Exploring a country by car is the best way to see it all. I have seen more variety on a road trip, then by hopping on a plane from city to city. It also allows you to have truly local experiences, with the freedom to stop by smaller villages and cities along the way. And of course there’s no denying you’ll see some amazing scenery and landscapes. This is why we decided upon a Portugal road trip after a 3 day stay in Lisbon.

When planning our trip to Portugal, I knew that I wanted to include driving in our itinerary. So we drove from Lisbon to Porto and made several stops along the way. In this guide we will highlight the perfect journey for Northern Portugal, with stops at Obidos, Monsanto, Douro Valley and more.

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The Most Charming Portugal Road Trip: Historical Villages

In This Article
Itineraries
Where to Rent a Car
Obidos
Monsanto
Piodao & Douro Valley
Pinhao & Porto
Best Way to Experience Portugal

The charming streets of Monsanto, Portugal

Itineraries

With Portugal being such a small country, you can actually cover a great deal of it in a short amount of time. The drive is also fairly easy and roads are not too crowded, except within the bigger cities. In this guide we will focus on the north and eastern part of the country, since we’ve saved the south for another trip.

Our trip started off in Lisbon where we stayed for a few days, and then rented a car to move on to other areas. First we stopped at Obidos, then Monsanto, a brief day trip to Piodao, Douro Valley, and finally to Porto. Between each place it didn’t take any longer than 3-4 hours, with some being even shorter. The beauty of having a car is the freedom to stop by anywhere you want, and take your time with it. We highly recommend seeing Portugal in this way.

Our car rental from Amoita

Where to Rent a Car

I must admit, after reading so many bad things about renting a car in Portugal I was concerned about it. But then I came across great reviews on Amoita car rental and felt relieved. It’s always an unknown what could happen once you arrive there, but I’m happy to say the experience was smooth and positive. Even better was that they deliver the car to you, in most of the major cities like Lisbon, Porto, Faro to name a few. There’s a small fee, but it’s so worth it.

Because they delivered, it also allowed us to enjoy some time in Lisbon for a few days without paying for a car we wouldn’t use. And we didn’t have to worry about the hassle of picking up at the airport after our flight. Although the cars are a bit older than other rental places, ours was in perfectly good condition. After the full rental, they also picked it back up as well, which was such a time saver!

Obidos is such an adorable village surrounded by beautiful landscapes

Obidos

The first stop on our Portugal road trip was Obidos, a beautifully charming village fairly close to Lisbon. With just a brief hour drive it was the perfect way to start our journey. We were able to enjoy a slow breakfast, explore Lisbon a bit in the morning then headed off around noon.

There are a few routes to get there, but we went via the A8, a straight shot north. The road has tolls, but our car automatically came with an electronic pass, and we were charged for any toll costs after the trip.

Quick Tip
In order to make sure you aren’t overcharged for tolls, try to keep a written tab of all the costs throughout the trip so you have a record of it.

We spent a little over a day here walking around the village and enjoying the slower pace. You’ll fall in love with the quaint streets, adorable artisan shops, and local way of life. Having a car and staying overnight also allows you to enjoy the village without all the tourists who come for day trips.

Read more on our One day guide to Obidos.

The sunsets were unreal from within the village of Monsanto

Monsanto

Next up on on our journey was the unique village of Monsanto. About a 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Obidos, you’ll arrive at one of the most fascinating places here. It’s built on the side of a mountain, which becomes quite apparent as you get closer. One of our goals during this road trip was to explore a few historical villages, and this was one of them.

Although there isn’t much to do here, expect to slow down a bit and enjoy the more simple things in life. We felt as if we had the place to ourselves, especially at sunset. It’s the perfect way to escape the crowds and enjoy a local experience. One of our highlights here was hiking to the Castle of Monsanto at the top of the mountain, and admiring golden hour on the way back down.

Read more about our overnight stay in Monsanto.

The incredible view of Piodao from the mountain roads

Piódão and Douro Valley

Piódão

After a wonderful overnight stay in Monsanto, we were off to our next stop. Piódão is another historical village with quite a striking appearance. Located within the stunning mountains of the Serra do Açor, it’s isolated with nothing else around except gorgeous landscapes. The drive there is an adventure in itself along narrow and windy (and sometimes steep) mountain roads.

