I took this trip in April 2023. I was excited to return and see more of Portugal after visiting Lisbon years before. I created an itinerary to try to explore some different places and make the most out of my limited time here, but I still hope to come back to Porto and experience more time and places in Portugal! I have a special love for all things Portugal, but adding an Azores stopover really took this trip to the next level.

My Itinerary

Day 1- Sao Miguel Island (Azores)- Arrived 7am in Sao Miguel, half day tour of Sete Cidades, class at the Gin Library

Day 2- Sao Miguel Island (Azores)- East Side Full day island tour

Day 3- Sao Miguel Island & Travel Day to Porto- Lunch at A Tasca in Sao Miguel, depart 4pm to Porto for evening arrival

Day 4- Porto- Explore city neighborhoods, World of Wine exhibits, enjoy a Port & tonic outside at Sandeman

Day 5- Porto- Self-guided tour of Taylor’s Port House with lunch

Day 6- Douro Valley (Pinhao)- Travel day to Pinhao via train, check in at Quinta de la Rosa and enjoy vineyard tour and dinner

Day 7- Douro Valley (Pinhao)- Tour other quintas in Pinhao, boat ride

Day 8- Porto- Travel back to Porto via train, check into hotel on the other side of the city, explore the park

Day 9- Porto- Last day to enjoy the city

Tips & Highlights

I flew in using SATA, Azores airlines, which allowed me to do a stopover in Sao Miguel Island, which was one of my favorite travel experiences ever. The Azores includes several island, but Sao Miguel is the largest, referred to as the “Green island” for it’s beautiful green, lush environment. I can’t recommend this place highly enough. I only stayed for 2 nights (2.5 days), but I gratefully managed to pack a lot into my time here. I stayed at the Hotel Talisman in Ponta Delgada, which was clean and comfortable with a spacious room, centrally located, and included an extensive breakfast buffet. I would definitely stay here if I came again! I flew overnight, so I arrived (only about 5 hours from NYC) very early in the morning, took a cab to drop off my luggage at my hotel, and met my half day tour to explore the gorgeous west side of the island and the Sete Cidades. I generally use tours at a limited capacity, but I think tours are an important part of visiting this particular island, especially since the tour guides are local people sharing such a wealth of information about their home. Later in the evening, I went to the Gin Library (apparently housing the second largest Gin collection in the world) where I took a class about the history of Gin and tried some cocktails – it was unique and fun, and set in a beautiful estate in a more rural area of the island. (I setup a cab to drive me both ways- cabs were fairly easy to access from Ponta Delgada.) During my second day on the island, I took a full day tour to explore the East side of the island, including Furnas and thermal spas. The landscapes were absolutely gorgeous, and so different from the west side of the island. It was fun to visit the thermal springs and see different restaurants cooking their stews under the ground. Later in the day, we even got to eat lunch at one of those restaurants and try the delicious outcome. On my last day, I took a nice walk to explore more around Ponta Delgada and the waterside, then I had an amazing lunch at A Tasca before departing in the late afternoon. The airport was small but pleasant, and easy to access by cab from Ponta Delgada. I really hope to come back to the Azores sometime!

I flew from the Azores to Porto, then took the metro from the airport directly to the city center and walked to my hotel (I stayed at NH Porto Batalha for 3 nights), arriving around 9pm and quickly calling it a night. During my second day in Porto, I explored more of the city and visited some exhibits at the World of Wine, a pretty modern and new wine museum center located in the midst of the port houses. It was a nice experience. I also enjoyed trying a Port and tonic drink outside at Sandeman’s. The next day, I toured Taylor’s Port House (you should reserve a tour at one or more of the port houses ahead of time) and then had a beautiful lunch at the Michelin restaurant on site.

I took the train to Pinhao in the Douro Valley, where I spent two nights staying at the vineyards of Quinta de la Rosa. My room was beautiful, and it overlooked the river. It was really a treat to stay here. I toured the vineyard and had a tasting there with other travelers, most of who were also staying on site. Later, I had dinner at their restaurant Cozinho do Clara, which was a bit rich but delicious food. The next day, I took a boat ride to explore more of the area and walked around Pinhao. I would have toured another quinta/vineyard, but unfortunately I was not feeling so well.

After two nights at the peaceful and gorgeous Quinta de la Rosa, I was ready to go back to the city and approach Porto from the other side of the city. This time I stayed at the Torel Avantgarde hotel which was absolutely gorgeous. I walked around the park and explored more parts of the city.

Restaurants I Loved…

• A Tasca– (Sao Miguel)- This food was incredible. I highly recommend eating here, you have to make a reservation to get a table because it gets very busy.
• Tapabento– (Porto)- Creative cuisine, I had to line up outside this restaurant before it opened (with others) in order to get a seat at the bar. Delicious, though!
• Barao Fladgate– (Porto, at Taylor’s) The fine dining restaurant at Taylor’s Port House. They have a pre-fixe lunch menu with a great value, but they didn’t offer it up until I requested it!
• Cafe Santiago– (Porto)- If you want to try the franchescina!
• Casa Guedes– (Porto)- Amazing pork sandwich, casual spot
• Xau Laura– (Porto)- Laid back spot with amazing food a little off the center in Porto

Next time?

Next time I’d like to go to the Serralves art museum in Porto- I was sad that I didn’t make it over there. I would also like to visit other smaller cities in Portugal like Guimeraes. I stayed at some nice hotels during this trip to Portugal, but I would look into Airbnbs to possibly find a better value if I returned to Porto. In other locations, Portugal’s “pousada” collection is worth looking into. I’d also definitely return to the Azores and explore more of Portugal’s islands, as well as Madiera.