Originally, we wanted to travel to Spain’s Atlantic coast this summer with Bilbao, San Sebastián and a surf course on our list. However, right in the middle of planning the trip, several things suddenly changed because of global political developments. We already talked about that in this article.
In the end, we decided on Portugal. More specifically, a mix of cities, the Atlantic coastline, a road trip and a surf course. In this article, we want to show not only our route, but also the decisions behind it. Why we chose certain places, why we consciously skipped others and how we eventually organized our Portugal surf trip.
Table of Contents
Our Portugal Route at a Glance
Our route combines cities, the Atlantic coastline and a longer stay in Ericeira with a surf course. In total, we are planning eleven nights in Portugal:
- 1 night in Lisbon
- 3 nights in Porto
- Stop in Nazaré
- 6 nights in Ericeira
- 1 night near Lisbon Airport before our flight home
We are flying directly to Lisbon and picking up our rental car* there. From Lisbon, we will then slowly make our way north along Portugal’s Atlantic coast. Most importantly, we did not want to overload this trip. Instead of trying to fit in as many places as possible, we preferred spending more time in just a few locations.
1 Night in Lisbon: Relaxed Instead of Stressful
We are only staying one night in Lisbon. Because of that, we consciously decided against planning an overloaded sightseeing schedule. Our hotel* is located right in the middle of Alfama, which makes it perfect for a relaxed first evening.
Our plan includes:
- Alfama
- Castelo de São Jorge
- Miradouro de Santa Luzia
- Convento do Carmo
- possibly the Elevador de Santa Justa
Especially Alfama is meant to feel less like a traditional sightseeing stop and more like a slow start to the trip. Simply walking through the narrow streets, stopping at viewpoints and enjoying the atmosphere sounds perfect for our first evening in Portugal.
Why We Decided to Skip Sintra and Other Famous Attractions
Originally, we considered adding a short trip to Sintra directly from Lisbon. However, the more we thought about it, the clearer it became that it would make the trip unnecessarily hectic.
Sintra really deserves a full day on its own. In July, you also have to deal with peak season, large crowds, parking issues and long walking distances. Instead, we wanted this trip to feel slower and more relaxed right from the beginning. For the same reason, we also decided against several other famous attractions, including:
- Torre de Belém
- Ponte 25 de Abril
- LX Factory
- Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Since we only have one night in Lisbon, we did not want to rush from one attraction to the next just to check things off a list. Instead, we decided to focus mainly on Alfama and the area around our hotel.
Why We Decided to Spend More Time in Porto
Porto is completely new to us. That is exactly why we did not want to stay for just one night. Instead, we decided to give the city several days. The combination of:
- Ribeira
- the Douro atmosphere
- old streets
- viewpoints
- bridges
- Port wine
- and the hilly old town
fits perfectly with the kind of trip we want to have. More importantly, we want to experience Porto instead of simply checking off attractions.
Our Porto Sightseeing Plan
For Porto, we intentionally divided the days into different areas and themes.
Day 1: Ribeira and Viewpoints
Our plan includes:
- Igreja de São Francisco
- Palácio da Bolsa
- Porto Cathedral
- Dom Luís I Bridge
- Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
- Sunset at Jardim do Morro
Especially the views from Jardim do Morro and Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar could easily become some of the highlights of our time in Porto.
Day 2: Old Town and City Center
On the second day, we want to focus more on Porto’s city center:
- Miradouro da Vitória
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Livraria Lello
- Carmo & Carmelitas
- Avenida dos Aliados
- Mercado do Bolhão
- Rua Santa Catarina
- São Bento Station
Most importantly, we wanted to keep the route compact and explore as much as possible on foot.
Which Porto Ideas We Eventually Dropped
While planning the trip, many additional ideas came up, including:
- WOW Museum
- the historic tram to Foz
- beaches in Porto
- the cable car
- a large Douro boat tour
In the end, however, we realized that many of these ideas did not really fit our trip.
Especially when it came to beaches, we understood that we do not need to force Porto into becoming a beach destination. Even in summer, the Atlantic there is relatively cold. On top of that, shortly after Portugal we will already be heading to the Costa Brava for a classic beach vacation. Because of that, we consciously decided to experience Porto more as an atmospheric city than a seaside destination.
Road Trip from Porto to Ericeira with a Stop in Nazaré
The drive to Ericeira is meant to feel relaxed and unhurried. Instead of following a stressful schedule, we simply want to take breaks along the way and enjoy the road trip down Portugal’s Atlantic coast. Nazaré seems perfect for exactly that.
The small coastal town with its huge Atlantic beach, famous waves and laid back atmosphere feels like the ideal stop on our route. Rather than trying to check off lots of attractions there, we will probably just spend some time by the ocean, grab something to eat, enjoy the views and then continue our drive to Ericeira.
6 Nights in Ericeira with a Surf Course
Ericeira will eventually become the centerpiece of our trip. We are staying there for six nights and taking a five day surf course. Honestly, this is probably the part of the trip we are looking forward to the most.
Finding a surf school turned out to be surprisingly easy. We simply searched online and quickly came across a German Portuguese surf school in Ericeira. After a short phone call, we were already speaking directly with the founder of the school, who originally comes from Germany himself.
Everything immediately felt uncomplicated and friendly. We booked the course online shortly afterwards and just a few days later everything was confirmed.
Our Plans for Ericeira
For Ericeira, we intentionally did not plan much besides the surf course itself. At one point, we considered adding trips to Sintra, Lisbon or other places after surfing each day. In the end, however, we decided against it for now.
Since none of us have ever surfed before, we imagine the daily rhythm to feel somewhat similar to a ski vacation. Staying active during the day and then spending the evenings relaxing, going out for dinner and enjoying the atmosphere instead of squeezing in long half day trips with driving, sightseeing and crowds of tourists. Still, we want to keep everything flexible and simply decide spontaneously how we feel once we are there.
Portugal Surf Trip Bookings at a Glance
Flights*
TAP Air Portugal: Direct flights Berlin → Lisbon → Berlin
Rental Car*
Sixt: VW Taigo with automatic transmission and full insurance coverage
Lisbon Hotel*
Hotel Olissippo Castelo: 1 night in the middle of Alfama with private parking garage
Porto Hotel*
Apartamentos Portodouro Ribeira: 3 nights directly in Ribeira
Ericeira Accommodation*
Refugio dos Lima: 6 nights in a central location in Ericeira
Lisbon Airport Hotel*
Hotel Star Inn Lisbon Airport: Practical choice for our early morning return flight
Surf Course
Tres Ondas Surf School: 5 day surf course in Ericeira
I’m Joshua, and my focus is road trips and round trips. I provide detailed travel information, planning tools, and practical tips for driving abroad. Together, we’ll make your next road trip perfectly organized and unforgettable
