- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Winter Olympics
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Portugal Trip Report
Posted on 4/20/23 at 8:34 am
Posted on 4/20/23 at 8:34 am
Just got back from a 10 day trip. Paying it forward with a brief report of our experiences!
Selected Photos
Caveat: This was a Viking River Cruise primarily. We sandwiched the cruise itself with 2 days in Lisbon on the front end and 2 days on the backend in Porto. So, only going to scratch the surface of this diverse country. We didn't get to go to supposedly beautiful regions like the Minho Region in Northern Portugal. Hoping others will weigh in with their experiences as well to round out the points of interests and things to do there!
Portugal's River Of Gold - Porto to Porto
Itinerary
Arrived in Lisbon. Gotta say, was not impressed. A big, kind of dirty city to me. There was one amazing exception. We got to go to the restaurant that was supposedly the "birth place" of the local traditional fado singing, "a type of popular Portuguese song, usually with a melancholy theme and accompanied by mandolins or guitars." The singer of fado speaks to the often harsh realities of everyday life. The most popular singers are all female.
ASSOCIAÇÃO DO FADO CASTO
Bussed up to Porto. Along the way, we took a detour to Fátima. Pilgrims from all over the world come here. Three children reported seeing an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Since then, Fátima has become a wildly popular destination for religious-based tourism. Even Pope Francis visited. A must see in my book.
Douro River
We boarded the boat in Porto. This was my 6th cruise. We like Viking because they provide first class service, the experience is consistent and they essentially do everything for you. We usually add another week on our own, but not this time.
We've often talked about the demographic. Usually there are some younger couples on the boat, but I will say on this cruise it was much older than usual.
We liked the Douro River as we cruised from Porto to the Spanish border and back. Only way to truly experience the region in my book. The scenery is astounding, the engineering of the dams and locks is impressive and the whole experience is just beautiful. Photos don't do it justice.
The tour to Sandeman was noteworthy to watch the wine and port production, sample the good etc. Beautiful view.
We stopped at numerous smaller towns and got a day trip to Salamanca Spain. The cathedral there is spectacular.
We finished with 2 days in Porto. A bustling vibrant city that already has a LOT of tourists visiting. And it was HOT. Can't imagine being in that city in the summer.
Food and Drink
As a side note, the wine, liqueurs and food are a primary reason to visit Portugal. The food is good, the drinks are GREAT (and reasonably priced). Just watch out for the Aguardiente (Portuguese firewater).
All in all, a great trip. Would I go back? Probably not. Too many other travel priorities in other countries.
Selected Photos
Caveat: This was a Viking River Cruise primarily. We sandwiched the cruise itself with 2 days in Lisbon on the front end and 2 days on the backend in Porto. So, only going to scratch the surface of this diverse country. We didn't get to go to supposedly beautiful regions like the Minho Region in Northern Portugal. Hoping others will weigh in with their experiences as well to round out the points of interests and things to do there!
Portugal's River Of Gold - Porto to Porto
Itinerary
Arrived in Lisbon. Gotta say, was not impressed. A big, kind of dirty city to me. There was one amazing exception. We got to go to the restaurant that was supposedly the "birth place" of the local traditional fado singing, "a type of popular Portuguese song, usually with a melancholy theme and accompanied by mandolins or guitars." The singer of fado speaks to the often harsh realities of everyday life. The most popular singers are all female.
ASSOCIAÇÃO DO FADO CASTO
Bussed up to Porto. Along the way, we took a detour to Fátima. Pilgrims from all over the world come here. Three children reported seeing an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Since then, Fátima has become a wildly popular destination for religious-based tourism. Even Pope Francis visited. A must see in my book.
Douro River
We boarded the boat in Porto. This was my 6th cruise. We like Viking because they provide first class service, the experience is consistent and they essentially do everything for you. We usually add another week on our own, but not this time.
We've often talked about the demographic. Usually there are some younger couples on the boat, but I will say on this cruise it was much older than usual.
We liked the Douro River as we cruised from Porto to the Spanish border and back. Only way to truly experience the region in my book. The scenery is astounding, the engineering of the dams and locks is impressive and the whole experience is just beautiful. Photos don't do it justice.
The tour to Sandeman was noteworthy to watch the wine and port production, sample the good etc. Beautiful view.
We stopped at numerous smaller towns and got a day trip to Salamanca Spain. The cathedral there is spectacular.
We finished with 2 days in Porto. A bustling vibrant city that already has a LOT of tourists visiting. And it was HOT. Can't imagine being in that city in the summer.
Food and Drink
As a side note, the wine, liqueurs and food are a primary reason to visit Portugal. The food is good, the drinks are GREAT (and reasonably priced). Just watch out for the Aguardiente (Portuguese firewater).
All in all, a great trip. Would I go back? Probably not. Too many other travel priorities in other countries.
This post was edited on 4/21/23 at 6:25 am
9
Posted on 4/20/23 at 9:44 am to Nole Man
I share your opinion that Lisbon is overrated.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 10:24 am to Nole Man
What would you put the ballpark percentage at for people/couples on these Viking cruises in their upper 30s lower 40s?
Posted on 4/20/23 at 10:34 am to DukeSilver
quote:
What would you put the ballpark percentage at for people/couples on these Viking cruises in their upper 30s lower 40s?
My general overall experience is "usually" the average age is mid 60's? If you looked a frequency distribution, maybe 25% in the 30-40's range? It's almost always going to be an older crowd. A plus is they don't allow children under 18 on the cruise.
