Douro River, Portugal
Ask us where to go in Portugal, and we won’t stop at the Algarve. We’re just as excited by the Douro’s wine estates, Lisbon’s art and pastries, and the landscapes of Madeira. We’d build your trip around a few of these places, with experiences that give you more than beautiful photographs to bring home.
Top Left & Right: Lisbon, Portugal | Bottom Left: Douro River, Portugal
Porto’s dining scene deserves your attention, with four restaurants earning their first Michelin stars in 2026. We’d pair a few nights in the city with time in the Douro Valley, making wine as much a part of the trip as food. A river cruise is a wonderful introduction to those terraced vineyard views, but adding a few nights on land leaves room for private visits to quintas, or wine estates, and long lunches overlooking the vines.
Lisbon has its own pleasures, including custard tarts at Pastéis de Belém and an afternoon exploring MUDE, the city’s design museum. From there, spend time walking through Chiado and Baixa with a guide who can uncover the stories behind Lisbon’s tiled façades and intricate black-and-white stone pavements.
Left: Melides, Portugal | Right: Sublime Comporta
Comporta’s appeal goes well beyond its beautiful beaches. Explore the dunes on horseback, cycle beside rice fields, or dine in a converted horse stable where the original stalls frame the restaurant. Its newest villas bring thoughtful design to the landscape, with wood-and-glass living spaces tucked among umbrella pines. We’d recommend a private-pool villa for families and friends who want room to gather, with the restaurants and services of a luxury hotel close at hand.
Top Left: Madeira, Portugal | Bottom Left: Reid's Palace, Madeira | Right: Vermelho Melides
A stay around Melides is a starting point for exploring the Alentejo’s villages, wineries, and historic towns. Évora becomes a European Capital of Culture in 2027, giving you another reason to venture inland. We can help shape your travel dates around the cultural program.
Madeira adds a little island adventure to your Portugal trip. Follow its levadas, historic irrigation channels winding through UNESCO-listed laurel forest, or swap your hiking boots for a swim in Porto Moniz’s natural lava-rock pools. In Funchal, a specialist tasting in one of the city’s historic cellars can introduce you to Madeira wines aged for decades, and sometimes much longer.
Let’s give Portugal a place on your calendar, not just your wish list.