VanLife Portugal Road Trip MAP + 20 Favorite Places

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Out of the 19 countries we explored throughout our 2.5 year VanLife Europe (and Africa) honeymoon, there was one country that we actually considered living the in FOREVER, and that incredible country was Portugal. If we had to pick one reason why, we'd have to say it was the ease and quality of life. With endless opportunities for wild camping, its beaming beaches, iridescent seas and the kind, relaxed people and culture, it was just easy to be.We arrived in Portugal after having spent 3 months in Morocco; we took the ferry from Tanger-Med across the Straight of Gibraltar to Algeciras, Spain, and then drove 7 hours straight to Lisbon, where we had flights to San Diego for a friends' wedding.

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We left The Howeller at an off-site airport parking lot and returned a few weeks later to embark on a journey that looked a little something like this:We originally planned to vlog each week, but for the sake of enjoying our present moments, knowing full well that we'd eventually have to leave this marvelous place behind, we abandoned that idea after week one. For your viewing pleasure, here is the only vlog we made, sharing the excitement that was our 1st week of VanLife Portugal!

What happened after that was nearly 2 months of pure magic... which brings us to our list of the 20 most unforgettable places and memories from our time living the VanLife in Portugal!

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1. Arriving to Lisbon with GLORIOUS weather!

Exploring the magical library at the LX Factory, wandering through the historic Alfama, visiting the massive Cristo Rei statue and biking the path along the Tagus River, and these were just some of the highlights!:

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2. Trying one (or three) of the famed Pasteis de Belem, and eating them in front of the golden pavilion! Learn about the history of these monk-made pastries here.

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3. Oh and one more Lisbon must do! In honor of the late and great Anthony Bordain, drinking "a Ginjinha" in the same place as he did on his first trip to Lisbon

. This no-frills, hole-in-the-wall spot that has been serving up the famed cherry liqueur since the early 19th century and for just under 2 Euros you can down a shot (get the sour cherry in the bottom) in the same spot as the legend himself:

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4. Watching the sunset + sleeping on the westernmost point of Portugal, Cabo da Roca.

When you go, you can look for our sticker on the sign below!

Cabo Da Roca, the westernmost point in all of Europe, and we slept right there, on the edge of the sea, surrounded by flowers 🌼 So far Portugal has been an incredibly chill place for wild camping. 1 week in and we haven't stayed in a campground once. We've been able to find peaceful places to sleep surrounded by nature, fresh water, recycling, a place to empty "the loo" and even (cold) showers, all for free! For hot showers we go to the community pool for 2€ each, which is where we are headed now! And yes, we are en route to Porto, we just couldn't resist. Any suggestions? #wonderlustportugal

462 Likes, 12 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "Cabo Da Roca, the westernmost point in all of Europe, and we slept right there, on the edge of the..."

**5. Hiking up to the magically colorful Palace of Pena through the enchanted forest of Sintra.**

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Pro Tip:Order your tickets online (you get 5% off and avoid one of the lines) and arrive first thing in the morning to avoid the VERY long line + extremely crowded castle experience. You DEFINITELY want to do this.

We would be missing out on so many beautiful memories if it wasn't for our sweet little home on wheels. #HowlinYoweller you have given us so many present moments to learn from and be grateful for. Our last 4 months with you will be the most special yet ❤️ Here's a photo we took today at the #ThePenaPalace, thanks for making this all possible 💋🚐 #thankfulthursday

517 Likes, 11 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "We would be missing out on so many beautiful memories if it wasn't for our sweet little home on..."

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6. Surfing + sleeping on the beach in Nazare and feeling so small being so close to the LARGEST WAVES in the world!

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7. Droning over the city of Porto + waiting in line (for over an hour) to walk through the famous Livraria Lello, one of the world's oldest and most BEAUTIFUL bookstores!

Pro Tip:Purchase your tickets online beforehand + get in line for the library by (at least) 9am if you want THE BEST experience (yes, even though it doesn't open till 10). There are lots of places nearby for coffee and a breakfast treat. Oh and leave any backpacks at home if possible, otherwise prepare to wait in another line for bag check, which you will need a 1 Euro coin for.

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8. Celebrating my 30th Birthday in Peniche.

