Olá Adventure: The Best Way to Explore Portugal? Here Are Your Top 3 Options
Lisbon’s Manueline monuments, the Douro Valley vineyards, Porto’s old wine cellars, Madeira’s levadas… the pores of Portugal are adventure packed. But when every corner turn or hill crest reveals a new wonder, how do you ever choose an adventure? Well, style matters.
Three Unforgettable Ways to Explore Portugal
We offer Portugal holidays for every type of adventurer and finding a travel style to suit you will maximise your enjoyment. Here are three options to consider when you want to know the best way to explore Portugal.
1. City Hop From Porto to Lisbon
Roughly one-fifth the size of neighbouring Spain, Portugal’s compact footprint makes it easy to jump from one great European city to the next. Cultural treasures are guaranteed – without long road journeys.
Take our eight-day Highlights of Portugal trip. You start in Porto, discovering ancient streets and medieval lanes, before diving into a historic cellar for a port wine tasting. Move to the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley for lunch and wine in an 18th-century estate, before touring the student city of Coimbra, home to the second-oldest university in Europe.
Next is the surfing idyll of Nazaré and the fortified village of Óbidos. Finally, it’s to Lisbon, where you discover one of Europe’s great capitals, visiting landmarks and, if you’d like, enjoying traditional fado folk music. Yes, Portugal may be relatively small, but its city-hopping adventures are big.
Highlights of Portugal
Porto to Lisbon via UNESCO Douro Valley and Portugal's cultural highlights
2. Hike the Subtropical Island of Madeira
There are many glorious destinations for a hiking tour in Portugal, arguably none more so than the subtropical island of Madeira. It’s a land of geological drama, shaped by volcanic activity and warmed by the Portuguese sun.
Mighty peaks pierce the clouds, wild beaches hug the edge, and more than 1,000 miles of levadas (Madeiran aqueducts) run through the middle, providing plenty of scenic walks. Explore the best bits on our eight-day adventure, Walking the Island of Madeira.
You’ll hike the most beautiful levadas, watch sunrise from Pico Arieiro, one of the island’s highest mountains, and walk through the mystical Fanal Forest, where the twisted trees look like they’re plucked from a fairytale.
Also dip into the unique culture of Funchal, the island capital, where you can choose to join an unforgettable whale-watching trip – the nearby waters are frequented by 28 whale and dolphin species.
Walking the Island of Madeira
Explore the verdant landscapes on one of Portugal’s most scenic islands
3. Cycle the Atlantic Coast
Beautiful landscapes, good infrastructure and a pleasant climate, particularly either side of summer, make Portugal cycling tours a dream. For the leisurely cyclist, it’s the coastal routes that call the loudest – and with some 1,115 miles of that, there’s plenty to explore.
Our Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride is one of our best-loved adventures, a winning combination of seaside bliss and standout guides, including our latest Leader of the Year winner, João Colaço.
This is an Exodus adventure, so expect the extraordinary. You’ll start in historic Porto (port wine tasting included), before riding the Atlantic coastline, stopping to explore pretty seaside towns and the protected natural reserve of the São Jacinto dunes. There’s also time to soothe achy muscles on the beach, before finishing in Lisbon – a glamorous end to an unforgettable adventure.
Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride
Follow scenic forest and ocean-side paths as you cycle the Atlantic coast of Portugal
Why Small-Group Adventures Are the Best Way to Explore Portugal
Yes, you can explore independently, but the advantages of small-group adventures like our Portugal tours bring so much reward. There’s a lot to see here, which means hours of itinerary building before you go if you want to do it properly. Exodus does that work for you, meaning you’ll get to see the highlights at the best times and visit lesser-visited wonders hand-picked by our local experts.
Of course, you’ll have an expert local guide leading the way, illuminating each new experience with their insight and humour, while the chance to share the tour with a small group of like-minded individuals only increases your enjoyment. Doesn’t port taste that much better when you’re sharing it with friends?
Additionally, if you’re looking for a more active adventure, hiking or cycling perhaps, then a route pre-planned for you and the added safety elements of an experienced tour company like ours means less time wondering what’s ahead, more time enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Portugal.
