Portugal road trip: North to South vs South to North - which route is better?

Destinations Portugal
1

Hello
We are 4 friends planning a road trip in Portugal in March for 10 days.

We would like to stay in:

  • Faro
  • Lisbon
  • Sintra
  • Porto

We want to know, would it be better to start in Faro and drive North, or Porto and drive south? And what might the differencces be?

Can anyone say what places would be worth stopping in at along the way? And where are some nice beaches too?

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I have been to these places in Portugal, but I did it by train so not quite the same.

I would personally say, if you are going in March, start North and head south, this might mean the weather is a little warmer for the beach days at the end in the Algarve if thats what you’re after.

Once place I didn’t get to, but would love to is Nazaré, it’sbetween Lisbon and Porto, and is known for big wave surfung, which looks epic. This is usually in the winter, but might still be going in March!

3

If you’re driving south, you’ve got the coast on your right side (they drive on the right in Portugal).

It’s the way I’d go.

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