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Note the fire alarm sitting next to me on the couch, LOL

Love 💛 I had one of the best Birthdays ever this past weekend simply because of the thoughtfulness and love I felt from friends and family across the globe. It was like I was being hugged from all directions all day long! The best. And a huge 💋 to the husbabe. I will never forget the year you filled our home with 30 hand-blown balloons. You make my heart smile 🎈 #loveisthegreatestgift

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9. Our 80-mile, 5-day trek along the Rota Vicentina

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We hiked from South to North (which was ideal for not being blinded by the sun, highly recommended), starting in Aljezur and ending in Vila Nova de Milfontes, covering anywhere from 7 to 13 miles per day. I planned for this hike to be more of a joy ride, less taxing than the 6 days we spent hiking the relentless 110 miles + 36,000 feet of collective elevation gain on the Tour du Mont Blanc…! While it was wayyyy easier, I forgot to take into account the additional time it would take to trudge through miles of SAND!:

We spent most of the hike barefoot (keeping our flip flops close by for back up) and started early so we could spend as much of each day taking in the absolutely incredible scenery. Our favorite day was the stretch from Odeceixe to Zambujeira do Mar:

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Another great stretch was the last day, from Almograve to Vila Nova de Milfontes:

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Tip: We hiked in early May (before season) and booked all our hostels via Booking.com (use our referral link, yay!) which made it super simple to research availability + keep track of reservations.

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The Rota Vicentina is definitely one that will be added to our future list of the best hikes of our lives! If we were to do it again we would do the same thing, except start in Odeceixe and end in Porto Cov

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10. Speaking of the Rota Vicentina, we will never forget our victory meal, eating some of the freshest fish of our lives at A Choupana in Villa Nova de Milfontes:

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We asked our waiter what kind of fish they had and that (above) was what he showed us. We didn’t know what that meant, so we asked him which one he liked and went with it! Needless to say, it was an excellent choice. A $40 feast for two and there was nothing left:

11. Coasteering at Praia da Ingrina + SUPing at Praia Dona Ana with Coastline Algarve:

Some days I feel cracked open, completely vulnerable, not always ready but always willing to try and embrace what the day has in store. Drew is much more fearless than I am in certain situations, like those that involve us jumping off rugged cliff edges into mysteriously deep waters... which is exactly what we'll be doing today #coasteering with @coastlinealgarve!... which I signed us up for?! 😬 My secret to facing these fear-inducing situations? I choose to focus on the joy and sense of accomplishment that will fill my body to the brim at the end of a day where I chose to let my faith and spirit of adventure be louder than my fears 💪🏼 Cliff jumping, here we come!! #confessionsofanadventuress *** PS- Dear cliffs, please don't be too high 🙏🏼

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12. Living THE GOOD LIFE with the Algarve’s endless coastal parking: views + ocean + beaches for daysssss. One of our favorite spots was right next to the incredible Benagil Cave!

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People often ask us what we do with "all our time" and after discussing this with our other van friends, we've come to the conclusion that truly, our time is spent LIVING. Both simply and fully, learning and changing in new ways every single day. Immersed in our moments, with no routine or walls to hide behind, we are invited (sometimes forced) to feel and to BE. We're excited for all that lies ahead, I think mostly because we trust that this journey has been preparing us for something... something beautiful, and after 3 weeks in the Algarve (+ over 2 years in Europe) we can only imagine what's next. #beyondwhattheeyescansee

466 Likes, 13 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "People often ask us what we do with "all our time" and after discussing this with our other van..."

Recently we've begun to wonder if we'll actually be able to part with The Howeller come August... he's just been such a good, sweet van and there are so many places in Europe we still want to take him + loads of favorites that we want to go back to! Guess Europe has kind of really grown on us... 🌸 #homeiswhereyourvanis

725 Likes, 24 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "Recently we've begun to wonder if we'll actually be able to part with The Howeller come August......"

13. Praia do Carvalho. Probably our favorite beach in the Algarve and we got to park right next to this little piece of paradise!:

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14. Picnicing on top of and swimming under the famous double arches of Praia da Marinha:

15. Trying a Cherimoya (aka. Custard Apple) for the first time EVER! It tasted like a crazy exotic mix of bananas, coconut, pear and pineapple… but be careful not to eat the big black seeds! Apparently they’re poisonous:

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16. Kiting and staying with our dear friends (@travelmanyroads @weareanae) at Praia de Loule Velho:

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Sending #allthevibes and love for a blessed Memorial Day back home in the US today ❤️ This past weekend we were so lucky to hangout with @travelmanyroads + @weareanae, 2 couples from The Netherlands who met each other for the first time on the road in Spain 6 months ago and have been caravanning, making beautiful music, performing in various cities and by cozy firesides, together, ever since. Their story is one of faith. Instead of relying on savings or a paycheck, they trust in God to provide as they share their talents, allowing them to travel many roads, share all the songs and touch all the hearts wherever they roll. We miss you guys already and can't wait for our paths to cross again someday 💋 #gezellig *** PS- Seitske we missed you! But it was incredible being able to stream you singing live @eobeam + @cornelis_brink we were happy you could be a part of all the good times! ✨

365 Likes, 4 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "Sending #allthevibes and love for a blessed Memorial Day back home in the US today ❤️ This past..."

