Portugal road trip: Porto to the Algarve

Portugal is long and narrow, which makes it ideal for a one-way road trip: fly into the north, fly out of the south. On the way lie two of Europe's finest cities, a wine region with terraces to the horizon, a university town, a fishing village and a walled hill town, the palaces of Sintra, the plains of the Alentejo and finally the rocky coves of the Algarve. This route takes 14 days, from Porto to Faro.

The route at a glance

Driving times: route calculation based on OpenStreetMap, without breaks. On the winding roads of the Douro Valley, in towns and with photo stops, add about a third.

1. Porto
2. Pinhão
3. Coimbra
4. Nazaré
5. Óbidos
6. Lisbon
7. Sintra
8. Évora
9. Lagos
10. Faro

Base map: Natural Earth

Days 1–3: Porto

Porto is a good start: compact, steep and covered in tiles. By the river lies the Ribeira district, whose old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the double-deck Dom Luís I bridge takes you across to Vila Nova de Gaia and its port wine lodges. Inside São Bento station, blue-and-white azulejos tell the country's history. Three days are enough for the city, a boat trip on the Douro and an evening by the Atlantic in Foz. You don't need the hire car in Porto – pick it up on the morning of day four.

Days 4–5: the Douro Valley and Coimbra

East of Porto begins the Douro Valley, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vine terraces climb the slopes while the river winds below. Your base for the night is Pinhão with its tiled railway station; quintas in the area offer wine tastings. The riverside N222 between Peso da Régua and Pinhão is especially beautiful.

On day five you head south to Coimbra. The university on the hill is one of the oldest in Europe and also a World Heritage Site; the baroque Joanina Library is its best-known room. Steep lanes lead down through the old town to the Mondego river.

Days 6–7: Nazaré, Óbidos and Lisbon

Nazaré is a fishing town with a long sandy beach. A funicular takes you up to the Sítio district with a view over the bay. To the north lies Praia do Norte, where some of the biggest waves ever measured are surfed in winter. A short detour leads to the monastery of Alcobaça, another World Heritage Site. Spend the night in the walled town of Óbidos – you can walk almost all the way round on the town wall, and in the evening it gets quiet once the day visitors have left.

On day seven it is only an hour to Lisbon. Return the hire car here: in the city it is a burden, and Sintra is easier by train.

Days 8–10: Lisbon and Sintra

Lisbon spreads over seven hills. In the Alfama narrow lanes lead to viewpoints over the Tagus, the old tram 28 rattles through the historic quarters, and in Belém stand the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, both UNESCO World Heritage. We have a ready-made plan for your days in the city.

Lisbon trip planDay by day, with map and tips

On day ten take the suburban train from Rossio station to Sintra. In the wooded hills stand the colourful Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and the Quinta da Regaleira estate with its initiation well. The palaces have timed entry and sell out fast in summer – book tickets in advance.

Days 11–12: the Alentejo and Évora

For the south, pick up a new hire car in Lisbon. Across the Tagus you enter the Alentejo: wide plains, cork oaks, white villages. Évora has a well-preserved old town inside its walls that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the middle of town stand the columns of a Roman temple, and in the church of São Francisco is the Capela dos Ossos, lined with bones.

Day twelve brings the longest leg, through the Alentejo to the Algarve – just over three hours of pure driving to Lagos.

Days 13–14: the Algarve

Around Lagos the Algarve shows its best-known side: cliffs of red-gold limestone, arches, grottoes and small coves. At Ponta da Piedade steps lead down to the water and boats go into the grottoes. Further east are Praia da Marinha and the Benagil cave, which you see from the water by boat or kayak. On the last day it is just over an hour to Faro airport.

Best time for a Portugal road trip

May, June and September are ideal: Lisbon is warm but not hot at 23 to 26 °C during the day, and it hardly rains. July and August are the driest months, but inland in the Alentejo it gets very hot and the Algarve is in peak season. From November to March it is mild but wetter – good for cities, less so for beach days.

Climate in Lisbon: 2015–2024 averages from the ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), rounded. Porto and the north are a little cooler and much wetter, the Algarve a little warmer and drier.

Good to know before you go

• Tolls: Many motorways charge tolls, and some only have electronic toll points with no booth. Ask the rental company for a transponder so tolls are billed automatically.
• One-way rental: Picking up in Porto and returning in Faro usually costs a one-way fee. Alternative: two separate rentals, Porto–Lisbon and Lisbon–Faro, with your Lisbon days car-free in between.
• Parking: In the old towns of Porto, Lisbon, Coimbra and Óbidos parking is scarce. Choose accommodation with parking or park on the edge.
• Entry and money: Portugal is in the EU and the Schengen Area, and the currency is the euro. EU and EEA mobile plans roam like at home.
• Flight: A direct flight from London to Porto takes approx. 2 hours, from Faro back to London approx. 3 hours.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

Create a trip in YesTrip with the stops of this route: the app shows every place on the map, uses AI to plan your days in Porto, Lisbon and Sintra and shows the weather for your travel days. The packing list suggests clothing to match the forecast – a jacket for evenings in the north in May, sun protection for the Alentejo in summer. If you travel with friends you can share the trip and the expenses in the app, and the offline map helps in the Douro Valley. For Porto and Lisbon there are our ready-made city plans.