Top 10 Romantic Days in Portugal for Couples

Romantic does not mean expensive. In Portugal it usually means being in the right place at the right hour, with nothing scheduled straight afterwards. Ten days that fit that description.

## The ten 1. Sintra gardens in the morning mist, before the buses arrive. 2. Cabo da Roca at sunset, with the coast road back towards Cascais afterwards. 3. A Douro Valley viewpoint at Casal de Loivos, late afternoon, when the terraces turn gold. 4. A river hour between Regua and Pinhao, sitting on deck with a glass of white port. 5. Praca do Comercio in Lisbon at dusk, then the walk up Rua Augusta. 6. The Gaia riverside in Porto, with the bridge lit and the city on the other side. 7. Comporta and its rice fields and pine woods, an hour south of Lisbon. 8. The Alentejo plains around Monsaraz, where the sky is the attraction. 9. Sagres and the cliffs at the end of the Algarve, quieter than the resort coast. 10. Any long unhurried lunch with a view, which is the most underrated romantic activity in the country.

## Timing notes The best light in Portugal is the hour after sunrise and the two hours before sunset. Mid-afternoon at a monument is the worst combination of heat and crowds. Plan the famous sites early and keep the beautiful views for the end of the day.

May, June, September and October give warm days, cool evenings and manageable crowds. August is the busiest month everywhere on the coast.

## Making it a trip Couples usually do best with three bases rather than five: Lisbon, the Douro or Porto, and one slower place. A private day means you can stay somewhere longer because you liked it, which is the whole point.

Tell us your dates and what you want more of, views, wine, coast or quiet, and we will shape the days around that.