This question came up a lot. Follow-ups included, “Are you of Portuguese heritage?” and “Are you going to Spain, too?”
No and no.
Portugal fascinates us. Why did we go? Maybe it’s because no one ever talks about it, we tend to root for the underdog, or because it’s cheaper and less crowded than other Western European countries.
We found this hugely underrated country charming with no tourist hordes. Castles, cloisters, whitewashed villages, ancient Celtic sites, Manueline and Moorish architecture, hilly towns, far flung colony influence, squat widows dressed in black, wild beaches and rivers, dino prints, fighting monks, good wine, great people. Trip report here.
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| Cabo Espichel, south of Lisbon |
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| Procession for St. Elmo, patron saint of fisherman, Porto |
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| Citana de Briteiros, near Guimaraes |
