This was our second time visiting Spain and our first time in Portugal- and a road trip that spanned close to 2000 km across 7 days. Driving for nearly 20 hours was a breeze and the VW Golf rental car (relatively smaller and automatic) allowed us to easily visit all the spots with ease. A map of major locations on this trip is here.
Day 1 Madrid to Lisbon - Aug 8
We took a redeye from Newark to Madrid- boarded the plane at 7pm. 6 hours later, we were in Madrid, where it was already 9am...maybe not the smartest of ideas given we had a 8+ hour drive in an unknown country but all worked out in the end! We had packed smart with our many packing cubes in two duffel bags. A quick stop to rent our vehicle and then a stop to get travel wifi for Portugal specifically. Our TMobile worked just fine in Spain!
Our first stop was Talavera de la Reina in Spain, renowned for its ceramics and pottery. Here we had a lovely sit-down lunch, strolled through the streets, and visited the ceramic museum.
Our next stop was Merida in Spain, famous for its Roman ruins, including a well-preserved amphitheater and theater. It was very hot and we only survived for a little bit on our self-guided tour. Ice cream and lemonade refreshed on our way back to the car...a small stroll felt like eternity in the intense 100 degree heat. Thankfully, rest of our trip had perfect weather
In the evening, we reached Évora in Portugal. A UNESCO World Heritage site with well-preserved Roman and medieval architecture, including the Roman Temple and the Chapel of Bones. A very walkable city, Evora did not disappoint. With many cafes and restaurants and al fresco dining, we chose a pizza place for our meal. From here we drove straight to our hotel Moxy Lisbon City and called it a night. Lisbon was one of the two places where we had a two-night stay each! The room was a perfect family room that slept all four of us!
The funniest conversation was with Harshal, Arya and Atharva trying to communicate with two street sweepers on parking logistics.
Day 2- Lisbon Day Tour to Sintra - Aug 9
Day trip and back to Moxy (full day with 2 hrs of drive)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KuEKU9SfXKX5A3tYA
Day trip from Lisbon to the historic and beautiful towns of Sintra and Cascais
- UNESCO-listed Pena Palace and Sintra Village
- UNESCO-listed Quinta da Regaleira
- The cliffs of Roca Cape, the westernmost point of continental Europe
- A scenic drive along the Atlantic coast, including starting at Cascais Beach and ending at Belem with stops along the way!
We booked our timed entry tickets ahead of timeand :) And some useful links to do so are shared below. typically, the exact same tickets on viator or other middle man website are 50% more.
- Quinta da Regaleira (10:30 am entry)
- Park and National Palace of Pena (2:30pm entry)
Day 3- Lisbon to Faro Aug 10
Lisbon Tuk Tuk Private Tour
Benagil Cave Kayak To
ur followed by Pashmina Indian Restaurant Food!
Glamping
Day 4- Faro to Seville
SUNN Amador de los Ríos, by Homing U 8A Calle Júpiter, Nervión, 41003 Seville, Spain check in at pm - Amazing Apartment!
The Alcázar of Seville (royal palace in Seville, Spain) is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as the oldest royal palace in Europe that is still in use. The upper chambers of the Alcazar are still used by the Spanish royal family as their official residence in Seville.
The Alcazar of Seville is one of the best examples of architecture in the style of Mudejar (the Moorish style). In this place in Seville, the original palace, called Al-Muwarak, was built by the Almohades in the 12th century. Construction of the current building on the site of the first Arabic fortress began in 1364 by order of King Pedro I. Since the construction, it has been constantly reworked and expanded, acquiring new stylistic features.The palace itself was truly breathtaking, exotic Arabian architecture with ornate floors, ceilings and walls, intricate details of the azulejos (ceramic tiles), beautiful green gardens immersed in the scent of roses and orange trees and fountains with a look ideal for recreating the Water Gardens of Dorne, seat of House Martell in the Game of Thrones series.
Flamenco
Setas de Seville
Vino de naranja was on our list to try and after the flamenco show, meaning closer to 11 pm, Atharva decided he wanted his dinner #2 and I got to check off my orange wine! We could not get over how safe all cities were and how people, young and old, were out and about dining at midnight! Reminded of our days growing up in Mumbai.
Day 5- Seville to Madrid- Aug 12 (AC Hotel La Finca)- Check out of Seville and go to Madrid and follow Madrid plan (5 hrs
Toledo: A historic city known for its medieval architecture, including the Alcázar and the Cathedral of Toledo.
Campo De Criptana is known for the highest number of windmills.
Day 6- Segovia and Madrid Aug 13- Arya turns 17!
Happy birthday to our first born:) Everything that we did today was Arya's pick! Italian it was for lunch as an example and that restaurant did not disappoint with one of the best buratta pizza we have ever had- it's called Oven in Madrid!
We took a guided tour of the Madrid Palace in the morning and in the afternoon headed over to Segovia, about an hour away from Madrid to take in the picturesque and historical sights of Roman empire Aqueducts and Castle that inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle:)
Day 7- Flight back home Leave Aug 14- An exhausting weeklong trip that was adventure and history filled ended with another plane ride home for 8 hours. This time around, as much as we gained time, the sight of the trip back home looked like this:) Goodbye Spain and Portugal...we will meet again!
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