First road trip in Portugal, done!

So my friend Jules bought a new car from a dealership in Porto, prices tend to be much cheaper there. She needed to drive it down and we thought it would be a fun road trip so we flew up and road tripped down. I love road trips and I am always excited to see new areas of Portugal. We flew from the Faro airport, which is only about 30 minutes away from Tavira. We hopped on a quick 45 minute flight, which only cost €16, up to Porto. From the Porto airport, we took the metro to the city center to grab lunch. We ate at A Sandeira do Porto. I had a delicious salad, Jules had a sandwich, and we shared some fries. It was good and they had a couple gluten free options.  From there we made a quick stop at Com Cuore, which is a gluten free establishment. I wanted to get a Pastel de Nata, which is a famous Portuguese dessert, but they were out so I didn’t get anything. We hopped on the train to the car dealership and off we went. (by the way, buying a car in Portugal is a much faster process than it is in the states. You are usually in and out within an hour.) From there we drove to our first stop, Aveiro.

We decided to spend 2 nights in Aveiro since we wouldn’t be arriving until the evening. We got a room at Aveiro Rossio Lodge. It was a decent, comfortable room and had a large bathroom. It was a good price and centrally located to the town square. We ate dinner at Neca’s House. I had a fantastic plate of grilled salmon and potatoes. From there we had a drink at Mestre Cervejeiro. It was a lively bar with live music. 

The next morning we had an Instagramy brunch at M Bakery Aveiro. It was the absolute cutest restaurant that looked as it was created with social media in mind. There were flowers adorning the walls and pink and gold decor and accents. All the food was trendy, mostly pink and beautiful. There was a huge pastry case with gorgeous desserts, breads and pastries. They even had a couple gluten free options. We ordered a few different things but most notably, a Morgadinho de Noz, which was like little almond pancakes with the traditional egg yolk cream of Aveiro, and a Pink Latte.

After breakfast we visited the Museum of Aveiro, which is housed in a convent that was built in 1458 where Saint Princess Joanna lived. She was the daughter of King D. Alfonso V. She is an important part of Portuguese and Catholic history and her tomb is still in the convent 

We had originally planned to ride the Moliceiros, which are similar to gondolas, around the canals of the city and do some more exploring but it was raining. So instead we went to the mall. 

For dinner we got to eat good Mexican food!!!! We went to Un Poco Loco. We had enchiladas, birria and carnitas tacos, and of course margaritas. We also had dessert, a mocha panna cotta with chocolate pop rocks and their version of a churro with chocolate. It was small layers of fried corn tortillas with cinnamon and sugar and chocolate. Everything was absolutely delicious and it was all gluten free! 

The next morning we headed down to Obidos. Obidos is a small town but it is full of history. By the time the Romans settled in the area in the town had already been established. It still has the well preserved Roman Castle and city walls that you can actually walk atop. Within the walls are shops and restaurants filled with local specialties, especially the Ginjinha de Obidos (or Ginja) which is a sour cherry brandy that is typically drunk out of chocolate shot cups. It’s a must try in Portugal. We ate lunch at JamonJamon. The staff was incredibly nice and personable. The waiter went through the entire menu and marked every item as whether or not it was gluten free. We had pork cheeks, fried potato skins, and a plate with fries, jamon and fried eggs. It was a top rated restaurant in Obidos and it was easy to see why. Everything was great and it was very affordable.

After exploring Obidos, we made our way down to Lisbon. The countryside of Portugal is absolutely stunning. The roads are lined with vineyards and groves of olive and orange trees and there are rolling hills, green and lush as far as you can see. The country keeps so much of the traditional architecture and it’s just gorgeous to look at. I am continuously amazed that I live in this breathtakingly beautiful country. 

We spent the night with friends in Lisbon and of course drank a lot of wine. The next day we headed home. It was a pretty short drive and it was super easy. 

My first road trip in Portugal was wonderful. I love exploring this country. I love all the cool places I get to explore. They are all filled with so much history and are so full of great food and wine. I can’t wait to travel to all the other areas and road trips are such a fun way to do that!

For even more pics of the road trip, check out my Instagram @vegas.to.portugal