An 8 Week Spain and Portugal Itinerary With My Mom!
My mom just got back from spending 8 weeks travelling through Spain and Portugal with her girlfriends. If you’ve ever wondered where I got my wanderlust from, I think it’s pretty obvious! And so, I thought I would interview her all about her Spain and Portugal itinerary and share her best advice here on Teaspoon of Adventure.
When I wasn’t completely envious of my mom’s trip, I was just immensely proud of her. How cool is it that my mom and a few of her friends, all ladies in their late 50’s, decided to pretty spontaneously book an 8 week long trip to countries and cities they had never been to? I hope I am half as cool and adventurous when I am her age!
It was so impressive to watch my mom put her analytical mind to work in planning out this itinerary, making sure every highlight was hit and yet the budget stayed in check. She put my travel planning sessions to shame! And it was even more impressive to watch her sense of adventure play out every day with all of the photos and stories she shared from her Spain and Portugal trip.
I hope my mom’s trip can inspire you as much as it has inspired me. Read on for my interview with my mom and all of the details of her Spain and Portugal itinerary!
Fun fact: Around the same time as my mom was in Spain and Portugal, my dad’s side of the family was getting back from Ireland and then headed to Iceland, while Colin and I were in Amsterdam, Ghent and Brussels. So you can say we were a pretty well-travelled family in the fall of 2022!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Don’t want to plan your own Spain and Portugal itinerary? Check out these multi-day tours of Spain and Portugal:
My mom’s 8 week Spain and Portugal itinerary:
Portugal itinerary:
- Porto (5 nights)
- Coimbra (4 nights)
- Lisbon (7 nights)
- Faro (4 nights)
- Lagos (4 nights)
Spain itinerary
- Seville (4 nights)
- Malaga (2 nights)
- Granada (2 nights)
- Mallorca (3 nights)
- Valencia (4 nights)
- Barcelona (5 nights)
- Zaragoza (2 nights)
- San Sebastian (3 nights)
- Bilbao (3 nights)
- Tenerife (7 nights)
Fly home from Madrid!
Spain and Portugal trip map:
Spain and Portugal itinerary logistics
Unless otherwise specified, all of the answers below are courtesy of my mom. Thanks again for sharing your travel wisdom with us, Moo!Â
You had 8 weeks, but how many days do you need in Spain and Portugal?
I personally don’t recommend tackling as many cities as we did in 8 weeks. It got exhausting! I think it’s better to stay somewhere longer, have more days in one base, and just go on more side trips. But, of course, you can only go so far on a day trip.
In hindsight, we shouldn’t have started from the north of Portugal and then travelled all the way down to the south, and then from the south of Spain all the way to the north. It was a lot of ground to cover!
It’s hard to say how many days you need in Spain and Portugal. If you want to see all of the same cities we did, add more time so you can slow down. Or if you have less time, cut out some cities so the trip is less exhausting.
While some cities only need one or two days to see the highlights, it’s nice to have extra days to rest and relax on such a long trip. 15 cities in eight weeks was just too many!
Can you visit Spain and Portugal in the same trip? Did it make sense to combine them?
Yes, you can visit Spain and Portugal easily on the same trip. They’re right next to each other so if you have the time, you can fit them both in.
The time of year you travel should dictate what order you explore the countries. I would suggest doing the north of both countries together and then the south, or vice versa, to take advantage of the best weather.
You travelled in October and November. When should you go to Spain and Portugal?
My recommendation would be to go to Spain and Portugal from mid September to mid November. That way, you avoid the crazy crowds and heat of summer but also don’t have the cold of winter.
For us, the second half of November was quite cold and rainy in northern Spain. But for the first six weeks (October and early November), we had pretty decent weather with hardly any rain. But that could have just been luck of the draw.
The crowd levels were pretty good during our trip and got even better as we went into November. I have a feeling October in Spain would have been fine crowd-wise too.
Is it cheaper to go to Spain or Portugal?
