Portugal Travel Highlights
Oh how I love Portugal. Initially, my friend and I had planned on traveling to Belgium. But after watching the flight prices skyrocket for Belgium, we chose to go to Portugal instead. Portugal exceeded my expectations. This small country made it to the top 5 places that I have visited internationally. I loved the weather, food, and sights. Portugal offers the San Diego sunshine with a European twist. I had such a positive experience there, and I am hoping to go back there in the near future.
In Portugal, my friend and I traveled to Porto and Lisbon. We flew into Porto first and spent two days there. On our last day, we took a bus to Lisbon and spent the rest of our time exploring the city. It was a fairly short trip, but it was packed with a lot of fun moments and enjoyable activities. By the time we had to leave, my friend and I were not ready to go. We wanted to stay for much longer. Actually, we wanted to move there (which I think says a lot about how much I fell in love with the place). So, who knows? Maybe I’ll make plans to retire there someday. For now, I’ll just reminisce and dream about all of the Pastéis de Nata I had there. Here are my travel highlights in Portugal.
1. Fábrica da Nata
In Porto’s city center, you can find Fábrica da Nata — a bakery dedicated to making natas. When I tell you that there natas are mind-blowingly good, I am being completely serious. It is a flaky and delicate pastry with a creamy and rich custard filling. I am still dreaming about them to this very day. After biting into these little tarts of heaven, it was hard to find another nata place that delivered the perfect balance that Fábrica da Nata got down to a science. I would highly recommend paying a visit to this shop if you’re in Porto. They are award-winning for a reason.
2. Gardens of Museum of Contemporary Art Serralves
I am not a big fan of contemporary art or museums, so going to Serralves was very uncharacteristic of me. Because I had a student ID, admission to the garden was discounted to 6 euros instead of 12. I highly recommend bringing an ID with you in the case that you find yourself traveling to these different museums. If you look college-age, there is a high chance you can snag yourself a discount at all sorts of attractions.
I was a little skeptical about the gardens at first. For starters, the first thing I saw was a giant red shovel which didn’t seem much like art to me. But as I continued to explore the gardens, I actually really enjoyed myself there. One of my favorite parts of the garden is the treetop walk. When you purchase admission into the garden, the treetop walk is included. It was fun to be high up in the trees and get a unique view of the city. We got to see farmland and all sorts of fun buildings in Serralves.
3. Francesinha at Café Santiago
Francesinha is a popular Portuguese sandwich that every tourist must try. It’s a dish that leans more on the heavier side, so if you don’t like to eat much, I would highly suggest you split a sandwich. My friend and I split a Francesinha for lunch and we were super full. Café Santiago in Porto is known for its Francesinha. We sat at the bar and got to watch the chefs make the sandwiches right in front of our eyes. They worked in a fluid motion, and I was captivated by their workflow.
I think what made the trip to Café Santiago so fun was the staff. At the end of our meal, the staff kept eyeing and smiling at me and my friend while speaking in Portuguese. We couldn’t decipher what they were talking about, but we had a feeling that they were talking about us. The waiter asked if we were interested in staying for longer, but we were full from the Francesinha. As we were about to leave, the waiter said, “just wanted to let you know that the both of you are very beautiful by the way.” I was totally caught off guard by it that my only reaction was laughter. It was definitely a funny and memorable experience for us. Who knew that our sandwich would also be served with a genuinely nice compliment?
4. Castelo de San Jorge
In Lisbon, the Castle of St. George was definitely a must-see. We paid 5 euros (student discount admission) to enter, and it was worth it. The viewpoint that you get at the castle is breathtaking. You can see the entire city of Lisbon when you get there. The castle itself is grand. You cannot enter the building, but there are plenty of spots to explore outside. It was fun to imagine what life would be like as royalty in this castle. Since the castle is perched at the top of a very high hill, you can see the ocean from the top of the building. If you are looking for good viewpoints of Lisbon, the Castelo de San Jorge is worth visiting.
5. Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Encarnação
If you’re looking for a church that celebrates English mass, visit Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Encarnação. It is an incredibly beautiful church that is located in the center of the city. When I was there, I was selected to be a lector for the second reading. Although I was nervous at the start, it was so exciting to be blessed with such a unique opportunity to read scripture at mass in this beautiful church. It was definitely one of the highlights of my first trip in Europe. I will never forget the thrilling feeling. Even if you are not Catholic or Christian, I would highly recommend paying this church a visit. The interior of this church is breathtaking and is filled with beautiful works of Catholic art and history.
So that’s the end of my travel highlights in Europe. I’m sad that the trip is over, but I’m excited for what lies ahead. What a way to kickoff this new chapter of my life! Having gone to Europe, I realize now that there’s not much holding me back from exploring other parts of the world too. I think I got the travel bug, so I definitely want to plan more international trips soon. Maybe the next stop is Mexico? Singapore? Who knows! There’s a whole world out there waiting for me. In the meantime, you should subscribe to my mailing list for more life-related content and reflections! You can find more life-related posts here.
Emily
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