Over the years I had been hearing so many positive things about Portugal, so I decided to do some research and after a very short time, I was ready to pack my bags.

I decided, I would book the trip in September to celebrate my birthday while capturing some good pics and some time enjoying the nightlife. Portugal was the perfect spot for just that, as Portugal is a very scenic photogenic country and the nightlife is full of bars and clubs to enjoy an adult beverage and party the night away. There are also a good amount of places to do some shopping or enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants scattered all over the city. The weather was sunny and warm everyday I was there, which gave me the opportunity to explore the city and enjoy the various activities around town. My initial impression was it reminded me of Spain (Barcelona or Italy) to a certain extent.

I spent 3 days between Lisbon, Sintra and briefly in Caixias, I will share my activities I for each day

Day 1 Lisbon

Tour of Lisbon

My first day was spent in Lisbon; after the seemingly long commute to the hotel from the airport and getting checked in, I was ready to venture out into the city and hit the streets. But first, I needed to eat an authentic meal. There are more than enough different varieties of restaurants to enjoy a meal in Lisbon. You have your basic fast food types, American-style restaurants, and of course, your traditional Portuguese cuisines.

So for my first meal in Portugal, I chose the Time Out market, a food court-style mini-mall of sorts. It features all types of foods to choose from, from desserts and drinks to a good steak or local dishes. Since I had been traveling all day, I wanted my first meal to be something familiar, something that would guarantee satisfaction, so I went with the American dish. I chose the bacon cheeseburger (I know, right, how stereotypical). After my meal I road around the city on those little electric scooters parked all around town, I felt like this wasn't the safest way to travel, but it was the most fun. Riding/ cruising through the city on my scooter with my music blasting through my AirPods was a great way to do some impromptu site seeing. There is a lot to see, from the fantastic views of St. George's castle. The Se cathedral, Ponte 25 de Abril is basically their version of the SF bridge, it looks just like it. Or if scooters aren't your thing, the tram is another excellent way to see the sites.

My first night I spent wandering around the world-famous Pink Street, which can be described as an alleyway with a street that is literally painted pink, lol. It's filled with plenty of bars and restaurants, a great place to have happy hour, dinner with friends or just people watch. There are all types of street art displayed on the walls of buildings and on the grounds that make "Pink Street" worth a visit during your stay in Lisbon.

Day 2 Tour of Sintra

I spent my day on a tour of Sintra City and most notably Pena Palace; all I can say is bring your best camera because the views are amazing!. You can get some great IG pics and stories there because if you are not doing it for the "gram," why are you doing it? Pena Palace is, well a palace but it looks like a palace straight out of a Disney movie. The vibrant colors make for some eye-catching photos. The inside is nice, too but you can't take pics there so its not worth talking about. But seriously the inside has some nice medieval furniture and artwork.

Palace of Pena — **Pena Palace**

Sintra City

Stop 2 on tour was Cape Saint Vincent which can best be described as (wow!) or picturesque. It's A lighthouse on the coast of Portugal; the whole area is camera-friendly. We didn't have much time there, but if you visit on your own time, you can have a picnic or just chill and enjoy the scenery.

The final stop was Caxias which is more of a marina, port, or waterfront spot. You have a lovely beach, chic bars, restaurants, monuments, and statues to look at; if you want to ride on a yacht, this is the place to do it. It's safe to say this is the rich part of town. Overall a great tour and a must-do while in Portugal; however, I would suggest using a private driver to experience this tour. The typical trip advisor type of tour doesn't give you enough time to enjoy each location, or if you want to just get an idea of what to do or where to go in Portugal, I will do this tour on the first day. You can know where to hang out for the remainder of your trip.

Day 3

I hung out in the Barrios Altos district on my last night in Lisbon. This is the turn-up/party part of town. If you get here around 10pm, you can stay out until sunrise, just eating, drinking, and messing around. It’s literally a bunch of bars, clubs, and restaurants up and down the alleyways, like narrow alleyways that you would never walk down by yourself in America. During the day, Barrios Altos is an excellent location if you want to do some shopping while you are here. They have shopping malls, high-end clothing stores, and just about everything you want.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately I want to come back, and I don’t typically revisit places, but there was so much I didn’t get to see, so much I didn’t experience and photograph. Portugal is now one of my favorite places to visit and is officially on my “I can retire here” list, along with Cape town and Barcelona.

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