Vacapedia Vacation Rentals Blog

American visits to Portugal were up almost 20% in 2007. That’s likely to be because Portugal offers more for your war-weakened dollar.

Lisbon remains one of Europe’s most affordable capitals. The EU has poured money into Portugal, and it shows in the clean city streets with excellent public transportation the city offers.

Nightlife is great. Find the tiniest fado bar you can find and hunker down for a night of haunting song and guitar music. A trip to the fado museum is a must, as is a trip to the Belem district and the Monastery of Jeronimos.

Heck, add in a day trip to Sintra by train from Lisbon and you might as well stay for the whole week. I’d rent an apartment like the one over there to the left called “Alfama” in the heart of Lisbon, the thriving-with-life Alfama district and pretend I was one of the locals.

I’d eat well for cheap, then use up the calories walking up to St. George’s castle. When I was tired I’d use one of Lisbon’s funiculars or the historic Santa Justa elevator to get up the hills.

I’d one day head on over to the Monument to the Discoveries, designed to commemorate the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. Then I’d go eat some seafood.

After my week in Lisbon, I’d head east to the Alentejo region, an up and coming region that’s rapidly becoming my favorite. But that’s another story.