I went to Madeira expecting a lazy beach week. What I got was a hiking obsession and a complete rethink of what a Portuguese island holiday can be. Madeira is subtropical, spectacular, and genuinely unlike anywhere else in Europe — but only if you understand what it’s actually good for. Here’s the honest version, beaches and all.
Most Lisbon visitors stare across the Tagus at the south bank and never cross it. Seixal is what’s waiting on the other side: tidal mills from the 15th century, a river bay that you can kayak at sunrise, and a historic centre that sees more local families than tourists on any given afternoon. The ferry takes twenty minutes. It’s worth it.
Three days in Lisbon is just enough time to fall properly, irreversibly in love with this city. I’ve done it more times than I can count — and every single trip still surprises me. This day-by-day itinerary covers Alfama, Belém, Sintra, the best places to eat, how to get around without losing your mind, and everything in between. This is the Lisbon I know personally, not the Lisbon you find on a generic checklist.
Lisbon holds a particular place in my heart — it’s the city where I’ve felt most completely myself as a woman travelling alone. This guide is my honest account of what it’s like to navigate Lisbon as a woman: the safety reality (very reassuring), the best neighbourhoods, how to dine solo without awkwardness, where to go at night, and the female-run businesses worth seeking out. This is Lisbon as I’ve lived it.
Queijo de Azeitão is a small, runny, intensely flavoured soft sheep’s milk cheese made in a triangle of villages south of Lisbon. It has PDO status, meaning no one outside that zone can legally call their cheese Azeitão. I’ve eaten it at the Friday market in Vila Nogueira, at a restaurant in Setúbal, and at my kitchen table having driven back from the Arrábida with three wheels wrapped in cloth. All three experiences were excellent. Here’s what you need to know before trying it.
Hotel da Bolsa sits right in the heart of Porto’s historic Ribeira district, steps from the Palácio da Bolsa and the Douro riverfront. It’s charming, characterful, and full of Porto personality — but it’s not for everyone. I stayed here on my last visit to the city and came away with very clear opinions about who will love it and who might want to look elsewhere. Here’s my honest take.
Forty minutes from Lisbon, Sesimbra feels like the Portugal that time forgot to overrun with tourists. It has a working fishing port, a medieval castle on the cliff above the town, and seafood restaurants where the fish was in the water this morning. I’ve taken eight friends here. All eight came back on their own the following year. Here’s the guide I give them before they go.
Sesimbra is one of the most underrated places on the Portuguese coast — a fishing village in a sheltered bay with the Arrábida hills behind it and the clearest water on the mainland coast. The Four Points by Sheraton sits right on the bay, which is the best thing about it. Here’s what a stay is actually like and whether it’s the right choice for your trip.
Two nights in Lisbon sounds tight — and it is. But with the right approach, 48 hours can give you a genuine taste of the city: the viewpoints, the monuments, a fado dinner, a morning market, and enough time to actually sit somewhere and breathe it all in. Here’s the itinerary I’d give my best friend.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wandered Lisbon’s steep, tile-covered streets and still found something new. This guide covers the 20 best things to do in Lisbon Portugal — from Alfama’s sun-drenched viewpoints to a proper fado night in Mouraria. I’ll give you the honest version, crowds and all, so you can plan smarter. Let’s go.