Top 7 road trips in Portugal

19.12.2023 - 20:39 / lonelyplanet.com / Santo António

Portugal is an ideal destination for a scenic road trip. The roads are generally in good shape, and the nation’s relatively small size allows you to see a diverse array of attractions, even if you have only a few days to spare. Throw together an Iberian soundtrack, and you're all set to hit the open road in Portugal.

Where you go will depend on your interests – you can plan a trip focussing on beach-hopping, seeing UNESCO World Heritage sites or drinking in the great views of the vineyard-covered Douro Valley. And backcountry lanes will take you to places you simply couldn’t reach without a car, including wild cliff-backed beaches, remote mountain villages and lone promontories perfect for watching the sunset over the sea.

Here are seven of the best road trips you can take in Portugal.

Best road trip for beach lovers

Vila Nova de Milfontes–Vila Real de Santo António, 320km (199 miles), 2-3 days 

Portugal’s southern coastline offers an almost Mediterranean idyll with scents of pine, rosemary, wine and grilling fish drifting over some absolutely stunning beaches. However, since this is the Atlantic rather than that sheltered sea, you can also count on seriously surfable waves, important maritime history and some great wildlife-watching opportunities. This drive takes in some of the finest beaches in the region as well as intriguing towns with tightly-knit, North African-inspired street plans. 

Highlights include the sandy paradise of Praia da Amoreira in Aljezur, the hulking and forbidding fortress of Fortaleza de Sagres and the vibrant, nightlife-loving town of Lagos. You can also ditch the car for the day and take a ferry ride to Ilha Deserta, a long, undeveloped island with a picture-perfect beachfront. The drive ends at the Portuguese border town of Vila Real de Santo António. If you’re not ready to quit, however, take a look around on the Spanish side. Seville is only 150km (93 miles) up the road.

Best road trip for surfers and seafood fans 

Praia do Guincho–Aveiro, 330km (205 miles), 2-3 days

If endless crashing surf sounds like your idea of heaven, you’ve come to the right country. Get ready to ride the big ones on Portugal’s wild, wave-lashed west coast. This Atlantic strip is an alluring mix of first-rate (and inexpensive) surf camps, gleaming white towns and villages with authentic seafood restaurants, golden beaches fringed by dunes and pines, and memorable sunsets.

Surfers and kitesurfers of all levels will be in their element in the sparkling Atlantic surf, while the small towns along the coast make great stops for seafood feasts and après-beach cocktails. Highlights include the popular beach town and surfer hotspot of Peniche, the gorgeous swoop of sandy beach in Foz do Arelho and the