Portugal: what to know before you go
I’m absolutely loving Portugal, which is no surprise considering some of my favorite humans live here. While 2 months in Portugal does not make me an expert, I’ve got a few local friends who showed me the ropes and I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of things. Since some friends are visiting us in Lisbon soon, I decided to put together a cheat sheet and make it available for all. Read on if you’re an American planning a trip to Portugal!
Regions of Portugal
Porto, Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Nazaré, Portugal
Plenty of blogs out there showcasing the wonders of Portugal and I haven’t done my research to say much about it besides it being a truly gorgeous country with lots of natural beauty, food, history, and culture. We spent time in Lisbon, the capital in the middle of the country and the biggest urban area (similar to San Francisco in many ways). We passed through Nazare (fishing town with the biggest waves in the world) and stayed a month in Porto. We’ll do a day trip to Douro Valley soon and are planning a 100-mile bike ride through Sagres, Lagos, and Faro in the south of Portugal.
Portuguese People
I can’t pretend 3 months is enough time to know Portuguese people well, but I can fill you in on how they are in casual situations such as shopping at the market and at restaurants.
They are helpful, friendly, and completely downplay their English. They will tell you their English isn’t very good, but then help you do whatever it is you’re trying to do. Or if you’re among friends, they will carry on an incredibly intelligent conversation about culture, relationships, and politics — all in near-perfect English.
I’ve also noticed that there are a lot more elderly folks out and about living their lives in city centers than there are in the states. Loved seeing this — the contrast to how people age downtown vs. secluded in their suburban homes is striking and I really like that there is a mix of ages everywhere. It’s how I plan on getting older too!
I will say that Portuguese people stare at you. Like for a really long time and they don’t look away when you notice them staring. At first, we thought we were accidentally doing something taboo. While it’s very offputting, my friends assure me no one is looking for a fight and you haven’t done anything wrong. They are curious people, especially the older folks. Smile and nod and keep doing you.
Safety in Portugal
From what I’ve seen and heard from my local friends, Portugal is incredibly safe. I’m perfectly comfortable walking alone, being out late at night, and shopping/handling cash out and about.
How to speak basic Portuguese
{NSFW} Note this video contains some sexual references. Olivine is headed to Portugal for a company offsite, but before we go, we decided to have a chat about common phrases and pronunciations.
An incredible number of locals speak great English. I almost wish more people didn’t so I could get that authentic learning experience. Even a teeny bit of effort like saying “Ola, bom dia” with a smile and then “ingles?” will give you a lot of brownie points with locals.
Common greetings / phrases
I didn’t do ANY language prep before I arrived and I’m getting by just fine. I’m sure a proper language course or app would start elsewhere, but I’ve listed the phrases I say most often. There have been a few occasions where someone at a cafe didn’t speak any English, but a few basic words in Spanish helped me be understood.
Portuguese pronunciation is tough and not at all like spanish. They make a lot of “ow” sounds and their S is a “sh” sound.
All the words I’ve shared are from memory and I didn’t check spelling or accents so chew carefully.
Ola = hello
Ciao = see ya
Por favor = please
Obrigado or obrigada = thank you (men say ‘o”, women say “a”)
Bom dia = good day (morning greeting)
Boa tarde = good afternoon
Banoite = good evening
Desculpe = sorry / forgive me (if you bump into someone)
Pardon = excuse me
Comida / Food
Pork, potatoes (specifically french fries), and codd are huge staples. Prepare to eat a lot of carbs (one of my meals was steak with french fries, white rice, black beans, and a whole side of bread crumbs (not sprinkled on top). P.S. I’ve since learned this version of what I had is a Brazilian dish, not Portuguese. 🤦🏻♀️
Pasteis de Nata = pastry of cream, the best thing you will ever eat and I can’t understand why this doesn’t exist in the US.
Iogurte = yogurt, usually done well with granola and fruit or jam
Bacalhau = codd fish, very popular and done well
Frango = chicken
Carne = beef
Camarao = shrimp
Legumes = vegetables
Sopa = soup
Salada = salad
Bebidas / Drinks
Coffee gets its own section below!