Portugal was definitely cheaper!
Should you spend more time in Portugal or Spain?
I would suggest spending more time in Spain. In my opinion, there were more places to go and things to see.
How do you travel from Portugal to Spain?
We travelled from Portugal to Spain by bus, taking a bus from Lagos to Seville. It was affordable and took less than 5 hours.
(Riana’s note: You can also take a train, plane or drive from Portugal to Spain.)Â
Where did you stay in Spain and Portugal?
We mostly stayed in apartments so we could have a kitchen to do our own cooking. We also stayed in a private room of a hostel and at an all-inclusive resort at Tenerife. With four of us, it wasn’t always easy to decide who would sleep where, but we managed!
Book apartments for your Spain and Portugal trip here!Â
Spain and Portugal itinerary deep dive:
What was the best food you ate in Portugal?
The best food in Portugal was their grilled seafood. One of our first meals in Porto was grilled octopus; it was very meaty and delicious. Anything grilled was very nice and not too salty.
Otherwise, I found many Portuguese dishes quite salty – which is to be expected, since their main dish, bacalhau, is salted cod!
What was the best food you had in Spain?
The best food in Spain was the pintxos we enjoyed in San Sebastian. I loved the variety!
I also really liked fideua, which is the pasta version of paella. In fact, I preferred it to paella, which was often overcooked or undercooked – even in Valencia, the home of paella! But maybe that’s just because we couldn’t afford the best paella places. Even still, fideua was more reliably good than paella, especially if you’re on a budget.
What place on your Spain and Portugal itinerary can you not wait to go back to?
I can’t wait to go back to most of Southern Spain and Portugal. I really enjoyed our time in Lagos, Andalusia and Mallorca. In Mallorca, we didn’t stay right in Palma. I really liked the quieter area where we were. I’d also like to go back to San Sebastian, Bilbao and Zaragoza.
The bigger cities didn’t do as much for me – places like Barcelona or Lisbon.
What place on your Spain and Portugal itinerary will you never go back to?
I wouldn’t want to go back to Porto. The area where we were staying was pretty boring; it was a long trip into downtown. But even downtown didn’t feel so nice to me. Maybe it’s a better place to be if you’re making a trip to the Douro Valley.
It’s a no to Faro from me. It felt like Etobicoke. (Riana’s note: Etobicoke is a suburb of Toronto with not a lot going on – no offence to my family who live there!) It wasn’t too big or too small, but it also wasn’t quaint or cute. So I just didn’t like it. It also rained for most of our time in Faro.
Lisbon was just too big for me. Barcelona was big too, but I did enjoy the area by the water; I liked walking along the marina. I had heard that Madrid was even worse than Barcelona in terms of being a big city, so I’m glad we cut it from our Spain and Portugal itinerary.
Where did you enjoy the best view?
I loved the views from the castles in Sintra, just outside of Lisbon. And, of course, the views from the Alhambra in Granada were beautiful. You had the gardens and you were also overlooking the entire city.
Which place on your Spain and Portugal trip had the best value?
Based on the city itself, what we could eat and the type of accommodation we stayed at, Lagos stands out. I would have to double check the numbers, but our Airbnb was really nice. Overall, Spain was more expensive than Portugal, so we definitely got better value for our money in Portugal.
Most liveable place in Spain? Most liveable place in Portugal?
In Portugal, I would most want to live in Lagos, which I found really comfortable, or Coimbra, which was very nice and affordable. In Spain, I would love to live in Tenerife or San Sebastian.
What was the highlight of your Spain and Portugal trip? Share a top moment from each destination!
The best part of Porto
While Porto wasn’t my favourite, I enjoyed the views of the bridges, our port tasting, and hanging out by the riverside with all of the entertainment.
The best part of Coimbra
I loved all of Coimbra! I really liked the historic district with all of the little streets. It was very cool to tour the university and see the nice architecture. It was a very comfortable area for me.
The best part of Lisbon
The best part of Lisbon was going to Sintra!
