools with aquarium-clear water. From Silveira to Biscoitos, plus where to eat limpets and try Terceira's alcatra.
Walled upper town or lower town beside the Rossio? In Estremoz, the neighborhood you pick changes everything, from parking to the Saturday market. A frank guide to choosing where to sleep based on your style.
Everyone comes for the Saturday market and leaves by lunch. But Estremoz only gives itself up on Sunday afternoon: the clay figure-makers, the pools full of locals, the shaded river beaches. A guide to the other Estremoz.
Estremoz has no clubs and no 3am DJs, and thank goodness. The night happens on the Rossio, with a two-euro glass of red, marble underfoot and fado that occurs by accident. An honest guide to Alentejo nightlife.
Forget the tourist restaurants. The real Estremoz food guide starts at the Saturday market, runs through migas and black pork, and always ends with a sericaia that wobbles on the spoon.
In Estremoz, the marble that becomes statues in Carrara is the step where you sit to empty your shoes. A walk through the upper town, from the Alentejo's biggest square to the Tower of the Three Crowns, with stops for sericaia and honest timing tips.
There's an exact hour, around half past eight, when Lisbon shifts gears and climbs a floor higher. This is our opinionated map of the rooftops, miradouros and esplanadas where you drink and watch the sun drop over the seven hills, plus the one rule nobody tells you about when to arrive.
Seia is two hours from the sea, but in July the coals are lit in the mountains too. Where to find the best festa sardines, why Serra rye broa makes all the difference, and how to build the perfect summer day in the Estrela.
Most people do Olhão in ninety minutes: market, seafood, ferry. But the interesting town starts when you turn your back on the water and climb the church tower, the white terraces of the Barreta, and the viewpoint no weekend tourist finds.
Forget the laser-lit nightclubs: Olhão's night happens on the waterfront terraces and in the alleys of the Cubist quarter, with music that turns up when you least expect it. An honest guide on when to go, what to eat first, and how to avoid overpaying for your beer.
The train station is five minutes from the market and the island ferries leave from the quay next door. Olhão is the best base in the eastern Algarve: here are the day trips worth taking, from Faro to the Ria Formosa islands, with times, prices and honest opinions.