Reflections: Developing Mastery of a Place

If we have ever developed deep expertise on any country, Portugal is one of the places we truly know the best. One of Syllogi’s Co-Founders lives part-time in Portugal, and this feature is the result of years of intense exploration from its cities and small villages, to the mountains and the sea. In fact, we have been to all 18 of the country’s continental districts, more than most native Portuguese residents. This feature is a sampling of our master list of great intel for navigating everything Portugal, especially places outside of the ever-popular Lisbon and the Algarve.

It’s September, and in just a few weeks, we’re about to begin grape harvest in Portugal’s wine regions. Mini trucks piled high with grapes will be traversing the Douro Valley’s winding roads. And shortly thereafter, some of the wineries will offer traditional lagarada or grape-stomping (think the iconic “I Love Lucy” episode) to a few lucky tourists who will join in with other vineyard employees making the year’s batch. Fall is a wonderful time to visit, as is the other shoulder season in April and May, periods which buffer the wet winter climate, and the popular, hot summer.

There’s something completely entrancing about this place, and for years it’s been a forgotten sister to its Southern European cousins. But now, Portugal is on everybody’s list. And we mean everybody. To see the explosion of tourists in the Lisbon airport over the last several years has been astounding. Accordingly, to expertly navigate the crowds and balance those gems that have yet to be discovered, listen closely – these are our favorite places that haven’t hit the limelight quite yet; or if they have, they’re worth the effort. 

For the first-time visitors who come to visit our house, they will take the traditional itinerary: first, it’s Lisbon for a few days, and then it’s Porto. And then, they come to our small seaside village in the far North. When they arrive, we always ask which city they liked better. You might be surprised that Porto takes the prize nearly each and every time. One guest uttered it just as we might ourselves: “I don’t know what it is, but there’s just something about Porto…” Not to say that Lisbon isn’t truly remarkable either. But then, our guests discover the Portuguese countryside, and they’re suddenly looking at real estate themselves. Perhaps we’ve been dazzled by the sunsets, the sound of the sea, the colorful tiles, the friendly welcome, the food and the wine, the affordability, the accessibility of it all. If you haven’t yet been, come see it for yourself. We truly cannot recommend it enough.

Photo Credit: Syllogi