City break and beach retreat: How to get the ‘best of both worlds’ in Portugal over a long weekend

Holidays in Portugal tend to be divided up into two camps: hustling and bustling city breaks in the likes of Lisbon and Porto, or relaxing, week-long affairs in the sunny Algarve.

But what if you want to experience both in a long weekend? 

Fear not, it is possible to combine both city life and a beach escape in one short break – it’s just about knowing where to look.  

I combined the two ends of the spectrum over the course of a few days and would recommend it to any other greedy holiday dwellers who want the ‘best of both worlds’ in one short trip. Here’s how you can too…

The trick is to start in Lisbon, to soak up historical charm, architectural marvels and rich culture, before heading out to the beach – but not the familiar tourist favourite, Cascais (and I’m not suggesting getting a train South to the Algarve either). No. Instead, head off-the-beaten track to a lesser-known spot loved by locals: Comporta – which is just an hour-and-a-half’s car journey away from the capital, or a short ferry ride.

AlmaLusa Hotels are the perfect starting point for this. With hotels in both Lisbon and the beautiful beach town of Comporta, you can experience a trip of two halves with a feeling of cohesion. 

Each hotel has a very different offering too. The Lisbon venue is located right in the centre of the city’s action, in Praça do Municipio (Municipal Square). It’s boutique without the luxury cosmopolitan price tag (with double rooms starting from £138 per night).

The room I stayed in had a surprise in the bathroom. Just above the taps, and integrated into the mirror, was an old reception counter that was used when the 18th-century building previously operated as a bank. A sentimental nod to the area’s rich history that I very much appreciated.

It’s giving Wes Anderson (Picture Alma Lusa)

Beautiful interiors (Picture AlmaLusa)

This used to be a bank reception! (Picture Alma Lusa)

I’d recommend starting the city half of your trip via TukTuk with Live Portugal – as you can travel to some of Lisbon’s best viewing points. We enjoyed a pastel de nata and the local liquor Ginja (don’t skip this one) as part of their food and wine tour – while watching the sun set over some of the city’s landmarks and with a brilliant view of the Castelo de S. Jorge.

But there’s also the option with Live Portugal to explore different neighbourhoods with your driver, which makes things slightly easier if you’re a Lisbon first-timer.

Views over Lisbon (Picture: Lizzie Thomson)

Once the exploring is over, Barrio Do Avillez is the place to go to refuel and refresh. Jose Avillez is one of Portugal’s most renowned chefs and the only Portuguese native featured in the World’s 50 Best. He’s behind this Lisbon gem. Barrio Do Avillez is broken into three different restaurants, but Páteo is the spot to visit. Fish and seafood reign supreme here, and it’s often cooked with a twist.

For the latter part of your trip, Comporta offers the antithesis to hectic Lisbon. 

It’s slower and simpler and, in parts, almost doesn’t feel European at all. Instead, the rice paddies and sleepy fishing cabins evoke images of Asia. But the quiet town of Comporta, a village on the west coast of Portugal, has lot to offer in terms of uniqueness. So much so, that it’s attracted the likes of Madonna and Jose Mourinho over the years. In the town centre, you’ll find a selection of upmarket restaurants and boutique shops, all championing traditional fare with Portuguese roots at the core.

Sister hotel AlmaLusa Comporta is just minutes away from the centre and offers up a contemporary stay at great value (starting from £138 per night). 

Considering it only opened its doors last autumn, there’s already a lot going on: it has a pool, rooftop terrace, and Instagram-worthy reception areas (think Portuguese linens, wicker baskets, chunky patterned loungers) – as well as a spa with a rooftop yoga deck set to open for its first summer season.

Boho beach vibes (Picture: Lizzie Thomson)

Take a dip (Picture: Lizzie Thomson)

Sleepy fishing ports in Comporta (Picture: AlmaLusa)

It’s also the perfect location to reach the beach, which is around a 20-minute walk away, and the under-the-radar sandy offering rivals its long-haul counterparts. 

And what better way to explore the sensory delights that Comporta has to offer than by taking it all in on horseback? To do this, horse rental site Cavalos na Areia is the place to go.

Trekking through the landscape on horseback – covering rice paddies, sand dunes and pine forests – I felt like an extra from The Last of Us, off to fight some Cordyceps zombies.

While I was soaking up the glorious setting, my horse, Apollo, had other ideas. It turns out, you can take a horse to water, but he might be scared of the sea…

Aquaphobia-aside, it’s a beautiful way to take in the different landscapes this hidden gem of a destination has to offer. 

Sun, sea and sand on horseback (Picture: Lizzie Thomson)

My horse, Apollo, kept running out the water (Picture: Lizzie Thomson)

Alternatively, if horse riding isn’t your bag, AlmaLusa Comporta offers a selection of takeaway salads and wraps that can be transported for a day at the beach. And with a 60km-long coastline that’s compared to the likes of Ibiza, and even the Caribbean, it’s pretty hard to refuse.

If you want to horse around even more – but prefer not to do so on an actual saddle – restaurant Cavalarica is the place to go. It’s set inside an old horse stable, where each of the individual yards have been transformed into elegant dining booths.

Another top dining spot – but this time with the beach as your backdrop – is Saltroia Beach club, which serves up fresh seafood, fish, and BBQ delights (the latter cooked in front of you) in an idyllic beach setting.

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A spot for foodies (Picture: © Francisco Nogueira / http://www.fran)

They literally look like this (Picture: Pedro Narra)

Before you finish up your trip, be sure to head to Sada Estuary for a spot of dolphin-watching.

Vertigem Azul offers tours for this and the dolphins really were showing off on our visit. While it might sound like something straight out of a Disney film, I saw one acrobatically jump three meters out the ocean before elegantly nose-diving back in. Other dolphin families, and even a tiny baby, swam up so close to the boat they felt within touching distance. 

It’s also located not far from the ferry port in Setúbal, which offers a half hour boat ride to just outside of Lisbon – ideal for your departure.

With city dwelling, horseback-riding, dolphin-watching, beachfront eating and traditional towns, what more could you possible want from a long weekend?

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It is possible to combine both city life and beach escape in one short break – here’s how…