As the boys gathered pinewood from the forest, Anna and I cooked up a feast of delicious van-made nachos with a giant bowl of guac, made with avocados bought from the little farmer on the side of the road 🤤🥑 We were lulled to sleep by the sound of the sea and awakened by the bright morning sun glittering on the waves as they crashed to shore✨ #thesearethemoments *** I think we would stay here in The Howeller forever if we could, but as Americans we are limited to 90 days in the Schengen countries, which is most of mainland Europe, causing us to constantly be on the clock, watching the days, making sure we can make it to Morocco or England, the Balkan's or catch a flight back to the US (aka non-Schengen countries) as not to violate our Visas (which adds to our thoughts shared on the post 3 photos ago). Knowing that our time in Europe is limited, over the past 3 years, we have grown more and more conscious of the importance of appreciating each every moment, a practice I hope we carry with us forever, wherever we go ❤️

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**17. Taking a side trip to Tarifa (Spain) to kitesurf!** Valdevaqueros was Drew’s fave:

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Ok, so Drew is one particularly happy guy today, because he got to go kitesurfing in Tarifa! aka. "the kitesurfing capital of Europe" 🤙🏼! What we love most about this spot is the fact that we can see Morocco on the horizon - so crazy to think we were there just 2 months ago! You can spot Drew in the pic, he's in the middle with the rasta kite ✌🏼#stokedeversince

305 Likes, 5 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "Ok, so Drew is one particularly happy guy today, because he got to go kitesurfing in Tarifa! aka...."

Take a look at #6 in this post to see what else, or should we say WHO else, these magical winds blew our way.

18. Biking to, watching the sunset and sleeping on Cabo Sao Vicente in Sagres, the extreme south-westernmost tip of Portugal, and all of Europe!:

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19. Reveling in how easy it was to take care of all our van chores! We never had a problem finding a place refill our water jugs or empty our tanks, in fact, most of the time we were able to do all of it for FREE! The Intermarche grocery stores made it especially easy, providing services behind their stores + being able to do our groceries + laundry at the same time. Thank you Portugal for making VanLife so easy AND so overwhelmingly enjoyable!

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20. And last but certainly not least, exploring Peneda-Geres National Park, which is actually Portugal’s ONLY National Park!

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This was our last stop before leaving Portugal and it definitely made it hard to say good bye. We chilled by the lake, did lots of awesome hiking, slept on top of Pedra Bela (the highest point in the park) and on our last day, we went swimming/bathing in the Cascata do Arado… it was warm, sunny, the air was lush and everything was overflowing with sweet, Portuguese freedom…

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Our last night in Portugal spent high above in the country's only National Park, and we had this magical place all to ourselves ✨ #PedraBela

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We will never forget our time in Portugal. Just when we thought VanLife couldn't get any better than Norway, this place went and gifted us with some our most treasured memories with The Howeller ever... nós te amamos Portugal

725 Likes, 24 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "Recently we've begun to wonder if we'll actually be able to part with The Howeller come August......"

It was really hard to leave this spot. We went coasteering off its cliffs, skinny dipping in its private coves, journaled on its beaches, went running up its hills, released thoughts and dreams into its winds, made bonfires under its stars and watched the new moon sink below its horizon of dancing wild flowers on our last night 🌙✨🌼 5 days of bliss. We knew and loved this spot well. Now it's time to go refill our water. #thisisvanlifeing

544 Likes, 17 Comments - Lovin' Life | Brittany & Drew (@mrandmrsadventure) on Instagram: "It was really hard to leave this spot. We went coasteering off its cliffs, skinny dipping in its..."

Sleeping with the door open does have its perks ✨ *** Currently wishing we could just stay here forever. #homeiswhereyouparkit

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VanLife Portugal Road Trip MAP + 20 Favorite Places

1. Arriving to Lisbon with GLORIOUS weather!

3. Oh and one more Lisbon must do! In honor of the late and great Anthony Bordain, drinking "a Ginjinha" in the same place as he did on his first trip to Lisbon

4. Watching the sunset + sleeping on the westernmost point of Portugal, Cabo da Roca.

5. Hiking up to the magically colorful Palace of Pena through the enchanted forest of Sintra.

17. Taking a side trip to Tarifa (Spain) to kitesurf! Valdevaqueros was Drew’s fave:

**5. Hiking up to the magically colorful Palace of Pena through the enchanted forest of Sintra.**

**17. Taking a side trip to Tarifa (Spain) to kitesurf!** Valdevaqueros was Drew’s fave: