
Portugal
Portugal is the quiet alternative to Spain — the same latitude of light with a gentler volume knob. Lisbon rides its seven hills on wooden trams, Porto pours its name-brand fortified wine in riverside lodges, and Sintra piles romantic palaces onto a wooded ridge. The Atlantic keeps summers honest. We go in the long shoulders and eat like locals paid us to.
Best for
- Atlantic light
- Tiled cities
- Wine lodges
- Gentle pace
When to go
- Mar–May
- Spring: mild, green, jacaranda-lined.
- Sep–Oct
- Warm seas and harvest on the Douro.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0