A small village by the Atlantic
Portugal, even with all its beauty, is strangely a less noisy tourist destination. I might be wrong about this, but I say this based more on my perception about the travel coordinates of people around me. Summer is a great time to visit Europe, and come summer, my Facebook newsfeed is replete with travel updates of people visiting Paris, Switzerland, Greece, and Amsterdam. However, I never really see anyone who visited Portugal. When I came back from my solo backpacking trip to Portugal recently, most people asked me why I chose Portugal of all destinations. Both these reasons made me think that Portugal is perhaps not a very common tourist destination for Indians. However, I had an amazing time during my trip, and I will share some good reasons why I would love to visit Portugal again.
1. Breathtaking beauty
This was my main reason of visiting Portugal. The sheer beauty of it is amazing. Of the very little time I spent in Portugal, I experienced a little bit of everything. It is like eating a fancy buffet, where you get to taste everything you have wanted to eat. Coastal Portugal has some of the most amazing sights of the Atlantic Ocean. The little fishing villages, the churches, the bell towers, and the winding streets were a welcome relief from the predictable big cities and the monotonous freeways of America. There is history written all over Portugal. There is a great balance of city beauty coupled with rustic country beauty. There are beautiful churches, castles and palaces. The view of the bay from Lisbon is amazing. If you can endure the heat, the weather is awesome. Portugal is easily one of the most beautiful countries I have visited.
Travel tip: The westernmost point of continental Europe is located in Portugal, and is must see.
The westernmost tip of continental Europe
2. Inexpensive
Portugal is one of the most inexpensive places I have visited. As a student, I travel on a shoestring budget, live in hostels, get my way around a place on foot, prefer fruits and sandwiches to dining in fancy restaurants, and try to keep my fringe costs low. I could afford a nice hostel, eat whatever I wanted to, and travel around at very reasonable prices. I once bought two days worth of fruit supplies for three euro. I even hailed a cab when I had to get back to my hostel due to high fever. I took trains to commute to different cities. None of those made dents in my pocket.
Travel tip: Buying a one day or multiple day city pass really helps you to get around and see the places of interest.
Lisboa
3. Excellent public transportation
The public transportation in Portugal is impressive. The Oriente train station in Lisbon is one of the most beautiful railway stations I have seen. Within-city commute is extremely planned and easy to figure out. The bus and metro services in Lisbon is great. I had a train taking me to Sintra at 4:30 in the morning, and it was right on time. The trains are clean, comfortable, and reliable. I needed to change my train timings and get an earlier train on my return trip, and the people at the railway station were more than happy to get me an earlier reservation. The yellow trams that take you around the city cover most of the touristy places. If you buy a one-day or multiple-day pass, you can take the bus, tram, or metro, and commute becomes so much easier.
Travel tip: Ride the tram number 28 in Lisbon.
Bridges and Riverfront
4. Peaceful, baggage-free travel
The best thing about my Portugal experience was, I could just take a map and venture out on my way, finding my way independently. Unless you are really in the wrong place at the wrong time, I would not feel unsafe. I was a single woman backpacking on my own and not once did I feel uncomfortable. The metro and trains ply until late hours and the touristy places are crowded. In comparison, Italy had felt somewhat unsafe to me. Most people will understand functional English in Portugal unlike Sicily where I got around using sign language most of the time. Portugal is not Switzerland, New York, or Paris, which makes it all the more endearing. You can safely skip the crowd that visits places for the hype it has created in the past. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or Yash Chopra movies might have made Switzerland a popular destination, and the same goes for Paris or New York City (Kal Ho Na Ho), but I would give anything to skip the crowd in Niagara Falls, the long queues to the top of the Eiffel Tower, or the mélange of international crowd in Pisa. Portugal feels more unexplored and “local†to me than most other places I have visited.
Travel tip: Do not miss the elevators, lifts, and funiculars that take you up and give you a panoramic view of the city.
The city of Porto
5. A photographer’s haven
If you are even remotely interested in photography, Portugal will never disappoint you. I went crazy clicking thousands of pictures. Portugal is vibrant, colorful, cosmopolitan, and yet rustic in a beautiful way. The banks of the Douro river in Porto is lined with colorful flags and quaint houses with balconies. You would see colorful clothes drying off in the sun, and winding streets with old houses lining the cityscape. You will love the orange-tiled rooftop houses, and the bright contrast it makes with the blueness of the oceans. You would love the bridges of Porto, the trams of Lisboa, the palaces of Sintra, and the small colorful fisherman villages by the Atlantic.
Travel tip: The city of Porto in Portugal is a photographer’s delight, especially the part of the city by the riverfront, or the view of the city from the numerous bridges.
The trams of Lisbon
If you were considering a trip to Portugal and would like some more convincing, please get in touch with me. I would be happy to continue to blabber about how great an experience my Portugal trip was.