Agua = water
Agua com gas = sparkling water (gas is pronounced “gash”)
Sumo de laranja = orange juice
Vinho = wine (varietals are different here, so it’s not just a matter of translating “pinot noir” into Portuguese. I never figured it out but the wine here is great, especially from Douro valley (up north).
Vinho Tinto = red wine
Vinho Rose = pink wine
Vinho Branco = white wine
Vinho Verde = green wine (looks white, youthful process with fresh and light characteristic produced in a specific region of Portugual)
Cafe / Coffee
Coffee is very well done but totally different here so it’s not just a matter of translating “latte” into Portuguese.
Cafe = espresso (not drip coffee)
Pingado = espresso shot with a drop of milk
Meia de leite = closest to American latte
Cappucino = decadent cappuccino with chocolate powder on top (some modern places have a more wet Cappucino as you’d expect in American urban cities)
Galao = glass of steamed milk with a bit of espresso (milkier than a latte)
Getting around
Google Maps
Cache your map and set the place you’re staying as your Home. All seems to be very accurate and reliable, except cycling times seem unrealistically short (30-minute trip took us 1 hour).
Walking
Very walkable for able bodies folks and very safe. But the sidewalks are mostly tile or cobblestone and get very narrow. Not conducive to high heels, weak ankles, strollers or walkers.
Biking
I’d consider myself an experienced city cycler having biked regularly in downtown Boston, New York, and San Francisco, but I’m feeling timid in Portugal. The streets are narrow with no shoulders, people drive like they are in top gear, and not a lot of room is given for cyclists (3 feet is not given in most cases, and I’ve seen as little as 6 inches.)
Ubers
Incredibly fast, reliable, and cheap compared to US cities.
Grocery Shopping
Pingo Doce and Continente are the local grocery stores (I was searching for “groceries” and nothing came up, but searching “supermarket” in English found what I was expecting).
Hard to find chicken broth and half and half. Boxed mac n cheese does not exist (my guilty pleasure). Meat cuts are different here, and it’s a bit tricky to find high-end cuts like Americans might expect (i.e. New York Strip).
Produce is high quality but less varied. Haven’t been able to find shallots or fennel at all. Sometimes asparagus wasn’t available.
Fado
Fado is traditional Portuguese music, usually performed at what we think of as supper clubs. Sr Vinho was my favorite. Read about my first Fado experience here.
Things Americans do that seem taboo to locals
Excessive tipping. Seems to be that tipping is not expected in many situations, and 10% is considered generous.
Eating while walking. I haven’t gotten any dirty looks, but I’ve noticed that people don’t really eat and walk.
Returning your dishes in a coffee shop — they leave them at their table and a staff member promptly clears and wipes the table.
Being in a rush at restaurants. Expect a sit-down lunch to take 90 minutes and a nice dinner to take 2-3 hours.
Wanting to pay upfront. Places I assume are counter service are table service.
Waiting for your coffee to be made near the espresso machine. Here they bring it to your seat.
Things that are surprising to Americans, but perfectly normal to locals
Barely slowing down for pedestrians. Cars are actually pretty friendly to pedestrians, but the signal is very subtle and they don’t give as much space as you’d expect.
Very tiny parking spots.
Parking on sidewalks.
Driving a bit fast near/through crowds of people
Smoking, even for young people, seems pretty common.
Staying out very late, sleeping in.
The earliest most people eat dinner is 8 pm. 6 or 7 pm in Portugal would be similar to going out to dinner at 4 pm in the states (and most dinner restaurants don’t open till 8 pm).
Shows to watch before you visit Portugal
Gloria on Netflix is an orginal Portuguese series. Watch it with English subtitles to start honing your listening skills.
Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix (Lisbon episode but all are great)
Parts Unknown, Porto with Anthony Bourdain on YouTube
That’s everything I can think of for now! Ask me your Portugal questions in the comments and I’ll try to answer.
