Portugal
Mainland & Madeira
Ten days between the Algarve coves, Lisbon's late tables, and Madeira's peaks.
← All destinationsLength
10 days
Best time
May-Jun, Sept-Oct
Pace
Balanced
Includes
Guide + map + tips
from our notebook —
Why we loved Portugal
This one is three trips in one, and each part wants something different from you. It starts in the Algarve with a rental car and four nights in Portimão. Day one is a boat tour along the sea caves and arches, then dinner at Casa da Tocha. From there it's the cliff stairs at Praia do Camilo and Ponta da Piedade in Lagos, the rock arch at Albandeira, and lunch inside the cliffs at Boneca Bar. Then an early drive north to Sintra for Pena Palace, the Castle of the Moors, and the tunnels under Quinta da Regaleira, and into Lisbon by dinner.
Lisbon gets three nights, and it earns them: Torre de Belém and Jerónimos, pastéis de nata at Pastéis de Belém, a food tour through petiscos and ginjinha, and a late lunch at Taberna Sal Grosso below the castle. Then a short flight to Madeira, where the island is all mountain. You swim in the lava pools at Porto Moniz and off the black sand at Seixal, hike to Pico Ruivo above the clouds, ride the Monte toboggan, and walk through the fog in Fanal Forest. The Algarve is for long coast days, Lisbon is for the late tables, and Madeira is for the big views.
The trip at a glance.
Some of the highlights of the trip below. The rest? Inside the guide.
4 nightsPraia da RochaPortimão
Algarve beach boat tour · Superjuice · Avenida Tomás Cabreira · Casa da Tocha · NoSoloÁgua
A boat tour past the sea caves, a beach club, and the best dinner of the trip.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
Day tripPonta da PiedadeLagos
Ponta da Piedade · Praia Dona Ana · Praia do Camilo · Praia dos Estudantes · Praia do Canavial · Goji Lounge
Cliff stairs, sea stacks, and oysters at the marina.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
Day tripPraia da MarinhaAlbufeira
Praia da Marinha · Praia da Albandeira · Boneca Bar · Praia dos Pescadores · Albufeira Old Town
A rock arch, a lunch inside the cliffs, and the old town at night.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
Day tripPena PalaceSintra
Pena Palace · Castle of the Moors · Sintra National Palace · Quinta da Regaleira
Hilltop palaces in the morning, Lisbon by dinner.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
3 nightsTorre de BelémLisbon
Torre de Belém · Jerónimos Monastery · Pastéis de Belém · Castelo de São Jorge · Carmo Convent · Bairro Alto
Pastéis in Belém, a food tour, and late nights in Bairro Alto.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
3 nightsPico do ArieiroMadeira
Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo · Porto Moniz pools · Fanal Forest · Levada das 25 Fontes · Monte toboggan
Above the clouds at sunrise, lava pools, and a toboggan down the hill.
↳ the rest of this day's features and activities inside the guide!
what you're getting —
What's inside.
Every Vacationary guide includes these four things. Yours from the moment you download.
Custom illustrated map
A hand-illustrated map for every destination, with every place we recommend pinned and labeled. Color-coded by category so you can see at a glance what's a beach, what's a meal, and what's a moment.
Day-by-day itinerary
Each day mapped out with timing, locations, restaurants, and activities. Built around how we actually traveled, with margin for sleep and improvisation.
Ground-level tips
What we learned that no blog mentioned. Where to get cash, what to avoid, when to book ahead, and the small things that make the trip easier when you're standing there figuring it out.
Local language guide
Common phrases and pronunciation notes for the places where English doesn't cover it. Enough to be polite, enough to be understood.
answers —
About this trip.
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Portugal