Bookmarks with Portuguese tiles. Photo by Aki Kärkkäinen.
I visited Portugal for the first time in 2008. A year later, my half-Portuguese, half-French colleague recommended his hometown, Sesimbra. I’ve returned nearly every year since. Here’s a selected breakdown of why Portugal is such an amazing country 🇵🇹.
📍 Places
This September we explored Lagoa de Albufeira, Aldeia do Meco and Alfarim, the areas around Sesimbra. Sesimbra is a place we return to year after year for its bright light, colours, the sea, welcoming locals, exceptional seafood—and fewer tourists.
Over the years we’ve visited the following places in Portugal (a partial list). From north to south:
Northern Portugal
- The Douro: Douro Valley (Pinhão), Porto
Central Portugal
- The Beiras: Aveiro, Coimbra, Figueira da Foz
- Estremadura: Nazaré, Óbidos
- The Lisbon Coast: Aldeia do Meco, Alfarim, Azenhas do Mar, Cabo Espichel, Cacilhas, Cascais, Colares, Ericeira, Estoril, Lagoa de Albufeira, Meco beach, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra, Troia, Vila Fresca de Azeitão
Southern Portugal
- Alentejo: Cabo Sardão, Evora, Odeceixe, Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Zambujeira Do Mar
- Algarve: Faro, Tavira
A highlight: the 160-million-year-old dinosaur footprints on the cliffs of Cabo Espichel: Sauropods, Theropods and Ornithopods, frozen in stone.
Next on my list (Northern Portugal):
- Minho: Braga, Guimarães, Serra do Gerês
🦞 Food
Portugal’s culinary scene is a revelation. The Mercado do Livramente food market in Setúbal never fails to stagger me with its variety and quality—fish, shellfish, meat, regional products, cheese and fresh vegetables.
A man and a tuna fish at the Mercado do Livramente in Setúbal, in 2022. Photo by Aki Kärkkäinen.
In Sesimbra alone, I’ve discovered zamburinhas at Marisqueira Modesto, the perfect espadarte (swordfish) at Tasca do Isaías, and countless other treasures. From Porto’s francesinha to Coimbra’s Pastel de Tentúgal, each region offers its own specialties.
Some Portuguese culinary highlights 🍴🍷
Row by row, from left to right. Photos by Aki Kärkkäinen.
Row by row, from left to right. Photos by Aki Kärkkäinen.
- Tremoços (lupin beans)[2]
- Casco de Sapateira recheado (brown crab filled carapace)[5]
- Canivetes/navalhas/lingueirão (razor shell clams)[5]
- Salmão (salmon)[3]
- Frango à Guia (Portuguese grilled chicken)[6]
- Francesinha (Portuguese sandwich from Porto)[7]
- Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams with garlic and coriander sauce)[5]
- Pastel de Tentúgal (a typical pastry from Coimbra)[8]
- Pastel de nata (egg custard tart pastry), and Moscatel de Setúbal[9]
The restaurants in the above photos
- Marisqueira Modesto, Sesimbra
- Sociedade Musical Sesimbrense, Sesimbra
- Tasca do Isaías, Sesimbra
- Restaurante Isaura, Alfarim
- Snack-Bar Formiga, Sesimbra
- Restaurante Frango à Guia, Sesimbra
- Cervejaria Brasão Aliados, Porto
- Pastelaria Briosa, Coimbra
- Pastelaria O Caseiro, Sesimbra
I’m only touching the surface, and I can’t wait to explore Portugal’s gastronomy further.
👥 People
The Portuguese I’ve met—colleagues and strangers alike—share a warm, easy-going humor. They value respect and consideration: don’t skip queues, attempt a few words of Portuguese, and always say obrigado. There’s a collective awareness here that contrasts with the destructive Scandinavian individualism.
Despite concentrated urban centers, Portugal feels remarkably uncrowded. Finding solitude and nature is easy, especially away from the southern coast.
Then there’s saudade—that untranslatable longing for something or someone absent. As a bittersweet type and a Finn, I recognize this feeling immediately ❤️.
✨ Beauty
Portugal’s beauty lies in its colours, light, ambience, craftsmanship and unpretentious way of living. The coastline—high cliffs, magnificent beaches, relentless waves—is mesmerizing. I could listen to the early morning sea forever.
Every visit reminds me of Aki Kaurismäki’s films: the same lighting, compositions, and unhurried characters. There’s something cinematically timeless here.
This is São Simão Arte, a traditional Portuguese decorative tiles (azulejos) factory and shop in Vila Fresca de Azeitão, in 2019. They offered a guided tour and a demonstration of the manual tile manufacturing process, using the techniques developed hundreds of years ago. It was really amazing! You could also paint your own tile and take it home with you. Well worth a visit! Photo by Aki Kärkkäinen.
☀️ Weather
I haven’t experienced Portuguese winters yet, but shoulder seasons—September and early October—are perfect. Summers can be punishingly hot, worsening with climate change.
The magic of Sesimbra, at the end of September 2019 🐟. Photo by Aki Kärkkäinen.
🌍 Climate Change
I’m not proud to fly to Portugal regularly. I offset this by living car-free and mostly pescatarian, but these are individual solutions to systemic problems. Real change requires political will, not just personal virtue—something climate strikes make painfully clear.
We lived through pandemic restrictions; climate action should be easier, yet here we are.
If individual behavior change is this hard, structural and systemic solutions are essential.
🗣️ Language
Portuguese isn’t easy, but I’m drawn to its sound—years of listening to Brazilian music will do that. The European variant is different, but equally compelling.
Learning the basics would deepen my connection to the country and help me see beyond the tourist’s perspective—toward a more balanced understanding.
🏡 The Future
Retiring in Portugal? Not a crazy idea. I’ll revisit this thought later in life.
As a tourist, I miss much of what makes Portugal tick. I’m curious to dig deeper.
💡 Sometimes you must return to beloved places to see how much you’ve changed.