Portugal (Lisbon & Algarve)
Portugal does the two-part holiday better than almost anywhere: a few days in a city of hills, tiles and cheap excellent food, then two hours south to some of the best cliff-and-cove coastline in Europe.
April–October lands in summer for Portugal (Lisbon & Algarve): warm, sunny weather ideal for the coast; prime hiking and outdoor season with the trails and passes open; calm seas and swimmable water.
Lisbon
Lisbon is built on seven hills and best taken slowly. Alfama is the old Moorish quarter of alleys and fado houses under the castle; Baixa is the grid rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake; Chiado and Bairro Alto are shopping by day and drinking by night; Belém holds the Jerónimos monastery, the tower and the original pastéis de nata.
Practical shortcuts: the 28 tram is charming and pickpocket-heavy, so ride it early. Miradouros (viewpoints) like Senhora do Monte and Santa Catarina are free and better than any paid tower. The LX Factory and Time Out Market cover the modern side.
Sintra is the essential day trip: Pena Palace, the Moorish castle and the Quinta da Regaleira's initiation well, 40 minutes by train, so go early and pre-book, it saturates by 11am. Cascais and the wild beaches at Guincho are the same distance west.
Choosing your Algarve
The Algarve is not one coast but three. The central stretch (Albufeira, Vilamoura, Lagos, Portimão) has the famous golden cliffs, sea caves including Benagil, and the biggest resorts: beautiful and busy.
The western end around Sagres and the Costa Vicentina is wilder, windier and Atlantic: surf beaches, cliffs, no high-rises. The eastern end past Faro. Tavira, Olhão and the Ria Formosa lagoon islands: is flatter, calmer, warmer water and far more Portuguese in feel.
For a quieter alternative to all three, drive north to the Alentejo coast (Comporta, Vila Nova de Milfontes): empty sand and pine forest, an hour and a half from Lisbon.
Eating and drinking
Portugal is the best value in western Europe for eating well. Look for bacalhau in its many forms, grilled sardines in summer, cataplana seafood stew on the coast, piri-piri chicken, and pastéis de nata everywhere. In Lisbon, seek out a tasca with a written-up daily menu rather than a photo one.
Drink vinho verde (light, faintly sparkling) in summer, Douro reds year-round, and finish with port or ginjinha, the sour-cherry liqueur sold from hole-in-the-wall bars in Baixa.
Practicalities & when to go
April–June and September–October are the best months: warm, sunny, and without August's crowds and prices. Sea temperature peaks in September; the Atlantic is bracing even in July. Winter in the Algarve is mild (17-18 °C) and superb for walking and golf, though many beach businesses close.
Lisbon to Faro is a 2h30 drive or 3h train. In Lisbon you don't need a car; in the Algarve you do if you want the smaller beaches.
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