However, we stayed right in the Alfama district in Lisbon and I wouldn’t recommend it. There are a lot of lookout points in Alfama with breathtaking views, but there are too many ups and downs to base yourself there.
In Lisbon I also enjoyed the Time Out Market with lots of food options and the Jerónimos Monastery in Belem. There was also a modern part of Lisbon a bit farther out that was cool, if you’re into that style of architecture.
Get your tickets to Jerónimos Monastery and Lisbon’s top attractions here!
The best part of Faro
Right by the water in Faro there were a few small streets that were nice and comfortable. There were lots of little shops and cafes by the marina. I enjoyed that area, but it was a small historic area compared to other places we visited.
The best part of Lagos
I really loved Lagos! I liked the beaches and beautiful coastline. From the coast, you could look over and see caves in the water, which was so cool. The historic area with lots of little streets was so nice and comfortable to walk around. It felt like Rome, popping into different piazzas wherever you walk.
The best part of Seville
I know I enjoyed Seville but I don’t remember all of the details. The Alcazar of Seville was definitely nice and I liked the Plaza de Espana. We stayed a bit farther out of the old town, which made it harder to get around, but I did really like Seville.
Riana’s note: I really enjoyed my time in Seville too!
The best part of Malaga
I know Malaga was nice. But I would have to look through my photos to remember any specific highlights.
Riana’s note: Perhaps the below photo of my mom will jog her memory 😉Â
The best part of Granada
The Alhambra was, of course, the best part of Granada. It blew me away!
Get your fast track ticket to Alhambra here
The best part of Mallorca
In Mallorca, I really liked the beach area and all of the restaurants and cafes overlooking the ocean. From there, you could easily walk down the steps and into the water. We also rented a car in Mallorca, which allowed us to explore other sides of the island.
The best part of Valencia
I liked the area of Valencia down by the water. It was very cool there. We also did a hop-on-hop-off bus tour in Valencia which I really enjoyed.
The best part of Barcelona
My favourite part of Barcelona was down by the water. I liked walking along Rambla del Mar and the swaying bridge. It was a long walk from our apartment but I enjoyed it.
La Sagrada Familia was a big deal. I remember walking out of the subway station and saying, “Oh my god!” as soon as I saw it. On the other hand, I didn’t think much of Parc Guell. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.
Get your La Sagrada Familia entrance ticket here
The best part of Zaragoza
The best part of Zaragoza was the old town. It was really cool with all of the little streets, especially at night when it was all lit up. They even have their own leaning tower, like the one in Pisa!
The best part of San Sebastian
I loved walking along the water in San Sebastian – their version of Vancouver’s Seawall. The old town was really nice and I liked trying all of the pintxos (like on this pintxos tour of San Sebastian!). It rained a lot while we were there but I still really enjoyed it.
The best part of Bilbao
Bilbao was really pretty! I thought the Guggenheim was cool and I liked the bridges around the city. Of course, we also enjoyed more pintxos there!
Get your skip-the-line tickets to the Guggenheim here
The best part of Tenerife
Riana’s note: Originally, the last destination on my mom’s Spain and Portugal itinerary was a week in Madrid. But partway through their trip, my mom and her girlfriends decided they didn’t want a whole week in another busy city. So they booked a week of sun and fun in Tenerife instead!Â
The best part of Tenerife was the beach, obviously. It’s known as a great spot for wind and kit surfing, so it was wild to see the waves and people trying to ride them. South Tenerife was warm and quite windy, but we were very comfortable at our resort.
It was so nice to have a vacation at the end of our vacation! I didn’t have to think about grocery shopping, cooking, getting around, etc.
Even though we stayed at a resort, I did walk into town. It was small but very cool with nice architecture. I liked walking by the jagged rocks to the left of our resort on my way back.
