Spain and Portugal are neighbors in the Iberian Peninsula, but despite the geographical and climatic proximity, economically, linguistically, and politically, they are completely different countries. Their inhabitants speak completely different languages, cook dissimilar dishes, drink different wines and swim in different seas and oceans. When planning to organize an excursion from Spain to Portugal during a beach holiday in the resorts of the Costa Brava or Costa Dorada, keep in mind that the journey can take quite a long time.
Classics of the genre
The usual scenario of a trip to two countries at once is the combined tours "Spain - Portugal", which take from 7 to 14 nights, depending on the program.
Such tours usually start in Madrid or Barcelona and the first day of the trip is devoted to a sightseeing tour of them. Then, from Barcelona, travelers move to the capital of Spain by night train, the next day they explore Toledo and spend the night in Merida.
Transit to Portugal includes stops at Evora and local attractions in the provincial capital of Alentejo. The tour participants arrive in Lisbon in the evening and go on a sightseeing tour the next morning.
The further program of stay in Portugal usually includes a trip to Porto, tasting in the wine cellars of Ferreira, walks along the Douro embankment, a visit to the 12th century Cathedral and the Clérigos Tower.
Returning to Spain, tourists continue their journey and get acquainted with the cities of Salamanca, Avila, Segovia.
Yourself with a mustache
Independent travelers, while relaxing on Spanish beaches, often quickly get tired of lazy doing nothing. They want new experiences and decide to take an excursion from Spain to Portugal.
If the starting point of the expedition is one of the Mediterranean resorts in Spain, then it is best to fly to Lisbon or Porto by plane. The distances from the Costa Brava or Costa Dorada to Portugal are very long and it can take too long to travel by land. For example, from Barcelona to Lisbon - almost 1300 km and the journey in a rented car can take more than 12 hours, even without stopping.
But if you are planning to start a motor rally in Salamanca, Spain, then in Porto, for example, your crew will be able to disembark after 5 hours, covering 360 km separating them with comfort and a breeze.
What to see in Portugal?
If you have enough time, don't just stop at Lisbon's attractions and Porto wine cellars:
- From the capital, it is easy and quick to get to Cascais, a city of surfers and breathtaking ocean landscapes. It is here that the Devil's Mouth cliff is located, from which the coolest photos of the waves of the Portuguese Atlantic were taken. Train timetables from Lisbon to Cascais and ticket prices are here - www.cp.pt/passageiros/pt.
- From Cascais, travel to Sintra, a city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A bus with tickets for 12 EUR departs from the basement car park of the shopping center, which is located opposite the Cascais train station.
- Staying for a day in Albufeira means enjoying the ocean waves and golden beaches to the fullest. The resort, of course, is elite, but you can stay not in an expensive hotel, but in a room that a Portuguese hostess will rent to you.
By the way, you shouldn't rush to Porto either. The surrounding area is full of wineries, and if you have someone to drive your rental car, you can enjoy a tasting of local wines, which, according to connoisseurs, is the soul of the vine. The price of the issue in each winery is from 15 to 25 euros.
