1) Lisbon - Lisbon is a special place on the Tagus River with bright orange roof buildings, yellow cable cars, varying levels of elevation, & Fado music, that oozes with energy & has loads to see & do in one perfectly condense historic center. I fell in love with Lisbon the first time I visited in 2017 and was happy to see not much had changed aside from the addition of more cool hotels, rooftops & restaurants. 

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There's lots to see & do in Lisbon from riding a yellow cable car, to listening to traditional Portuguese Fado music in Alfama, to taking a sunset boat ride down the Tagus River, to exploring the Time Out Market food hall (which was the first, but now there are many) & LX Factory, to venturing out to popular Sintra for its fairy tale castles and Cascais for its relaxed beach town. The list goes on. 

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I think the best way to take in Lisbon is from a rooftop. The view from the terrace at Hotel do Chiado is fantastic right in the center of the historic district. Two other rooftops I was excited to check out, but unfortunately didn't make it to worth looking into are: SEEN Sky Bar and  Terraço Chill-Out Limão.

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Seafood & specifically tinned sardines are big in Lisbon. For seafood, my go-to is Cervejaria Ramiro, made popular by Anthony Bourdain's feature, for a variety of seafood finished with a steak sandwich. Also, Sol e Pesca for a casual spot for lunch or a snack where a tin of sardines of your choice is served as you like with bread & olives. For tinned sardine souvenirs, head to Loja das Conservas and Conserveira de Lisboa. For other souvenirs, check out Claus Porto for Portuguese soaps & perfumes and A Vida Portuguesa for a variety of cool Portuguese souvenirs. 

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2) Porto - Porto is a mini Lisbon also on a river near the Douro Valley, providing access for wine tastings.  In Porto, I recommend visiting BOSCO Porto for a drink on their beautiful terrace overlooking Porto & the Douro River and checking out the Chapel of Souls for its beautiful exterior covered in the famous blue & white Portuguese tiles. I chose to take this day trip from Lisbon with stops in the adorable medieval town of Óbidos that's straight out of a fairy tale and Nazaré famous for having the largest waves in the World that can reach 80 feet high in the Winter. 

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3) Algarve Coast - The Algarve Coast has become a popular destination in itself for its dramatic rugged coastline and beautiful beaches. A great place for some rest & relaxation. However, if short on time, there is a full day tour from Lisbon to the Algarve Coast that goes to one of the beautiful scenic points called Ponta da Piedade and the towns of Lagos & Albufeira available here ​to get a taste of the Algarve. ​​​​

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4) Madeira - Madeira is one of Portugal's islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 320 miles (520 km) west of Morocco.  It's a volcanic island with black rock beaches, varying layers of elevation, lots of greenery, and has the most impressive infrastructure I've ever seen with over 180 tunnels throughout the island to create an efficient highway system. Funchal is the capital & largest city of Madeira located 16 km from the Madeira airport, along the ocean within walking distance to lots of restaurants & shops.

 

Funchal has a cable car system reaching 1,840 feet (560 meters) above sea level to the top of the island near Jardim Monte Palace Madeira. Not to be confused with Madeira's popular botanical garden, this is the tropical garden and may be the coolest singular place I've been. It's a multi-level, choose your adventure, exploratory tropical garden filled with a variety of art, architecture & artifacts from around the world, and some flamingos too! There's also a free wine tasting all the way at the end in the Blue House Cafe. ​

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Another park worth checking out right in the Funchal city center is the Parque de Santa Catarina directly above the CR7 Museum for any Cristiano Ronaldo fans (Funchal is where CR was born & raised). For casual waterside food & drinks, I enjoyed Santiago Beach Bar for their Fisherman's Poncha drink, seafood & fava bean snack. For sweets & souvenirs, stop by UauCacau for amazing, artisanal chocolate and Fábrica Santo Antonio (dates back to 1893) for their cookies on the way to H. M. Borges for some famous Madeira wine. 

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To explore the rest of the island, I took this 2 day small group tour that stopped at the main scenic points & towns for an easy & efficient way to see the highlights & incredible natural beauty of Madeira.