Sniffing around Portugal
Eats, drinks, stays and delights pt. 1/3
My initial inclination to start a substack was born out of the desire to share my travel finds. I pride myself on well researched travels and I tend to stay pretty organized between my photo documentation, spreadsheets, and of course a google map of well maintained pins. Kicking this off with my most recent voyage, our honeymoon.
What began as a simple plan to find a resort and relax turned into an adventure that included booking three different hotels and making several dinner reservations across a sizable portion of the country. For our honeymoon, we returned to Portugal—my second visit. With a celebratory Mercedes rental, we traced a triangular route through three distinct regions: Colares, the Algarve, and Lisbon.
Beginning with Colares, I will dedicate a post to each region, covering eats, drinks, stays & delights.
Portugal is fast becoming one of my favorite destinations. Its rocky coasts, old-world meets Art Nouveau architecture, intricate tile-glazed facades, wild lantana, and the abundance of olive trees all combine to create a dreamland for me. Each region is distinct with memorable charms.
Colares
Colares is the coastal region in Sintra. Just a 30-minute drive from the Lisbon airport, it’s relatively easy to rent a car or take an Uber.
When I discovered the Marqà Hotel, I quickly rearranged our itinerary to include a stop on the western coast before heading south to the Algarve. Marqà is a darling little fantasy. Boasting its own microclimate, we arrived to find it quite literally enveloped in a cloud. To call it charming would be an understatement, as it most certainly also edges into something with much stronger sex appeal. Bright red anthuriums greet you at every corner of this 1980s mansion, beautifully preserved and updated with exquisite details and tasteful touches.
Though our stay was just one night, we encountered an abundance of delights. The seductive lobby has an inviting lounge with art books and a small but thoughtfully curated shop. I appreciated how intimate the vibe was here, it felt like staying with a family friend more than a hotel. Sunset brought most of the guests to the common area where the maître d' artfully mixed negronis and martinis. I marveled at a group of friends camped out on the balcony playing cards, next time I thought. Here, I curled up on a boucle chair and flipped through what I later learned was a rare edition of Jeux de Peau, a photo collection by Henrik Purienne. I intended to order it after the trip until I learned just how rare it was.
It was also here that I resisted and now feel regret for not buying this Philip Noir Romance Galore. Forever in my mind, the word ‘Galore’ brings me here. For this, I am perhaps biased, but the scent did conjure a warm embrace of my nostalgic past.
As this was our second time visiting Colares, we were especially eager to return to a humble sandwich stand perched on the cliffs of Azenhas do Mar. This unassuming snack bar serves regional sandwiches, coffee, pastries, and cocktails. It was here, back in 2023, that we first tasted a Porto Tónico—a refreshing, lesser-known spritz made with dry white port and tonic water. Just as an Aperol spritz feels perfectly at home on the Amalfi coast, the Porto Tónico is on the nose for the coast of Portugal. We have tried our hand at recreating this drink in the past year, and when the time came to make a bar menu for our wedding, we agreed the Porto Tonico was a must. I reached out to the bar via Instagram to confirm the proportions—sharing them here for you.
A good quality white port (we use this one ) 60ml, orange zest twisted for extra oils, ice, topped with a good quality tonic water (Fever Tree Indian tonic). Garnished with some fresh mint, slightly pressed to release aromas.
This year, we made a special trip back to the snack bar for a late lunch: two Porto Tónicos, their signature sandwich (pesto, cured ham, and cheese with arugula on a fresh baguette), and of course, a pastel de nata. While this region offers plenty of spots to indulge in seafood, none feels quite as fitting for the setting as this snack bar.
Sniffing around Colares
Eat
Mensagem Snack Bar (perfect spot for a late, casual lunch on a sensational cliff)
Restaurante Azenhas do Mar (seafood heaven, don’t skip the barnacles)
Bar do Fundo (another seafood heaven on a different stunning beach)
Mãe Terra (vegetarian and vegan spot when you need a pile of veggies)
Honestly, any ham and cheese baguette you see from a small vendor will cost you around 4€ and will rival every sandwich you’ve paid over $20 for in New York.
Drink
Porto Tónico
Local wines from the Douro Valley
Stay
Marqà (a sexy 80s mansion turned boutique hotel)
Azenhas do Mar Valley House (the lovely, intimate hotel we stayed in 2023, within walking distance of the snack bar and Restaurante Azenhas do Mar)
Delights
Scenic overlooks along the coastal road N247🇵🇹
The natural pool in Azenhas do Mar
A day trip up to the surf town of Ericeira. Lounge on the Praia de Baleia and get your refreshments at Balagan Ericeira.
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I plan to follow this up with 2 more installments, a focus on Lisbon and the Algarve 🇵🇹
