Portugal Other than the Algarve?

Portugal Other than the Algarve?

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Discussion

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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DB4DM said:
Riley, I suspect you were in Geres NP near the border with Spain. In Cascais, most of the best value restaurants are in or near Rua das Flores, or outside town along the Guincho beach road. Sintra is a must, especially the Pena Palace. Also the palace and monastery at Mafra. Is the car museum still open at Caramulo?

I enjoyed living in Cascais 87 and 88, and travelled all over. Before Portugal joined the EU in 88 and the money started flowing, road travel was not easy and with granite blocks the surface of choice, tyre life was shortened!
Geres rings a bell so I think you're right. I remember those granite block roads very well and also unmapped back roads that were the worst I've ever driven on, having improved little (if at all) in centuries.

There was a shrine in a church that had become a place of pilgrimage and round the church a polished rectangular path of stone - it had been polished by the knees of pilgrims as they shuffled their way round. Many of them were disabled or had incurable diseases, it was quite distressing to see.

Oilchange

8,422 posts

259 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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St Martinho do Porto has a special place in my heart


99 km north of Lisbon is this little town that I have holidayed in since 1969

chris7676

2,685 posts

219 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts. It's a plauge really.
Driving in the city is not bad at all either, in spite of many dramatic online posts.

Other that that you have very good beaches south of the bridge - Caparica area or the Atlantic north of Cascais. I actually found them quite similar to Algarve.

Robertj21a

16,475 posts

104 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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chris7676 said:
Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts. It's a plauge really.
Driving in the city is not bad at all either, in spite of many dramatic online posts.

Other that that you have very good beaches south of the bridge - Caparica area or the Atlantic north of Cascais. I actually found them quite similar to Algarve.
You'll get drug dealers virtually everywhere in the evenings nowadays, I've never thought that any part of Portugal was particularly bad in that regard.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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Robertj21a said:
chris7676 said:
Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts. It's a plauge really.
Driving in the city is not bad at all either, in spite of many dramatic online posts.

Other that that you have very good beaches south of the bridge - Caparica area or the Atlantic north of Cascais. I actually found them quite similar to Algarve.
You'll get drug dealers virtually everywhere in the evenings nowadays, I've never thought that any part of Portugal was particularly bad in that regard.
Pretty bad on the Algarve also
I’m pushing 60, but was offered a fair bit between the car park & restaurants in Vilamoura. Was with the better half too!

vaud

50,291 posts

154 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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chris7676 said:
Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts.
I went to Lisbon with a friend and we had a competition to see how often we were offered drugs on Rua Áurea and Rua da Prata... I think I won with 23 times in 30 mins.

loskie

5,145 posts

119 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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Jimboka said:
Robertj21a said:
chris7676 said:
Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts. It's a plauge really.
Driving in the city is not bad at all either, in spite of many dramatic online posts.

Other that that you have very good beaches south of the bridge - Caparica area or the Atlantic north of Cascais. I actually found them quite similar to Algarve.
You'll get drug dealers virtually everywhere in the evenings nowadays, I've never thought that any part of Portugal was particularly bad in that regard.
Pretty bad on the Algarve also
I’m pushing 60, but was offered a fair bit between the car park & restaurants in Vilamoura. Was with the better half too!
She's/He's/They're (delete as applicable) a bad influence that one!

Am I getting the hang of this pc nonsense

s2kjock

1,677 posts

146 months

Monday 26th October 2020
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vaud said:
chris7676 said:
Lisboa is really nice and interesting except for drug dealers as soon as Bairro Alto / the evening starts.
I went to Lisbon with a friend and we had a competition to see how often we were offered drugs on Rua Áurea and Rua da Prata... I think I won with 23 times in 30 mins.
Walked through the Bairro Alto a few times of an evening, albeit not that late, on a short break in February. Only offered drugs once, and felt a little disappointed I have to say. Clearly I'm not the demographic they are looking for.

I was much more concerned about pickpockets in the touristy areas.

Fantastic city, and hope to return once Covid allows.

andy43

9,552 posts

253 months

Monday 2nd November 2020
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Check stayclassydk out on YouTube. They’re visiting every corner of Portugal. Bit cute and cringey occasionally but they’re really highlighting what non-Algarve Portugal has to offer. One day....
Top 10 towns vid here -
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wMBtvmIQzhQ



Edited by andy43 on Monday 2nd November 20:29

Oilchange

8,422 posts

259 months

Monday 2nd November 2020
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Evora looks beautiful. No wonder Lotus liked the name