Portugal Roadtrip Itnerary

Our most recent roadtrip was in Portugal. We got a notion as we always do to pack in as much as we could during October midterm (perks of going out with a teacher! I want to share with you how we did and give you some inspo for your next roadtrip. 

Before we get started, you should head over to my Iceland Roadtrip Itinerary. I've included some tips for when you rent a car abroad and also why I think renting a car is always a good idea on holidays. You can have a read of that here. 

National Palace of Pena, Sintra

Day 1: 

- Get a late night flight from Cork to Faro. By doing a late flight it means you can still work that day, it'll be one less holiday day you need to worry about!

- Stay in Roots Hotel. 

Day 2: 

- Stroll around Faro. 

- Have brunch in Chelsea cafe. 

- Head back to the airport to collect your rental car to start the roadtrip. 

- You're going to head to the Benagil area and see Praia de Marinha. You'll also see the sea arches and the Seven Hanging Valleys at this one stop. 

- Hop back into the car and drive to Algar Seco, make sure to see the cave. 

- Your last stop of the day will be in the Alvor region, Praia de Joao de Arens. 

- Stay in Cascade Wellness Resort. 

Day 3: 

- Go for brunch in Black and White in Lagos. 

- Explore Lagos town. 

- Get a boat tour in the afternoon to see Benagil Cave as you can only access it via the water. We booked ours fairly last minute on Get Your Guide. 

- Watch the sunset at Miradouro da Praia do Canavi. 

- Finish the evening with some dinner in lagos and ice cream in Gelicia for dessert. 

- Stay in Cascade Wellness Resort.

Praia da Rainha, Cascais

Day 4: 

- Today will be your big drive day so make sure to hit the road early. 

- We made the route even longer by stopping the gorgeous Zambujeira do Mar and seeing the Praia do Carvalhal. This isn't a necessary detour but we did it because I know my Dad would have loved to see this little town. 

- Head straight out to Sintra and visit the National Palace of Pena and Castelo dos Mouros. Make sure to get your tickets in advance. 

- Parking was a bit of a nightmare here because most people would do a day trip from Lisbon. We parked on the street close to Sintra town itself and got a taxi up to the Castle and a tuk tuk back down. Make sure you have cash on you to do this. 

- Have a stroll around Sintra town before you head to your hotel for the night. 

- Stay in Artsy Cascais

Day 5: 

- Have a gorgeous breakfast in the hotel and a dip in the rooftop pool before exploring Cascais. 

- Make sure to see Santa Marta beach and Praia da Rainha. 

- Head to Lisbon airport to drop off the car, there is no need for it once you get to Lisbon the public transport is fab and taxis are so cheap. 

- Stroll up the tram 28 line through the Alfama area. 

- Watch the sunset from Castelo de Sao Jorge. 

- Have dinner in Time Out Market. 

- Stay in Browns Avenue Hotel. 

Day 6: 

- Go to Dear Breakfast in Alfama for brunch. 

- Stroll around Baixa de Lisboa area and see the Arco da Rua Agusta. 

- Walk up to Bairro Alto and end up strolling down the Pink Street. 

- Have a chill at the pool in the hotel before going to the Icon Rooftop for sunset drinks. Make sure to make a booking, it does have a minimum spend but it's so worth it for the views. 

- Have dinner in Sophia. 

- Stay in Browns Avenue Hotel. 

Sunset views from Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon

Day 7: 

- Have breakfast in Zenith brunch. 

- Get a taxi out to LX Factory to have a stroll and do some shopping. 

- Walk down to the Ponte 25 de Abril, there are fab views down by the port. 

- Have dinner in Coyo Taco. 

- Stay in Browns Avenue Hotel. 

Day 8: 

- Get a metro to the airport and fly Lisbon to Dublin. We decided to do it this way rather than drive back to Faro to be able to fly to Cork. Hopefully they bring a Lisbon flight to Cork soon!

So there you have it, how we did our Portugal roadtrip!