Planning A Return Trip To Spain And Portugal
We are excited to be planning a return trip to Spain and Portugal. We start our adventure with 8 days in Barcelona. Our Mediterranean cruise with Oceania Cruises takes us from Barcelona to Lisbon. And we then have 4 weeks in Portugal. In Portugal we will enjoy Lisbon, visit Sintra, relax in the Algarve and explore the Alentejo region for the first time.
On our busy travel year in 2021, our Ambassador Elite status was renewed with Marriott Bonvoy. So on this trip, we planned most of the stops in hotels that let us enjoy the status we earned. But when we had no Marriott option, we were booked into a lovely boutique Pousada hotel in Portugal.
For our 4 weeks in Portugal, we rented a car for much of the time. This provides us the flexibility to wander and to move on our own schedule.
We are looking forward to an amazing return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Flying To Europe
It was some time since we last priced airline tickets to Europe. Our last flight to Europe was for our great exploration of Nordic countries in 2019. Since then a lot has happened to travel.
With the Covid-19 pandemic still not over, we first looked for direct flights from Toronto to the start of our cruise from Barcelona. With airline routes and schedules not yet back to normal, there were no options with Air Canada to fly direct to Barcelona. And with limited flights, the prices were much higher than expected. So we assessed the options for connecting flights.
We began the very time consuming process of pricing flights on different dates that both met our schedule needs and provided the cheapest option. Pricing on the different connector routes varied hugely and for some routes the difference in price more than quadrupled the cost! The fact that we were flexible on our dates meant we could search for the best prices.
We originally planned a connection through Vienna with a few days stopover in Vienna. But ultimately we changed this flight and removed the stopover.
Finally we found that the connector through Frankfurt was the cheapest by far on a date that worked for us. And when we priced the flight using our Air Canada points, it was a ridiculously great deal. Luckily we accumulated points over the pandemic and we hit “buy” before the points pricing changed.
We were happy to simplify our trip to Barcelona to start our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Barcelona Starts Our Return Trip To Spain And Portugal
We arrived in Barcelona more than a week before our cruise started. It was the perfect way to begin our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Our stay for 8 days in Barcelona will be at Le Meridien Barcelona right on Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. We will definitely be returning to the colourful La Boquería local market.
When we first started planning our trip, we considered splitting the time between Barcelona and the Balearic Islands. When we learned that the ferry was a long day trip, we ultimately decided not to add the flights to the Balearic Islands. We knew there was lots in Barcelona to see and do.
The top of our list was to visit inside the Sagrada Familia. On our last visit, this beautiful church was much less finished and we only saw this Gaudi architectural gem from the outside. For this visit, we booked a tour inside and we were excited to see what progress has been made.
We are planning to enjoy days wandering in the city. And maybe even plan a day trip or two. We are sure the 8 days in Barcelona will go quickly.
The cruise port in Barcelona is close to the downtown area. So it will be an easy move to Oceania Cruises Nautica for the start of our cruise.
Starting Our Cruise In Spain For A Return Trip From Barcelona To Lisbon
With our last Caribbean cruise, we finally hit the Platinum level with Oceania Cruises. The big benefit from reaching this loyalty level was a “free” cruise of up to 14 days. Cruises in the Mediterranean were a great option for our free cruise.
As we entered the early cruising season in the Mediterranean, there were a lot of choices for itineraries. We ultimately chose a great trip that started in Barcelona and finished in Lisbon. This cruise took us back to the Canary Islands. And the itinerary included a first visit to Tangier in Morocco.
There were two ports in Spain at Motril and Alicante. Motril was the port for a visit to the awesome Alhambra Palace in Granada. We visited Alhambra before. So will plan a local trip to see the hillside towns.
In Alicante we are planning an excursion to see the local sights. This day trip includes stops at the Plaza Canalejas, Plaza Puerta del Mar, Santa Barbara Castle perched atop Benacantil Mountain and Canalejas Park. Another option would take us to the seaside resort city of Benidorm and could include the valley of Guadalest and San Jose castle.
We are still planning our excursions. But look forward to some easy days in Spain to start our cruise for our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Returning To The Canary Islands
Our cruise returned us to 3 Canary Islands that we visited before – Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife. In each of these ports, on our first visit we did full day tours of the island and saw such a great variety in the sights.
