We’ve got Lisbon and Porto down for a first Portugal trip, about 10 days, but everyone says the best bits are in between and beyond - the Douro, the Alentejo, the Algarve. If you were adding two or three places beyond the big two, which would they be, and would you drop a city night to fit them?
Douro Valley. The scenery is beautiful, and the vineyards and river make it worth a stop.
mostly in Sep - Oct
I’d definitely pick Douro Valley and the Algarve! For the Douro, I’d specifically look at Pinhão rather than just doing a quick drive through the region. It’s right along the river surrounded by those terraced vineyards, and you can do a boat trip or visit some of the smaller wine estates around there. Especially if you’re going September–October like @DriftingLouangphabang mentioned, I feel like that would be SUCH a nice contrast to Lisbon and Porto.
Then for the Algarve, I’d probably choose Lagos. Not just for the beaches, but for the cliffs and coastal scenery around Ponta da Piedade. You could do a boat/kayak trip or walk along the cliffs, so it gives you something completely different again.@sophie, are you planning on renting a car at all? I feel like that would make a huge difference in how much you can realistically squeeze in