Travel
Two Weeks in Portugal
Fourteen days, one loop. Base yourself in Lisbon, day-trip to Sintra and Fátima, then drive south: Comporta, Carvoeiro, Évora, and back to Lisbon. One week is too short for Portugal, so take two. This is the Portugal I keep going back to, and the one I tell friends to see first.
The loop: base in Lisbon, day-trip to Sintra and Fátima, then drive Lisbon → Comporta → Carvoeiro → Évora → back to Lisbon. Drive times are on the map.
Easy to rent a car in Portugal. The car insurance is a rip off, so read the fine print before you sign.
1. Lisbon
Start here.
Lisbon is a European capital with a small-town feeling. About 550,000 people in the city, 3 million across the metro area.
Stay: Hotel do Chiado. Book the terrace. Rooftop golden hour, the best bar in town. The castle glows over the Baixa rooftops at night, and that view never gets old.
Eat: Laurentina and Solar dos Presuntos and Faz Frio for traditional Portuguese. JNcQUOI Avenida and Tapisco when you want trendy. Belcanto, José Avillez’s two-Michelin-star room, and Alma, Henrique Sá Pessoa’s two-Michelin-star room, when you want the best seat in the city.
Coffee: A Brasileira do Chiado. Coffee and a pastel de nata, no notes. Manteigaria for pastéis de nata. Still to try: the cod cake at Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau.
Fado: Visit a fado house. O Corrido Casa de Fado or Clube de Fado in Alfama.
Beach: Praia da Princesa beach club in Costa da Caparica, across the river.
Day trip: Cascais. The old fishing village, 30 minutes west. Lunch by the marina. Ponta do Guincho and Azenhas do Mar on the way.
See: The Convento do Carmo, and in Belém the Torre and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos.
Shop: Bordallo Pinheiro, A Vida Portuguesa, and Vista Alegre for Portuguese china. Príncipe Real Enxovais: bespoke hand-embroidered masterpieces. Paris em Lisboa in Chiado: stepping inside feels like going back in time. High quality linens, bedding, bespoke brushes and utensils. One of a kind. Casa do Passadiço on Avenida da Liberdade. Fashion Clinic: men at JNcQUOI Avenida, women at JNcQUOI Asia.
Flavio’s take: Lisbon is the easiest city in Europe to love. Eat the salted cod cakes, buy the canned sardines, take home the Queijo da Serra da Estrela.
2. Sintra
A day trip from Lisbon: 40 minutes each way.
Day trip from Lisbon. The Palácio da Pena above the trees, then walk the walls of the Castelo dos Mouros.
Flavio’s take: Go early. The palaces are better without the crowds.
3. Fátima
A day trip from Lisbon: 1h30m each way.
The Sanctuary, then the small houses of the shepherd children. Jacinta’s house is the one to see.
Flavio’s take: Whatever your faith, Fátima is worth the drive. Then loop back to Lisbon.
4. Comporta
From Lisbon: about 1 hour.
Stay: Sublime Comporta. Totally Sublime. The bio pool sits in the middle of a cork forest. Or Quinta da Comporta: rice fields in summer, the estuary in winter.
Beach clubs: Sal, Comporta Café, Sublime Comporta Beach Club, JNcQUOI Beach Club.
Eat: Cavalariça, Museu do Arroz, Sado, Dona Bia for the traditional table. Sem Porta at Sublime and Inari at Quinta when you want high end.
Shop: Stork Club, Caju da Comporta, Lavanda, The Life Juice, Côté-Sud, Fashion Clinic, the local stores in the village center, and the shops at Quinta and Sublime. The shops focus on local artisans, homeware, and unique local decor, plus unique Portuguese brands and fashion.
Flavio’s take: Comporta is my go-to place to disconnect. My goal is to buy a place there soon. 45 minutes from Lisbon airport. Paradise.
5. Carvoeiro
From Comporta: 2h30m.
Stay: Tivoli Carvoeiro. The pool terrace sits right above the cliffs.
Nearby: Praia dos Caneiros
Rei das Praias sits on Praia dos Caneiros, between Carvoeiro and Ferragudo. The arroz de marisco is the order.
Eat: Bon Bon, the Michelin star in Carvoeiro.
Flavio’s take: The Algarve cliffs are the whole point. Swim in the morning, long lunch after.
6. Évora
From Carvoeiro: about 2h30m. Évora to Lisbon: 1h30m.
The Capela dos Ossos, the chapel of bones. The Alentejo plain around Évora is wine country: three names to know.
Wineries: Herdade do Esporão in Reguengos de Monsaraz: organic estate, winery, olive oil, cork-oak forest. Cartuxa, the wine arm of the Fundação Eugénio de Almeida: the home of Pêra-Manca, made only in exceptional vintages. Ervideira, my friend Duarte’s winery in Reguengos de Monsaraz: home of the Invisível, the white wine made from red grapes.
Fun fact: the Alentejo is the largest cork producer in the world. If you are drinking wine or splashing olive oil on your salad, good chance the cork comes from the region’s natural cork forests.
Eat: The Michelin-starred restaurant at Herdade do Esporão. Book ahead.
Flavio’s take: Évora is the quiet stop, and the Alentejo wines are the reward.
My grandparents are Portuguese, and I got my Portuguese citizenship from my mom when I was younger. I was not a fan of Portugal back then. As I matured, it has become a true love affair.
Special thanks to my wife Sachenka Lobato.