On this return visit to Lanzarote and Tenerife, we plan to enjoy the port towns. And may consider a car or taxi rental to visit some of the local sites.
For Santa Cruz de Las Palmas we joined another group of cruisers for a day trip. This will take us to La Concepcion viewpoint, the flamenco art at Santuario de las Nieves, a viewpoint over the recently active Cumbre Vieja volcano and finish with lunch at Tazacorte.
We will visit the island of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the first time on this trip. We plan to do an excursion along the dramatic north coast of the island. Our tour will take us to black-sand beaches, the seaside village of Agaete, the Valle de Agaete and 1,300-year-old tombs at Maipés de Agaete. We will finish our day with samples of wine and coffee crafted at the country estate at Finca La Laja.
We loved our first visits to the Canary Islands and were quite excited that this cruise took us back. A great addition to our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
We Almost Made It To Tangier In Morocco
We were delighted when we discovered this Mediterranean cruise provided our first taste test of Tangier. The cruise excursions covered a broad set of activities. But in the end, we wanted some flexibility for our day. We contacted Tours By Locals, a Canadian based company and booked a private car and driver for the day.
We had a great day planned. It started with a walking tour to see the Medina, Kasbah and some of the souks. A driving tour would take us to Corniche, Cape Sparkle, Hercules Cave and the Camel Ride. And a stop at the seaside town of Asilah would give us a chance to see Kirk, Al Kasbah Gate, Tower Kasba, El Hamra Tower, church of San Bartoleme and wander in town.
But when we got an updated email from Oceania Cruises before we left home, we learned that the stop in Tangier was cancelled due to local conditions.
As with much of this trip, we even booked our day trips as fully refundable with “Cancel for any Reason” insurance at an additional cost. It was easy to get a refund and a credit for the costs of the insurance for our tour from Tours By Locals. And we then browsed their site for a new tour in the new port stop in Cadiz, Spain.
Cadiz was a spot we wanted to visit. So while we were disappointed about Tangier, we were excited to get a first taste test of Cadiz on this return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Cruising Into Portugal
The next port we land at is Portimao in the Algarve area in Southern Portugal. On our last great 4 week trip to Portugal we loved our long 10 day stay in the Algarve. And on this trip we have another 14 days booked for the Algarve.
We plan to get off the ship and explore Portimao to see what there was in the local area. And then return when we stay back in the Algarve area.
From Portimao we cruise into Lisbon for an overnight stay. On our last 4 weeks in Portugal, we enjoyed a long stay in Lisbon. And on this trip we have another week planned. So our first day in port we plan to wander and lazily enjoy our return to Lisbon.
Lisbon is a great spot to start our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Starting Our Stay in Portugal In Sintra
We have a busy agenda planned for more the more than 4 weeks we have in Portugal for this trip. We start outside of Lisbon to provide us with the chance to spend some time in Sintra. From there we head for 2 weeks in the Algarve. We then head north for stay in the Alentejo region. A short stop back in the heart of Lisbon will finish this visit to Portugal.
When we last spent 4 weeks in Portugal, we never visited Sintra. So it was top of our list for a return visit. To allow us to visit on more than one day, we booked the lovely Ritz-Carlton Penha Longa Resort that is close to Sintra.
Sintra is small town outside of Lisbon, high in the hills of Serra de Sintra. The town is a great spot to wander. But the big draw is the colourful palaces and a 10th century Moorish Castle.
We fully intend to enjoy our time on the Penha Longa Resort. It will be a relaxing and pampering spot to unwind after a busy day visiting the castles.
A pampering stay is the perfect break on our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Heading Back To The Algarve
From Sintra we will pick up a rental car and head south to the Algarve region for two weeks. On our last 4 weeks in Portugal we enjoyed 10 days in the Algarve but planned a busy stay with 3 different accommodations. On this trip we are settling into the Pine Cliffs Hotel right on the coast for a more lazy visit.
We fully intend to relax at the resort and enjoy being at the water. The hotel offers a lot of activities that will keep us busy.
But from our last visit, we know there are so many great small towns along the Algarve coast. And we will head out to explore. It will be a great way to feed our seafood needs!
