Jeremy

It doesn’t take long after arriving in Portugal to realize that this is a food country. We knew a bit of this going in, but to be honest the sheer scale of Portugal’s vibrant food scene required us to visit to fully comprehend it. There is reading that it is a food country, and then there is experiencing it for yourself.

From the seafood dishes along the coast to the rich meat-centric meals inland, the vibrant wine country, and some pretty stellar national dishes, we found ourselves gorging and drinking copiously every chance we got.

While it is entirely possible to visit Portugal and never have the same meal twice during an extended visit, in this one we thought we would share a few of the highlights that you absolutely cannot miss (and may want to consider eating many times over)!

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As of 2022, the Fontecruz Lisboa looks like it is no longer associated with the Marriott brand. As such, our review may not be as accurate if any major changes have been made since our stay.

When it comes to hotels in major cities, we often find our experiences to be hit or miss as it is hard to balance prime location, price, and amenities.

A great room, with a stellar location, often comes at a high price. A cheaper room with a stellar location may be lacking in amenities. Or you have a great room with a stellar price point, but have to make a sacrifice on location to meet a budget.

At the The Marriott Fontecruz Lisboa, we felt like we got all three right in the heart of Lisbon. We really couldn’t have asked for much more at this one!

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Whenever we talked to other travelers who have visited Portugal, one of the first questions they would ask always was “Are you going to Sintra?”

It was almost comical how fast this question would come up.

The answer was, “of course we are going to Sintra”, and we went there on our second full day in Portugal. After visiting, we can see why this spot was such a highlight as it was a truly amazing day trip from Lisbon. 

In this one, we don’t want to convince you to go to Sintra. Odds are good you already have it on your agenda (although we’re going to talk about it a bit). Instead, we want to talk about the different Sintra day trip options you have and why taking the train may be the best option.

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When we impulsively decided to visit the Algarve in southern Portugal, we decided we would do it in style at Marriott’s Pine Cliffs Hotel.

Part of this is because when you’re at one of the most beautiful seasides in Europe, you probably want to stay somewhere with a view. The other part is that finding accommodations with a view in the Algarve is rather difficult!

The simple explanation for why this is an issue is because the beaches in the Algarve are backed by some of the most dramatic cliffs you’ll ever see. Due to this unique geography, hotels typically do not build directly on the beaches, but rather on top of the cliffs themselves and many are several blocks away near the main roads at that.

Finding properties at the edge of one of these cliffs with a prized view is easier said than done, and generally means you’re going to be paying a premium to stay at a resort and even more if you want a room with a view.

It was the best decision we made in the Algarve.

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