All of the homes within the village are made out of schist, a rock formed from mudstone or shale. They look intricately pieced together with bright blue painted doors. As you walk through you’ll go up and down a network of schist stairs and pathways. There is also a spring below to cool off on a hot summer day.

A white church greets you at the entrance and contrasts against all the grey buildings. You’ll also see various souvenir shops and places to eat as well. It’s completely filled with charm and totally worth the day trip, or even an overnight stay. If you’re into hiking there are several trails around the area as well, and other villages to see along the way.

Beautiful views from the road through the Douro Valley

Douro Valley

After our brief time in Piódão, we headed to Douro Valley where we’d be staying the night. Summer isn’t typically the best time to be in this part of the country, but we wanted to get a taste of it and view the scenery. We decided to stay in the little village of Mesão Frio which took us about another 2-3 hours of driving. The journey there took us along the scenic N-108 route along the Douro river. We arrived right before golden hour, and had some time to relax by the pool before dinner.

Our home for the night was at Casa de Canilhas, an old Portuguese manor house with the most stunning views of the Douro river. It was such a great value for what you get, and the delicious homemade breakfast with a view was divine. We didn’t have time to stop at a vineyard with such a brief stay, but the staff gave several great recommendations of where to go.

See more places to stay in Douro Valley.

You can eat nearby in Regua, however we chose to eat within the center of Mesão Frio, a quick 5 minute drive away. We had dinner at Tasca do Zéquinha and got lucky enough to score a table. It’s not a fancy place by any means, but the food was incredible and well worth any wait. We felt like we were having a homemade meal at grandma’s house. The owners were very accommodating and even gave us a few snack samples to try on the way out.

Back at the hotel we were able to lounge outside our room and get a beautiful glimpse of the stars. It was truly a wonderful stay, and if you can stay longer then definitely check out some of the vineyards nearby.

Douro Valley Tour
If you’re staying an extra day, this tour is perfect to see more of the area. It includes a tour of two wineries, a river cruise in a traditional boat, and lunch, a great value for what you get!

View from the train station in Pinhao

Pinhão and Porto

Pinhão

Before heading off to Porto, our final stop on our Portugal road trip, we wanted to do another scenic drive. We decided to take the beautiful N-222 route along the other side of the Douro river in order to stop by Pinhão in the heart of wine country. It was fairly quiet when we arrived, but we parked and decided to take a stroll.

In the autumn during harvest the town is more busy with lots to do, but for now it was fairly sleepy. The train station is quite historic and worth a look for the beautiful azulejo tiles depicting life scenes. You can also take a river cruise and get closer views of the Pinhão bridge. We didn’t have much time so we didn’t do much except walk around and explore. Most of the shops were closed, aside from souvenirs and a few cafes. However we enjoyed our brief time here and would love to come back during the fall!

Will forever remember these sunsets by the water in Porto

Porto

For the last and final stop of our road trip we spent 3 days in Porto. We were set to spend a few days here, although had some day trips in mind. However we fell in love so much that we decided to just stay within the city and never even used the car again. We did do some research and had a few day trips in mind. If you have more time, or want to see more than just Porto, you can head to Aveiro, nicknamed the Venice of Portugal, Coimbra, Braga, and Guimarães. All of these places are within close driving distance and can easily be done in a day trip. Costa Nova in Aveiro has the famous brightly colored striped houses to see. If you’re really into history then Braga or Coimbra would be great choices. We have saved all of these for another trip, along with the south!

The Best Way to Experience Portugal

We hope this gives you inspiration for a northern Portugal road trip. Although we saw a lot, there is still so much more to see throughout the country. It was easily one of our highlights of our 10 day trip and we enjoyed having the freedom to see things at our own pace. Next time you find yourself in this country, definitely make sure to rent a car and hit the road! There’s so much to be discovered within these hidden corners!

Have you been on a memorable road trip? We’d love to hear about it!

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