A relaxing 2 week stop in the Algarve will be a great break on a busy return trip to Spain and Portugal.
A First Stay To The Alentejo Region
On our last visit to Portugal, we travelled through the seaside region of Alentejo. We visited the beaches and seaside towns of Sesimbra, Portinho Arrabida and Setubal.
On this visit, we will explore the interior part of the charming Alentejo region for the first time. We start our visit in Beja with a stay in the Pousada Convento Beja. On our last visit to Portugal, we stayed in a luxurious palace Pousada. So we were excited to book another of the unique Pousada hotels in Portugal.
Our second stay in the Alentejo will be a little further north at the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel in Montfort. This is another unique hotel in the area and it was even part of the Marriott group. We knew wine tasting was on the plan!
We have not yet firmed up our plans for the two stays in Alentejo but we know we will wander in the small towns of Beja and Evora. Exploring the castles and fortified cities in the area will definitely be on the plan. And having visited Stonehenge, we want to see the largest stone formation in Portugal at the Almendres Cromlech.
We have 9 days in the Alentejo region. We know we will just get a taste test. But are excited to visit this new region on a return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Finishing In Lisbon For A Return Trip To Spain And Portugal
Before we head back home we have a short stay planned for Lisbon at The Ivens Hotel. We decided this central hotel would be a great spot to allow us to wander for a few days.
We won’t leave Lisbon without one more visit to Belem for Portuguese tarts. And a search for more beautiful Portuguese tile work. We will head high to the viewpoints and take in the views. Because we know we will be missing Lisbon as soon as we leave.
On our time in Lisbon, we are planning to connect with fellow bloggers Sue and Diana who moved to Portugal recently. We have so many questions about life in Portugal. And as food experts, we know they will guide us to great local delicacies.
Finishing up in Lisbon seemed like the perfect end to a return trip to Spain and Portugal.
Planning For Travel In 2022
Our return trip to Spain and Portugal was our first visit to Europe after many years. We were so very excited. But it came with some planning challenges.
The rapidly changing Covid-19 pandemic requirements was an issue even as the situation rapidly improved around the world. But the requirements were different at home in Canada and in each spot we visited in Europe. We checked requirements when we booked our trip. But we knew the requirements would not be final until days before our travel.
The fact that we were a bit older and more at risk from Covid still meant we had to consider our health risk as restrictions were taken off. We packed a good supply of masks. And we made choices that limited some of our hotel and transportation choices.
We booked our plan with as much flexibility as we could. Airfare, hotels and even tours were booked as fully refundable, even at a higher cost. Our Oceania Cruises trip was booked on a cruise ship not yet back in service. So we even had a backup cruise planned in case that ship did not sail. But even with this flexibility, we knew we would stay nimble as we travelled and adapt to changing requirements.
When we finally got our head around the pandemic planning challenges, Russia invaded the Ukraine. Many people questioned European travel. We even changed our connecting flight and removed one of our stops before we arrived in Barcelona. But we knew that war might cause other changes as we travelled.
With such uncertainty, we purchased “Cancel For Any Reason” insurance for the ability to back out of our plans. At least until we got too close to departure. And we still considered Covid insurance to cover the unlikely need for quarantine or a repatriation flight home to Canada.
Excited For A Return Trip To Spain And Portugal
We are quite excited to be planning for a return trip to Spain and Portugal. Both countries are ones we spent a lot of time visiting before. But we knew there was so much more to discover.
Follow along on our trip on social media as we go. There will be many new blogs from this trip.
Have you planned a return trip to Spain and Portugal? What did you look for on a return visit?
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Which insurance do you like best for Covid and cancel for any reason
Both times we have looked at Covid insurance the policies were with Allianz. The Cancel for Any Reason was attached to a Cancellation and Interruption policy also from Allianz. Both trips had cruise components so this is one of the few times we book some of our trips with travel agents. Allianz was the insurance firm used by the travel agency. Interestingly enough, our health insurance top up which we sourced directly was also Allianz.
What a great trip this will be! You will find Europe quite empty in comparison to pre-corona years. Still no Asian tour groups. You will love Sintra. Try to visit the Hospital de San Pao in Barcelona – really interesing and a UNESCO site.
