We visited Portugal and Spain in April of 2022, during our spring break. The weather was just perfect – 60-75 daily and we could even enjoy the beautiful beaches.
We arrived early in morning rented our car with sixth.com and immediately started exploring Lisbon!
Portugal Itinerary: Lisbon, Sintra, Nazare, Porto, Algarve coast, Lisbon
(from Porto we drove into Madrid and then to Costa del Sol – see the Spanish itinerary)
Day 1 – Lisbon
- Torre de Belem Lisbon (Belem Tower Lisbon, Portugal).
The UNESCO World Heritage Site, Torre de Belem, is one of the most iconic symbols of Portugal. Situated along the shoreline in the Tagus River, the stone fortress was built in the 16th century to provide protection to the city of Lisbon. Designed in the Manueline style, the tower is one of the best – and last – examples of the extravagant architecture.
Visitors can go inside the Tower to learn more about the history of the tower – and to take in the fabulous views from the top. We recommend that you arrive there first thing in the morning to skip the long lines. It opens at 9 am.
There is a small parking area right behind the restaurant near the Tower – it is only 2 euros for the day. You can leave your car there all day (you just pay the guy walking around). Then you can walk around the area and enjoy some of the other sights near by. You can grab a Pina colada (they also have virgin ones) right in front of the tower (see pics below) and enjoy a snack in the area. Then you can walk to city, grab a bus or a taxi, it is up to you. Four of us walked and explored the neighborhoods all the way to the city.
