Travel Me Blue

Portugal is an amazing country full of wonderful people – and I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice in the last 5 years. Once last October (for 2 weeks) and then in November of 2015 (for about 3-4 weeks).

But why should you go?

From its biggest cities through to the islands of Madeira and the Azores – there’s lots for you to discover. Here’s my top 4 reasons why I love Portugal, and why I think you should visit NOW:

1. The Cities

Portugal has what I would call 2 main cities – Porto and Lisbon. But in between and around the country are smaller more historical towns with tons of views to take in. Even if you only had time to see these 2 cities on your trip I strongly recommend visiting.

Lisbon (the capital) has a ton to offer from its street art, food, safe nightlife and local flair – and has some of the best hostels in Europe.

Porto is a little smaller than Lisbon, but offers a slower pace and a ton of great/easily accessible views from all over the city. It’s walkability is what sets it apart from other European cities I have visited.

More on those in future posts!

2. The Islands

Portugals most visited islands would be the Azores and Madeira. And you can’t really go wrong with any of them! Each has their own opportunity for unique hikes, great beaches, seafood and overall relaxing atmosphere.

If you’re looking for a break from city life, skip the cities all together and hop on a cheap flight to Madeira for all the above.

3. The Street Art

If you’ve seen my posts before you would know I first fell in love with Street Art and Graffiti in Italy. But by the time I got to Lisbon and Porto, that’s where I really started to appreciate how much it can brighten up a city – especially one struggling through economic hardship.

Lisbon and Porto both offer tons of street art to fill the hole in your heart. Come, enjoy, snap a picture and have those memories for life. You won’t regret it!

If you pop into the Portugal section of my site – you can see previous posts on street art – with more to come in the near future!

4. The Weather

If you come from a country with well defined seasons and want a getaway from fall/winter – Portugal would offer similar conditions to Spain. With the warm weather you will also encounter a ton of warm people. I’ve never had a run-in in Portugal and have found locals to be truly kind and go out of their way to provide the best experience. I would suggest September/October as the best time to visit – with November also seeing days in the 20 degree celsius range!

I can’t properly describe Portugal within a few posts, so expect more content over the next few weeks! 🙂

Have you been to Portugal or are planning a trip there? Please comment and share your plans and experiences!