We just arrived in Barcelona and after a day or two to recover from long travel we will be raring to go. We will definitely check out the Hospital de San Pao in Barcelona.
I love long trips like this where you are hopping from town to town and country to country. I am sure you will have a fabulous time in the Med and have plenty of content for future blogs! Have fun
We are definitely looking forward to returning to Europe this year.
We’re on the same cruise. Would love to meet you for a drink. Great website.
We are sure looking forward to the coming cruise. If you see us around, say hi!
I am planning for Spain and Portugal trip in this coming August. Can you please tell me how many days will be needed for complete Spain N Porto tour? Is is safe for solo female traveler?
We have been to Spain and Portugal many times. So this 7 week trip is a return visit with some new places and some old favourites. And we are only doing a small part of the southern coast of Spain and Portugal this trip. If you wanted to see north to south of both Spain and Portugal it would probably take you months to do it properly. I think that it is pretty safe if you are smart – be careful at night, be wary of large crowds, pay attention to your surroundings – the bigger cities are the same everywhere.
I was really happy to read your post, because I am planning a trip to Spain in June. I’m excited to visit some of the sites you mentioned, like the Alhambra and Cadiz. I really have my heart set on a day trip to Morocco, too, so I will look into Tours by Locals for this. If I had more time, I would want to explore Portugal – if I’m so lucky as you, I will plan a return trip to do so!
I hope you have a great trip to Spain. We are excited to be seeing some new spots in Spain. And delighted to be going back to Portugal. I hope you do get to Morocco. So happy to finally be back in Europe.
This trip to Spain and Portugal looks amazing! I’ve never been to Portugal and it’s been on my travel wish list for years. Spain is the first country I visited outside of the US and I love it!
I hope you do get to Portugal one day. It is definitely one of our favourites!
It looks like you’ve planned everything so well for your upcoming trip. If you don’t want to go to Granada from Motril, I highly recommend visiting the nearby towns of Salobrena and Almunecar. They are gorgeous and not many foreign tourists know about them. When I used to live in the South of Spain these were my favourite areas to enjoy my weekends , with good food, great views and friendly locals.
Thank you so much for the recommendation for Motril. We don’t have an excursion booked so now we can look at how to visit these two charming towns. Love when we get great suggestions like these!
I simply love Portugal. I haven’t been to the Algarve, but I visited the beach south of Porto – which, by the way, is my favorite Portuguese city. The entire trip sounds just great. I visited Spain a lot recently since I do not want to take long flights. Also, some of the Asian countries still insist on quarantine. Hence, Europe it is 😉
We are excited to be back in Spain and Portugal. It feels like far too long a time since our last trip. Our travel was really long to get here. But now that we are rested we are happy to have a long trip to enjoy.
You will love this trip. Alentejo is gorgeous. Nice that you will have many days there. We really enjoyed seeing the many ancient stone formations there. The Algarve is also fabulous. I liked Sintra but felt it was overcrowded with tourists
We are quite excited with the new spots we will visit on this trip. And to return to some of our favourites. We hope we are in Sintra mid-week a bit before the season so we will not be over-crowded. But I guess we will see!
Looking at the plan I must say it would be fascinating holiday staring with Barcelona for 8 days. Your plan makes us wish to go back again to Portugal & Spain. We loved the trip last time. Probably like you would love to opt for a cruise this time.
It was fun to plan this trip with a cruise as part of it. Lets us do some taste testing for some days and settle in for other spots.
Two of my favorite places here! I’ve been to all the places on your trip but not yet to Alentejo. I’d love to take mine to Portugal this year, he’s never been even though it’s just 1.30 from Italy to get there!
We are happy we get to visit the Alentejo area in Portugal on this trip. I am sure we will want to go back for more!
Spain and Portugal are definitely on my list! Looking forward to learning the history, but most of all, tasting the food!
We sure do love the food in Spain and Portugal. Fresh seafood everywhere will always be a draw for us.
Just reading through your plans is getting me all excited. I can imagine how you would be feeling right now . In fact, it is a plan that I am super envious of. I definitely want to do some many of these places that you have listed down.Sigh! For now, I am just gonna wait for your updates. Have a fun trip
We have arrived in Barcelona and it is starting to feel real. It is wonderful to finally be back in Europe after a long absence.
