If you wanted to follow the pilgrimage walks through the north or do some hiking through the natural parks in the north or the mountains now is a great time before it gets too hot in the height of summer.
Make sure you shop around, the package deals are really not coming up to scratch against doing it yourself and shopping around. Whilst the no frills airlines get a lot of stick, if you can travel light and are not worried about luxury for a couple of hours Easyjet really do still have some bargains. If you can travel out of peak times and if you are going to Lisbon or Porto the flights tend to be cheaper than Faro.
Even if you are going to the Algarve, we’ve found driving in Portugal very enjoyable and it’s a lovely way to see the country and stop off places you wouldn’t normally. I would suggest taking a cheaper flight north and drive south, its not a big country and you’ll be so glad you did, there is so much more to see than just the Algarve even if that is your final destination. Our parents drive a huge motorhome through the whole of Portugal and they are 75, so if they can do it anyone can, driving is a pleasure over there.
Accommodation deals do it yourself…look off the beaten track and you’ll get great rates for good and even luxurious surroundings. There is nothing better than stopping somewhere different each night after seeing the sights, but doing it in a bit of style (I’m not a camper or motorhomer!!!), you can achieve this in Portugal with out breaking the bank. Just plot yourself a route and search those hotels, guaranteed you’ll find what you are looking for at the right price. A few examples I’ve found of places for £25 – £65 per room per night, many including breakfast, bear in mind you can pay more than this for a Travelodge type room in UK per night.
Located near the lovely spa town of Chaves in the north east is the 4 star hotel Rural Casas Novas, it’s a beautiful example of an old Portuguese building retaining its external original architecture with a modern revamp of luxury inside with a spa, rooms starting from £46 per night for 2 with breakfast, consider I paid £77 for a Premier Inn in Birmingham recently there’s no comparison!
In the centre of Coimbra, the ancient roman town is an ultra modern hotel Tryp Coimbra, it looks a bit like a shopping centre…. all glass from the outside but don’t be fooled its modern, clean and comfortable and from £36 per room for 2 you can’t go wrong.
Just north from here in the small spa town of Curia is the Curia Palace spa and golf resort set in 14 acres of grounds. It’s a refurbished former Art nouveau glitzy resort from the 1920’s, a touch of luxury from £59 per night for a double room with breakfast and a view!
So if you are prepared to do a bit of surfing on the net, you really can find lots of hidden gems away from the tourist hotspots for such good deals, what are you waiting for, there’s so much to see in sunny Portugal.