Don’t have 8 weeks? Sample Spain and Portugal itineraries:
Based on my own travels in Spain (through Barcelona, Madrid and Seville) and Portugal (Lisbon), as well as my mom’s 8 week Spain and Portugal trip above, I’ve put together some 10-14 day Spain and Portugal itineraries in case you don’t have a whole two months to travel!
Or jump on one of these multi-day tours of Spain and Portugal!Â
10 day Portugal itinerary
This perfect 10 day Portugal itinerary gives you a good introduction to some of Portugal’s most famous and oldest cities, ending with some time at the beach!
- Porto (2 days)
- Coimbra (2 days)
- Lisbon (3 days)
- Lagos (3 days)
Prefer the beach to cities? Skip Porto and/or Coimbra and spend more time beach-hopping in the Algarve!
Portugal 2 week itinerary
With a bit more time in Portugal, you can enjoy the Tuscany-like Douro Valley and spend more time along the coast in the Algarve. Or, catch a flight to the island of Madeira on this Portugal 2 week itinerary.
- Porto (2 days)
- Douro Valley (2 days)
- Coimbra (2 days)
- Lisbon (3 days)
- Beach hop in the Algrave OR catch a flight to Madeira (5 days)
Spain in 10 days itinerary heading north
Since Spain is such a large country, I’ve created two Spain in 10 days itinerary options for you. First, heading north for lots of architecture and pintxos:
- Barcelona (3 days)
- Zaragoza (2 days)
- San Sebastian (3 days)
- Bilbao (2 days)
Spain in 10 days itinerary heading south
The next Spain in 10 days itinerary option has you heading to Andalusia for a different take on architecture, coastlines and tapas:
- Barcelona (3 days)
- Valencia (2 days)
- Granada or Malaga (2 days)
- Seville (3 days)
Spain 2 week itinerary
In my opinion, this 2 week Spain itinerary covers a lot of ground but it does move pretty quick. You could cut the north (San Sebastian) or the south (Malaga and Seville) and save them for your next trip. Personally, I’d cut Madrid, as it’s not my favourite city!
- Madrid (2 days)
- Seville (3 days)
- Malaga (2 days)
- Valencia (2 days)
- Barcelona (3 days)
- San Sebastian (2 days)
South Spain itinerary in Andalusia
A South Spain itinerary through Andalusia is the perfect road trip opportunity! Depending how much time you have, you can spend 2-3 nights in each of the cities below, and add on the optional cities if you have more time.
- Seville
- (optional) Cadiz and Jerez
- Malaga
- (optional) Tarifa with a visit to Gibraltar (UK) or Tangier (Morocco)
- Granada
- Cordoba
My mom’s top advice for your Spain and Portugal trip
I asked my mom, “What advice would you give to someone planning a Spain and Portugal itinerary?” And, oh boy, did she have a lot of awesome wisdom to share!
Advice for choosing your travel companions wisely
Watch who you are travelling with! On a long trip like this, it really makes a difference. You need to be aware of your habits and your own travel style. Choose your travel companion(s) carefully.
It can be hard to travel with someone if you have completely different travel energies – one person who wants to go out all the time and the other who wants to take it easy. Of course, you can do your own thing and don’t have to spend every minute of the trip together. But you don’t want to be clashing all of the time.
Advice for how to plan your Spain and Portugal itinerary
For us, 15 bases in 8 weeks was too many for our Spain and Portugal itinerary. So either give yourself more time in each place or go to fewer places if you don’t have as much time.
If you have fewer places to visit or more time to plan, you can do a better job of researching cities and deciding what you want to see and do. We didn’t have time to do that with all of the cities on our itinerary. It helps if you have time to plan things out a bit more, especially since it’s hard to wing it if you’re moving quickly.
Advice about when and what to book in advance
As my daughter (that’s me!) said, we maybe should not have booked our long-haul flights from Canada to Portugal so far in advance as there may have been a cheap flight sale we could have taken advantage of. Oh well!
But it did pay to look for our accommodation ahead of time. I would recommend booking accommodation early so you have the most options.
