Proposal for a Road Trip in Portugal
Pays de départ : France ??
Point de départ : 38.707751 -9.136592
We propose two itineraries: a weekend of 3 days for couples or friends, and a week-long stay. Don't hesitate any longer and embark on a road trip to visit Lisbon! Take a tour of the capital, then discover Almograve and its rocky beach… Continue with the visits of Elvas, Obidos or even the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park!
Day 1: Lisbon
Retrieve your van at the Lisbon agency and start this road trip from Lisbon! Begin your visit of the Portuguese capital with its historic district. Discover the charming district of Alfama, the oldest part of Lisbon, with its alleys, flowered balconies, restaurants… You can then take the famous yellow tramway in Lisbon to move around the city and have a tour of Lisbon.
What to do in Lisbon? The city has 7 hills and offers several viewpoints. You can visit the Portas de Sol mirador, which offers a view over Alfama. Other viewpoints like Senhora do Monte, Sao Pedro de Alcantara, and Santa Catarina are also worth visiting in Lisbon. Then head to the Tour of Belem, the most famous monument in the city. In the same district of Belem, don't miss the Monastery of the Hieronymites, a magnificent building inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Continue your visit of Lisbon with its cultural richness. You can visit one of the museums in the city such as the National Museum of Ancient Art, one of Portugal’s most important museums. If you are interested in nature, the Forest Park of Monsanto is the ideal place for this. You can take a walk, do sports with particularly hiking trails, or simply relax in the park.
Lisbon has many attractions such as the Commerce Square, the cathedral, the Pantheon, and the Carmo convent…
In the evening, go out to find a place to sleep and prepare your first meal on board the van. Don’t forget the Park4Night app or the Blacksheep app. For your first shower, don’t hesitate to read our article on van hygiene, it might help you if you are a bit lost.
Day 2: Almograve and Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park
For this second day of the road trip from Lisbon, get back on your campervan and head south along the coast. You will stop in Almograve. You'll discover its beautiful rocky beach made up of cliffs and dunes. You can go hiking along the coastline with a path that allows you to explore the coast. Then visit the Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park. You’ll be able to observe several bird species such as white storks. There are also otters, which is one of the few places in Europe where they can still be observed in their marine habitat. The beaches of this natural park are ideal for surfing.
Day 3: Vale do Guadiana Natural Park and Evora
Today, take the road in your campervan towards the East to reach the Vale do Guadiana Natural Park. Crossed by the Guadiana River, this park has a rich fauna and flora. You'll also discover some of the largest waterfalls in southern Portugal among its four hiking trails. Continue your road trip from Lisbon northward towards Evora, about 1h45 away from Vale do Guadiana Park. Evora is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal with many monuments dating back to several eras. Start visiting the city center which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll discover Roman ruins such as the Temple of Diana at the top of the city, and the Aqueduct of Agua de Prata a little further north. Then visit the cathedral, the largest in Portugal. You can even climb to the roof of the cathedral where you’ll have a panoramic view over the city. Stroll through the narrow streets of the city and discover other monuments such as the Santo Antao and Sao Francisco churches or the Evora Museum for example.
Take a drink on Largo da Graça, the main square in the city.
Day 4: Elvas and Serra de Sao Memede
This morning, on your campervan you head to the city of Elvas. It is the most fortified city in Europe and is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like Evora, Elvas has known several civilizations throughout its history. Start by visiting the historic center inside the fortifications. You can visit the Elvas castle of Muslim origin. After the castle tour, stroll around the town and discover churches such as Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos and Nossa Senhora da Assunção, the second one located on Republic Square, the main square in the city. Near the center is the Aqueduct of Amoreira, an impressive construction from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Continue your road trip from Lisbon to Serra de Sao Memede natural park with its beautiful villages such as Marvao or Castel de Vide for example. These villages are located on hills and offer great views of the Sao Memede mountains. You'll discover their charming streets, castles, white houses; these villages are very pleasant to visit. You can also hike in Serra de Sao Memede natural park with 5 hiking trails proposed there, you’ll discover beautiful landscapes, appreciate the vegetation and maybe observe different raptors present in the park.
Day 5: Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park
You take the road towards the West to reach Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park. This park is composed of two mountain ranges. You can discover this park by hiking. But the main attraction of this natural park lies in its limestone massif. Indeed, it has more than 1500 caves. You can even visit some like those at Mira de Aire which are considered one of Portugal's seven wonders. These caves are really beautiful; we strongly recommend you to visit them.
In this park there are also dinosaur footprints dating back to 175 million years that you can observe, a real time travel experience.
Day 6: Obidos and Peniche
Today, you head south to visit Obidos, a beautiful fortified city in Portugal. You can stroll through its charming cobbled streets and discover different monuments. Start by passing the Porta da Vila, the main entrance of Obidos. You can visit its medieval castle, the main monument of the town. Obidos also has several churches, an aqueduct of 3 kilometers long and a museum. If you want, you can walk around the city walls.
After finishing your visit of Obidos, head to Peniche with your campervan. You can start by exploring the town center for more about Peniche. Then go to the beach famous for surfing. Don’t hesitate to take out your surfboard. You can also walk until Cap Carvoeiro with its special geological formations that offer a view of the ocean and the Berlengas islands.
If you have time, you can take the boat from Peniche to reach it. There is a departure every hour.
Day 7: Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and Cabo da Roca
You set off this morning for your last day of road trip starting from Lisbon. Before returning to Lisbon, you will discover the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, very famous in Portugal. First, visit the beautiful town of Sintra which is known for housing several palaces. You can start by visiting the Palacio Nacional de Sintra with its two conical chimneys; it has hosted the royal family until 1910 and is one of the most visited palaces in Portugal. Continue your visit of Sintra with the Castle of the Moors, a fortress from the Xth century, nestled among rocks and cliffs which offers a magnificent view up to the ocean.
Then head to the Palais de Pena, without doubt the most beautiful but also the most unusual is located on top of a hill and is the first romantic palace in Europe.
Afterwards, take the road along the coast and discover the magnificent Praia da Ursa (Bear Beach). You'll need to walk a little before reaching this beach, but it's really worth it.
Before returning home, finish with Cabo da Roca, the most western point of continental Europe. You’ll discover the splendid landscapes of the coast.
