Portugal: One-week guide that goes beyond Lisbon
Day 1: Lisbon - Downtown
Land in Lisbon and enjoy the free time to explore dowtown, have a coktail overlooking the Tagus River, walk around Chiado, explore the small streets of Bairro Alto, see the views from São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint and shop in the hip neighbourhood of Príncipe Real.
Finally, check out the Pink Street, in Cais do Sodré and have dinner in one of the many restaurants on what was considered one of the coolest streets in the world: Saint Paul's Street.
Day 2: Lisbon - Belém + Alfama/Castelo
Belém is a neighborhood a bit far from the city center, but easily accessible by tram or bus and it's the historic center of Lisbon. Visit Jerónimos Monastery and Padrão dos Descobrimentos and breath in centuries of history. Enjoy a warm Pastel de Nata (traditional custard tarts) in Pastéis de Belém or Manteigaria (the jury is still out on what the best ones are). End the morning by taking a stroll by the river and the MAAT museum.
In the afternoon, head straight to Saint George's Castle, explore the winding streets of Almafa, the Pantheon, visit Fado's Museum and finish the day at a Fado house (Portugal's traditional music genre).
Day 3: Day Trip - Sintra
Day 4: Day trip - Óbidos & Nazaré
Highways in Portugal cover most of the territory and, even though you could still do this day trip by bs, I highly reccomend you rent a car, so that you can easily reach the lunch suggestions I have in store for today.
Start your day in Óbidos, an immaculate medieval town, with so much life inside its castle walls.
Then, for lunch, head to either Solar dos Amigos (a kitch restaurant with incredible traditional food in the middle of nowwhere) or straight to Nazaré, to eat some fresh fish in the city of surf, in the restaurant Celeste. In Nazaré, make sure you visit the lighthouse, a viewpoint for the gigantic waves surfers love, and dip your toes in the ice cold water of the beach just in front of the restaurant.
Day 5: Monsanto & Évora
Spend the day in Monsanto, one of Portugal's twelve historic villages. This one is quite peculiar, since its houses are built between gigantic round stones. That tetris of stones and Monsanto's castle walls were the setting for the hit TV show House of the Dragon.
Then, head straight to Évora, since it's still a bit of a ride, and finish the day with a hearty portuguese meal at Dom Joaquim.
Day 6: Évora & Monsaraz
In the morning, walk around Évora's walled city centre, check out its Roman temple, the chapel covered in human bones and have lunch in on of my favourite restaurants: Tua Madre, where Italianand Portuguese cuisine meet.
In the afternoon, let's exlpore another beautiful medieval village: Monsaraz. Around Monsaraz there are a lot of activities: wine and gin tours, river beaches, nightime tours to see constellations in a clear sky, so make sure you make the most out of it.
For dinner, if you're feeling fancy, head to the Michellin-stared restaurant Herdade do Esporão and you won't be disappointed.
Day 7: Lisbon
Time to head back to Lisbon to catch your flight back home. Hope you had fun :)
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