If you have a set budget, you want to be able to book early and get the right price, rather than getting stuck with whatever’s left. In 15 places, we only had one dud accommodation – so that’s pretty good!
I would also suggest booking transportation between bases in advance. We were able to buy our train tickets at a big discount because we booked early.
Advice for travel on a budget
It’s good to set a travel budget ahead of time but know that some places will be pricier than others. Some days you’ll spend less and some you’ll spend more – so just enjoy yourself! Don’t be so rigid with your budget that you miss out on something on a once in a lifetime trip.
And if you do make a few splurges, there are ways to save money. You can skip out on some excursions or do things differently.
For example, I explored the Sintra castles on my own, taking public transportation from Lisbon, while my travel companions went on a day tour from Lisbon to Sintra. I saved money and was able to spend longer at the castles, though it did require a bit more planning.
You can also save a lot of money while travelling by taking public transportation. Local transport is great in most places and is easy to take if you don’t travel with a lot of luggage.
Of course, having an apartment where you can cook meals and splitting costs with travel companions helps the budget a lot too.
Advice for packing
You want to make sure you’re bringing the right clothing and shoes for the type of destinations you’re visiting, the weather, and the type of activities you’re doing. But don’t overpack! A carry-on is more than fine. Remember, you can do laundry as you go or wash some items in the sink by hand.
The best travel advice from my mom
Overall, I had a really good experience on my trip to Portugal and Spain. And you always learn something from every trip. Now I know what to do and what not to do for next time!
Once again, a huge thank you to my mom for taking the time to share her stories, itinerary, advice and photos with us from her 8 week Spain and Portugal trip. I hope you’re inspired to plan your own Spain and Portugal itinerary!
Where do you most want to visit in Spain and Portugal? For me, I think it’d have to be San Sebastian or Granada!Â
Wow, thanks Boo! You sure got a lot from our interview and love how you wrote! Yet, it didn’t feel long. It was great to re-live what was more than 8 weeks ago. I have to admit I couldn’t remember every city without some pictures, lol.
Thanks, that was fun and of course we had an amazing trip overall! 💜
Aw thanks so much, Moo! So fun to feature your trip on the blog 🙂
Wow, I loved this post! 8 weeks in Spain and Portugal 😱 what a dream. I loved seeing your mum’s thoughts on some places I’ve loved and also getting some inspiration for future trips. Seeing her and her friends’ contagious smiles in every photo was wonderful. Seems like you’ve got quite the travel family!
Aw thank you so much! Huge inspiration for sure!
It sounds like your Mum had quite a trip! Wow! I’ve been to Spain (Barcelona in particular) but I’ve not yet been to Portugal. You certainly do sound like a well-travelled family!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for checking it out – she had a blast!
Your mum is a woman to my likening. Yes to San Seb and a clear and loud no to Porto. She’s crammed in so much during her two months’ trip, I’m surprised she hasn’t suffered from sight-soarness/impression overload. Positively impressed that her group of travel copanions harmonised so well, usually it is quite difficult to cater to all needs and different expectations, but this party has worked out well. Looking forward to her next adventure!
Aw thanks, Carolin! She really is quite the impressive traveller and I think you two would get along swimmingly!
What an awesome trip your mom took with her friends. I love that they spent so much time in places and really had an opportunity to enjoy the cities. I’m surprised she didn’t like Porto haha…I fell in love with that city. The Alhambra is certainly spectacular and she saw so many beautiful places all over. Wanderlust runs in your family!
Thanks, Linda! It was a really special trip. I hope to visit Porto & Alhambra myself one day!
What an in-depth post you made here, Riana! May come in handy for me in the future for sure. Treu about habits if lifestyle re the people you go with. Dont want any unwanted surprises along the way. San Sebastian looks like a beautiful part of Spain but I have never been (yet).
Aw thanks so much, James! Definitely important to choose our travel companions wisely. And yes, I can’t wait to visit San Sebastian too. Both my husband and mom rave about it!