If You Have 3 Days
Devote the first morning to Porto, followed by an afternoon tour of the port wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, across the Rio Douro. Before turning in, spend time enjoying the riverside cafés and restaurants. In the morning, drive north through the sandy coastal towns of Vila do Conde,Póvoa de Varzim, and Ofir and Esposende. After taking in the bracing air, seaside shopping, and a lunch consisting of the day’s catch, head inland to the ancient city of Braga, with its profusion of churches. Overnight here or in the delightfully medieval Guimarães, which you should explore on Day 3. Worth a side trip from either town is the fascinating Citânia de Briteiros, the hilltop site of an ancient Iron Age settlement.
Alternatively, you could spend your second two days savoring the pastoral Douro Valley. Follow the winding N108 east from Porto along the river’s north bank. Don’t miss the view at Entre-os-Rios, where the Douro and Tâmega rivers converge. Then head back up toward Amarante, one of the north’s most picturesque towns, its halves joined by a narrow 18th-century bridge. It’s worth overnighting here. On Day 3, wind your way southeast along the N101, passing through Mesão Frio, to the Douro, where you can follow the river east to Pêso da Régua, the heart of port wine country, and tour a wine cellar or two. Across the river and a bit farther south is Lamego, with its impressive 18th-century pilgrimage shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. From either of these towns, it’s not far to Vila Real, gateway to the remote and beautiful region of Trás-os-Montes. You could spend the night here and head east the next day, or return to Porto.
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If You Have 5 Days
Spend a day and night in Porto, then head inland and north. Take two days to explore Braga, including the Citânia de Briteiros, and Guimarães. On Day 4 go west to Barcelos, the folk-art center of the country; try to arrive on a Thursday, when the large weekly market is filled with purveyors of everything from live pigs to hand-painted pottery. Continue north to graceful Viana do Castelo, along the Rio Lima. Wander its narrow stone streets and stay the night in the art deco pousada on a hill overlooking town, or drive up along the Costa Verde to Caminha or one of the other partially walled castle towns along the Spanish border: Vila Nova de Cerveira, Valença do Minho, and Monção.
On Day 5, head to quaint Arcos de Valdevez and rent a rowboat for a couple of hours on the river, then continue on to two nearby towns with beautiful bridges, Ponte da Barca, with its 15th-century arched passageway, and Ponte de Lima, graced with a long, low Roman footbridge. If you’re in Ponte de Lima on the second Monday of the month, you can visit the country’s oldest market. From here, return to Porto or Lisbon.