So, like I said in my Lisbon and Comporta guides, I planned my whole Portugal extravaganza around visiting Quinta de Comporta and flying into Lisbon to start. I had no idea how we were going to get to Porto if it were by train or renting a car which we did not want to do, but Erin assured me we’d figure it out when we got there. Luckily, after our fun-filled day in Sintra and Cascais with our new local friend and tour guide, Alessandro, we asked him if it was possible for him to come pick us up in Comporta (about an hour ++ from Lisbon) and drive us to Porto. He said it would be a long day for him but yes! He took us to all the spots along the way as we stopped in:
- Obidos (a Medieval city) that is now full of shops, the BEST cherry liqueur called Ginjinha which you MUST buy. I love it so much. It’s a great digestif after dinner drink but also I think people drink it all day here. You can even buy a set that comes with chocolate cups that you pour the drink into, then drink that and eat the cup after. I was a fan. I also bought some gorgeous ceramics and the first shop on the right is the one that I found the best items in! We spent about 45 min here.
- Nazaré is known for the largest surf waves in the entire world. We stopped in this little area but it was not surf season. Still cool though! There is a town center with a cathedral to stop into.
Mosteiro do Leitão is where Alessandro took us for lunch. It feels like Sunday church walking into this large dining room with open windows, large families eating bowls and bowls of food over the white table clothes, and then the open kitchen where you see the whole pigs being roasted and cut! Every table has these guys. I, of course, ordered Octopus, as a non-pork eater. This was the BIGGEST most tender, tentacle octopus portion I’ve ever seen. Covered in olive oil on a nice ceramic plate, the rest of the table got the pork that you are supposed to get which came with chips and a little lettuce salad. I liked the octopus, but the pork did not look like ham or bacon, so I really went for it and had a taste! Now, I know why everyone goes here and it truly is the most tender piece of meat I’ve ever had.