I spend my winter days wrapped up in a cotton blanket with two pairs of socks on and a cup of ginger green tea glued to my hand. While I can conveniently use these miserably slushy days to catch up on my real work, there is no denying that I’m not craving some fun in the sun while I sit here watching pedestrians pass by my window bundled in winter gear fighting the rain storms (on a daily basis).
So, while I’m not quite done playing catch up on work, I’ve decided to do some daydreaming while sharing a little bit of my research with you! According to blogs, newspapers and review sites, I’ve come up with 5 awesome Portugal holidays that I would like to take once I’ve finished up my work.
5 Beautiful Portugal Holidays for Your Winter Blues
1. Algarve’s Hidden Coves
While the Algarve’s are generally known for the over populated beaches, numerous golf courses and sky rise Portugal holidays hotels, there are many gems within the area that have only been explored by a few. Here’s a couple places I’m adding to my bucket list:
– Visit Alcoutim’s secret river beach
– Hike up for a beautiful view from Foia
– Find the Pego do Inferno waterfall
Photo Credit: Falcon Holidays
2. The Porto Wine Culture
I’ve already visited Porto on a romantic long weekend getaway once before and I think it’s about time I consider taking a trip back. I’ve walked the beautiful and hilly cobble stone streets, tried the local port wine, but next time I’d like to explore a few green spots along the way.
3. Exploring Douro Valley
I’ve heard about this place quite a few times before and it never seems to sound any less enchanting. Once you’re there, there are opportunities to visit local wine villages, join in on the harvesting and event spend the night in a wine hotel! Sounds like my kind of winter getaway!
Photo Credit: Mat’s Eye
4. Medeira’s Volcano Escapades
The actual island of Medeira itself is situated on top of a massive volcano about 20,000 feet from sea level. While many people expect to arrive to the island with a stunning view of the volcanic shield, it actually takes some exploring to dig up the history from millions of years ago, while getting an awesome view of the island.
Photo Credit: Alex
5. The Romantic Castles of Sintra
If you know me well enough, castles are my weakness… since I’ve been living in Germany, I’ve actually created an entire Fairy Tale Route of my own! Sintra is a small town just outside of Lisbon that is well known as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The first few stops I’d like to make is to the National Palace of Sintra, Pena Palace and of course Castelo Dos Mouros!
Photo Credit: Kyle Taylor
While some warmer holiday destinations can get a little rainy in the winter months, Portugal is one of the places that spares you from packing an umbrella as they only get about seven days of rain in the worst of months. Great #winterblues holiday destination? I think so!
Do you have any other romantic, charming, quaint or secret destinations around Portugal that you’d suggest to visit during the winter? Let us know in the comment section below!