Beautiful photos! This is a great resource in all the cool things to experience when planning a first-time or return trip to Spain and Portugal.
It was great to plan this return trip to Spain and Portugal. We could remember our past experiences and include a mix of old and new treats.
Really informative guide and a must-read for anyone wanting to visit the best spots in each country. Thanks for sharing.
It was great to do the planning for this return trip to Spain and Portugal. Excited to be starting this new adventure in Europe.
This is one of the best itineraries for Spain and Portugal. Really there are so many pretty towns in the Algarve region worth exploring. This even covers Tangier and also the Canary Islands. I would need a month to explore.
We are excited with the trip we have planned. And know that things will change as we go. I am sure the time will fly by so quick and we will already be planning to come back.
Your trip to Spain and Portugal looks special. I must finally visit Portugal, it has so much to offer.
We are indeed so happy to finally be back visiting Spain and Portugal.
The blog post took me down nostalgia trip, to my time in Portugal! Algarve is so gorgeous, absolutely loved it and those pastel de natas at Belem.. drooling! I would like to explore Portimao on my return trip to Portugal and well for Spain, since I haven’t been there, all the attractions you mention and more….
I hope you do get to plan a trip to Spain. So many different areas to visit and so much to see.
Sounds like you have such an amazing trip coming up! Have the best time – just thinking of the incredible food you’re going to eat is making me want to follow your footsteps!
We are certainly enjoying eating and drinking our way through Barcelona right now to start this trip.
WOW…you guys are doing it right. 4 weeks in Portugal, that’s awesome! And love that you have enough points banked for the flights….you guys are going to have so much fun. Hope the Sagrada Familia is done by now 🙂
The inside of the Sagrada Familia was finished and stunning. So glad we booked a tour as our top activity for this trip. We are so excited to be back in Europe finally.
It looks like you had a wonderful time on this trip! I haven’t made it back to Europe yet and likely won’t until next year. All of the extra planning takes the fun out of it for me. I am glad that it was worth the effort for you.
The planning continued to change as this trip got closer. And we know there will still be changes as we go. But we are so happy to finally be back in Europe for this trip.
Portugal and Spain are so beautiful and offer so many attractions that you won’t get bored for a long time, and it is worth planning a return to these places. I haven’t been to Sintra and the Canary Islands yet. It’s great that you have managed to see so many places. You had an exciting and long cruise with a vibrant program, and you had a lot of time to explore.
It is great that we do indeed have a long time planned for this return trip to Spain and Portugal. Some new treats and some repeat gems!
Such a great itinerary for Spain and Portugal. Are you sure you don’t need someone to accompany you? I am willing to be your companion, LOL! Enjoy the trip.
The list is very close of people who would love to join us on this trip. It is wonderful to get back to Spain and Portugal.
I can tell that you enjoy slow travel, so it’ ‘s very interesting to read your stories and get some inspiration. So many beautiful places 🙂 I have been all around Portugal, but I will save most of the places from Spain. Great work!
We loved the chance to plan this return visit to Spain and Portugal. So many great spots to enjoy on this trip.
Love Oceania — what a great itinerary! Barcelona is amazing and I definitely need a return visit there. I haven’t been to Portugal yet but it is high on my list!
We were delighted to find this interesting Oceania cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon. A great reason to plan a long Europe trip around the cruise.
Hello fellow Marriott Ambassador! 🙂 I absolutely love Portugal and I want to go back someday. I was there in Jan 2020 and did a 2 week road trip. I would love to go to Barcelona too – it looks amazing. Have fun!
Ever since our first trip to Portugal we wanted to return. So we were so excited to plan this return trip to Spain and Portugal. It was fun to return to Barcelona and start the trip.
I can’t get enough of Barcelona! Love that city. This route looks amazing and Portugal is also one of my favs. I still have the Canary’s on my bucket list…hopefully soon!
It was wonderful to put so many great spots on our return trip to Spain and Portugal.
So glad you were able to plan a return trip! Also the Portuguese tarts look fantastic.
We are excited to have started our return visit to Spain and Portugal. Can’t wait for all the great new spots to visit.