On this cruise, there were a lot of people in their early 60's or older. I'd ball park that at 75% maybe. A few guests (usually with their families) might have been in their mid 30's. But as noted, this one seemed "older than usual". But guess what! They're enjoying the fruits of their labor. Having a blast. Living life. That can be a fun experience in itself.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 10:35 am to Nole Man
quote:
We finished with 2 days in Porto.
I'm spending a few days in Porto and Peso de Regua in mid-May.
If you have an restaurant or activity recommendations then I'm all ears.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 11:22 am to Nole Man
quote:
Arrived in Lisbon. Gotta say, was not impressed. A big, kind of dirty city to me.
That's an insane take. Lisbon is fantastic, one of my favorite cities.
This post was edited on 4/20/23 at 11:42 am
Posted on 4/20/23 at 11:36 am to Nole Man
quote:For sure, never been on a river cruise but have been intrigued by them just trying to get a sense of a percentage that would be in my age range.
But as noted, this one seemed "older than usual". But guess what! They're enjoying the fruits of their labor. Having a blast. Living life. That can be a fun experience in itself.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 11:59 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
That's an insane take. Lisbon is fantastic, one of my favorite cities.
This. I mean it is "dirty" in the best ways
Posted on 4/20/23 at 12:55 pm to keakdasneak
quote:
Zappas Stache
quote:
keakdasneak
quote:
That's an insane take. Lisbon is fantastic, one of my favorite cities.
LOL. Ok, two days doth not a trip make. And maybe "dirty" wasn't the best term as most every major city in Europe could be called dirty in someway with the graffiti etc. Certainly much cleaner than a lot of US cities with all the trash etc. though.
Just wasn't a fan of Lisbon compared to a number of other European cities I've been to. Our group pretty much felt the same way. We could have done with more time in Porto or going up into the northern part of the country instead.
This post was edited on 4/20/23 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 4/20/23 at 1:14 pm to BlackCoffeeKid
quote:
I'm spending a few days in Porto and Peso de Regua in mid-May.
If you have an restaurant or activity recommendations then I'm all ears.
Just scratched the surface on Porto, so probably not the best source compared to maybe some others here. But, along the Duoro River there are a number of restaurants on either side, some near the Pedestrian Bridge. We just used Yelp frankly.
Peso de Regua
Things to do.
The Douro Valley is amazing place to visit and to discover. Certainly touring the wineries ("Qunitas") is a must do. Either drive on your own or hire a tour guide.
The Mateus Palace was spectacular. So certainly you'll go there.
We went to the little town of LaMego. Very nice. Has a church on top of the hill and you walk down the stairs back into town.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 2:18 pm to kciDAtaE
quote:
What did you do in Lisbon?
Well, unfortunately, didn't get to go out to Sintra due to the strike and amount of time it would have taken. That's a day trip. And as noted, 2 days allows you to only scratch the surface of any major city.
First day, walked all around. Ate, drank. Visited Marechal Carmona Park.
Day 2: Bus down to the Tagus River and Belém Tower. That night, went to the district of Alfama, walked around and went to see a fado show with dinner.
This post was edited on 4/20/23 at 2:29 pm
Posted on 4/20/23 at 2:21 pm to BlackCoffeeKid
Posted on 4/20/23 at 6:24 pm to keakdasneak
Went to Lisbon last summer loved it, the food there is amazing. Headed to the azores this weekend and will stop off for a day in Lisbon on the way back.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 6:36 pm to Nole Man
I love Lisbon, enjoyed 7 days there about 3 years ahom between the people, the food, the activities, the drinks, and the history there was plenty to do and I feel I didn't see it all. Would love to go back as it was one of my favorite European cities.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 8:53 pm to luvdatigahs
quote:
Headed to the azores this weekend
You are in for a treat. My favorite place.
Posted on 4/20/23 at 11:19 pm to GOP_Tiger
Recommendations for the azores, I willl be doing hikes there
Posted on 4/21/23 at 8:44 am to luvdatigahs
I'd have to have Madeira on the itinerary.
Posted on 4/21/23 at 1:26 pm to luvdatigahs
quote:
Recommendations for the azores, I will be doing hikes there
I've made two trips to the islands, but I haven't been to Sao Jorge or Flores, and both of them are reputed to have outstanding hiking.
On Sao Miguel, the Furnas valley lies on the east end of the island, and there are a number of trails there.
One of the more obvious is simply walking around the lake.
On the back side of the lake is nice botanical garden you can enjoy, with a trail back to this waterfall:
On the western side, there's the Sete Cidades area, with more lakes:
Lagoa do Fogo is also very nice.
________________________________________
Immediately upon arriving on Pico, you see how the mountain dominates the island. At just over 7700 feet, it's the highest peak in Portugal.
You can hike up on your own, but clouds normally block the views during the day, though the sky is usually clear at sunrise and sundown. That's why I hiked up with Tripix (great guide) and spent the night in the caldera at the top. It was an amazing hike and a fantastic experience.
Here's the view during the day. If you look past the caldera rim, you can just see a little of the green land below.
Here's the view just before sunrise, looking west out over the rim to Faial:
And then look at the view a few minutes later, when the sun is up and the mountain itself casts a massive shadow:
There are pretty hikes on every island. I enjoyed the caldera hike on Faial as well. I really want to go back a third time.
EDIT: I'll add that my two trips were at the end of June and the end of August. Traveling there at this time of the year, your odds of getting good weather are lower. Everything is so green because it rains all the time for much of the year, with more breaks in the rain in the summer than at other times.
This post was edited on 4/21/23 at 1:30 pm
Posted on 4/22/23 at 12:02 pm to Nole Man
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News