Many people think that winter is the ideal time to be at home, drinking tea lying on the sofa and covered by a blanket, even if it's not that cold! But the truth is that winter is the ideal time to visit some special places in Portugal! If you plan your winter holidays well, you'll see that you can do that activity or visit that you've been wanting to do for a long time and never did! This is the time for comfort and relaxation, for visiting museums, eating in that special restaurant, watching shows or tasting quality wines! Discover the exclusive winter activities we have for you!

Serra da Estrela

Nothing better than going to Serra da Estrela during winter! Take advantage of this trip to contemplate the highest mountain in Mainland Portugal! Haven't you done the trails and hikes in the area yet and seen the almost 2000 meters high Tower? You can see this and much more as well as taste the local gastronomic products where the most known is the Serra da Estrela Cheese! and places of interest nearby are the village of Sabugueiro, known for its natural resources (waterfalls and mountainous vegetation), and you can also visit the Lagoa Comprida, and the Bread Museum in the town of Seia which has interesting interactions for you and the whole family!

You can visit Serra da Estrela with your family or private group all winter long!

Most Wanted Workshops

Have you ever thought of improving your gastronomic skills? You can take advantage of the winter to become an expert in traditional Portuguese confectionary! We refer to the Pastel de Nata Workshop in Lisbon where you will learn how to prepare this sweet during a cooking class, but also other sweets such as Travesseiros de Sintra, Papos de Anjo and Toucinho do Céu. At the end you will only have to enjoy your treats during a snack accompanied by a drink of your choice, in a relaxed atmosphere!

If you are in Porto, you can learn how to make the famous Francesinha recipe. This recipe is already very old, coming from the 50's, and was considered in 2011, the tenth best sandwich in the world by the AOL Travel website! Here you can learn how to cook one of the oldest culinary secrets of the city of Porto! But don't forget to pay close attention when preparing the Francesinha sauce because the biggest secret is in its ingredients, which is why there is the Francesinha Contest every year in the city of Porto! At the end of this Francesinha Workshop in Porto you can enjoy your meal accompanied by a good beer or wine!

Wine Tasting

During the winter it is also time to enjoy the best things Portugal has to offer during the summer and at this time we have the opportunity to visit the Port Wine Cellars! This is a good option to do during the winter because you will find a comfortable, relaxing and cosy environment where you can taste a good Port Wine. Learn more about the wine production in this Region and warm up while drinking a glass of wine! There are some very affordable Port Wine Lodges where you can taste wines from different producers!

New Year's Eve

Winter is also the time for Christmas and New Year's Eve! Enjoy the farewell of the past year and enter the coming year in the best possible way! There are several options to enjoy this special moment and we will show you the best ones. You can travel to Madeira Island where you can take a Madeira Firework View Cruise. You also have the option of doing a New Year's Eve Cruise in the Douro River in Porto where you will travel across 6 bridges over the river Douro and also enjoy a cocktail and live music on this cruise. Or celebrate this date in a cosier atmosphere with your loved ones, where you can enjoy New Year's Eve with dinner included in Porto. In the Portuguese capital, you can choose to spend the night on the Tagus River, on a New Year's Eve Cruise in Lisbon, which is usually memorable and has everything included during that night.

Discovery Spaces: Museums and Exhibition Venues

During winter you can also take the opportunity to visit museums and exhibition venues that you would never visit during the summer because during hot weather is not the time to be inside buildings when the sun is shining outside! We leave here some suggestions like the Porto and Lisbon oceanariums. In Porto's Sea Life you can see around 3000 fascinating creatures and in Lisbon's Oceanarium you can see 15000 animals and 450 plants.

In Porto you can also see those buildings that are less crowded during the winter such as Livraria Lello, or the Porto Legends where you can see 10 of the most famous legends of the city of Porto in the building of Alfândega do Porto, or go to the World of Discoveries Museum where you can experience the Portuguese Discoveries in this thematic interactive park. You can also visit the Palácio da Bolsa,  Clérigos Tower,  the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, or even the Casa da Música.

In Lisbon you can also enter several places without queuing up, such as the Pena National Palace and Park or the Sintra National Palace, both in Sintra, or the Queluz National Palace and Gardens classified as a National Monument.

Fado Shows with Dinner

You can take advantage of the winter to have dinner in a typical restaurant in Porto or Lisbon where you can enjoy the local gastronomy and also watch a Fado show - Cultural and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. These shows are always well accompanied with a traditional Portuguese meal that always includes the traditional Caldo Verde and the so characteristic baked Portuguese Cod. You will have the unique opportunity to enjoy a Dinner with Fado Show in Lisbon in the house where the Counts of Linhares lived, located in the historical centre of the Portuguese capital. You also have the possibility to have Dinner and watch a Fado Show in Oporto. Don't forget to book these fabulous dinners in advance because demand is high and the houses are small!

Now you know a little more about what to enjoy during the winter. Go to those places that during the summer are not so appealing because they are overcrowded and queued and take advantage of this time of year to relax with exciting experiences in cosy surroundings! Plan ahead calmly what to do or visit. Find out much more in our Living Magazine-Blog and also our Living Tours website!