What a wonderful way to visit Spain and Portugal. The La Boquería market looks amazing. We never plan big trips without cancel for any reason insurance. Great advice! Thanks for sharing what to see and do in more detail in Spain and Portugal. We are planning to visit next year! Saving for later.
It was great to plan a return visit to Spain and Portugal. It has been far too long since our last visit. Will certainly write lots about this trip as we go.
This is an amazing return trip you’ve put together. I’ve explored a lot of southern Spain but not the areas you went to on this trip – lots of places to add to my list now!
It was great to add some new places to our travels in Spain and Portugal on this trip. Excited to be on our way.
Your trip is incredible and kudos to you for earning and using your elite status. Portugal is on my list of places to visit in Europe and your post moved it up the list!
I hope you do get to visit Portugal. We loved our first visit and could not wait to get back. So happy we are finally getting Europe back on our plans.
I spent a couple of months in Spain on a home exchange and travelled around and through Portugal and France. I would love to go back as I don’t feel I saw all I wanted to in Portugal and the Pyrenees/Basque region on the Spain/France border.
There is definitely so much to see in Spain and Portugal. We have been back to both several times and there are always new spots to explore. And favourites to re-visit.
WOW…you guys are doing it right. 4 weeks in Portugal, that’s awesome! And love that you have enough points banked for the flights…thanks for sharing this interesting article with us.
We were happy we got this trip booked to Portugal for such a long stay.
This looks like a great trip. I love that you reached a high status and got this cruise for free. I would have been disappointed with the Tangiers cancellation too, but I appreciate when cruise lines keep our best interest in mind , and I’m sure Cadiz was wonderful
I guess these days you need to be as flexible as possible when you book travel. We knew in advance that changes were expected. Glad we got a new port and not just time at sea.
What an exciting trip you have planned. I would love to take a tour inside La Sagrada Familia too, as I missed out on my visit to Barcelona. I am also keen to visit the Canary Islands. And 14 days on the Algarve sounds amazing. I’m hopeful to return to Europe soon, in particular Spain and Portugal.
We are indeed happy to be back in Spain and Portugal. The inside tour of the Sagrada Familia was so worth it! Book for first thing in the day to get the light coming through.
So sorry you missed out on Tangier. Morrocco in general is fantastic and the food & people are just wonderful. But I think this Cruise from Barcelona To Lisbon is a great way to hit up all the Southern Iberian cities. Plus the Canary Islands is intriguing us more & more so what a great way to add them to the list of places to return & discover.
It was disappointing to miss Tangier. But we knew when we booked that ports might be in question. One day we will get back and spend more time in Tangier.
I have been to Spain a few times and really love the culture, vibe and food!
Portugal, however, has been a dream of mine for awhile. This definitely gave me all the additional inspiration – hopefully I can plan a trip there really soon! Great article!
I hope you do get Portugal on your travel plans. One visit was not enough for us. So we were really happy to be headed back.
Goodness what an epic adventure! It is a bit of a shame about Tangier (but I guess they closed the border because of covid!?) but woooowza the rest of your trip looks so fun! I have been to Spain, Portugal and Tenerife…but never on the same trip like this! It’s great to see what a fantastic time you had.
We are so excited to be on this trip. It has been far too long since we were back in Europe. We loved the chance to plan such a fun itinerary.
I’ll actually be planning my first trip to Spain very soon so this was super helpful!
We have had some great visits to Spain. All on the blog if you are planning a trip. It was great to add some new spots for this visit.
Spain and Portugal are so magical! 🤩 I can totally see why they’re countries you would return to for a second round of fun!
Both Spain and Portugal have so many great spots to visit. One trip could never be enough!
Like any other human on earth, Spain and Portugal is certainly in my list. Your post has given me more reasons to visit. The colourful La Boquería local market reminds me of old Delhi’s spice market – Khari Baoli.
Seems like an awesome trip for you. Thanks for sharing. Will check out more about Oceania.
Himanshu
I hope you do get to visit Spain and Portugal one day. Every visit has been a treat and we keep going back!
I have been to Spain but not to Portugal. I would love to visit someday. Love reading your travelogue.
We are so glad we are now back in Portugal. Never want to leave!