How to take a nature forward vacation to Portugal

A nature-forward vacation provides many benefits.

Here are a few examples:

• Stay present: Daily nature immersion while traveling ensures you keep grounded. As a result, you’ll be more present to yourself and your travel companions and fully experience places like Lisbon and Porto.
• Healing & well-being: Allocating as little as 20 minutes daily grounding in nature helps alleviate everyday travel stress and anxiety. Plus, you’ll have more energy for everything else. 
• Compass for travel planning: Leaning on the Natural World for support is an excellent backbone to travel planning and saving time and money while on the road.
• Return refreshed: Grounding in nature empowers presence to the wonders of travel — which begets joy, fulfillment, and rejuvenation. 

A nature-forward approach to travel is a way to actively make a difference in your environmental impact. You become part of a growing collective helping rebalance the planet by firmly grounding in nature. It might seem futile, but real, sustainable change will happen as rebalance happens.

For more information about nature-forward travel and why it matters, access the article on transforming your travel experience with nature-forward vacations.

Planning a nature-forward vacation in Portugal

While nature-forward refers to grounding in the land around you, your “essence” or “nature” is an important consideration. So this article also focuses on how best to inject your authentic desires for travel into a fantastic experience. 

For example, with the more profound clarity provided by nature, you can push away the fear of missing out (FOMO) that leads to unfulfilling checklists because you emphasize your intuition — even while on vacation in Portugal.

There is much to see between Lisbon, Porto, and the rest of the coastal nation. Be realistic about your timelines and ask critical questions when forming an itinerary. “Why is this activity important? What desire does it fulfill?” For example, if the answer is because it’s popular on social media, dive deeper into your heart to ensure it makes sense for the time and money.

Nature-forward activities on vacation to Portugal

Lisbon and Porto are rich with things to do. The rural areas and the coast cater to agriculture immersion and beach life. But, no matter the consideration, Portugal is a gem of a vacation destination.

I’m partial to nature immersion activities, which I’ll explore later in this writing. Here are some other nature-forward considerations:

• Boat rides — especially on the Duoro River in and around Porto — the rocking in the water keeps you deeply connected to nature. Well worth the time and money.
• Walking tours are excellent for connecting with the land spirits and having fun. We loved our walk with the eccentric Xenia. She’s on Airbnb Experiences.
• Any food & drink experience that allows you thorough information or access to the source provides nature-forward benefits. Try to “vote with your dollars” for such proprietors. 
• Plant-based travel limits environmental impact and is an excellent nature-forward activity for acknowledging where your nourishment comes from. Check out my friend Rebecca’s blog post, The complete vegan travel guide to Lisbon 2023.
• Fado is more than a touristy craze. Instead, the experience feels like an intimate dinner party at a friend’s home — very grounding. We loved our first experience in Lisbon so much that we booked another night, later, in Porto. 

While traveling in Portugal, these were my primary considerations for locating the best nature-forward opportunities in Lisbon & Porto:

1. Spaces with old vegetation or elements have more wisdom to share. Tree-lined boulevards are suitable for this because, in many cases, the trees were planted a few hundred years ago.
2. Where water meets land is always powerful. Even a fountain in a tiny garden can provide a special nature connection.
3. In busy city parks, use benches or dry ground to lie down and look up. Or, face away from the main walkways. This helps lessen the impact of distractions.
4. Botanical gardens are great for a nature-forward vacation. Every large city has one. There are at least three in central Lisbon. 
5. Lisbon is famous for its seven hills & Porto is layered on the side of a mountain over the Duoro River. Both cities have fantastic viewpoints over the terrain — inspiring places to immerse in nature. While firmly connected to the ground, you enjoy breathtaking big-picture views. 

Trees along Av. da Liberdade

I’m thankful I booked a centrally located hotel around the Rossio Train Station in Lisbon! Walking was accessible everywhere, and we were close to the magnificent Av. da Liberdade.

The trees lining this stately boulevard are majestic and abundant. Sit on one of the many benches along this avenue and stare at the bending trunks. Listen to the wind blow through the branches (and leaves in summer/fall) and glide away with your new nature friends.

If you want a lovely walking meditation, begin in Lisbon’s iconic Praça Dom Pedro IV — the one with the famous wavy black and white tile — and continue 2.5km (about thirty minutes) up the Av. da Liberdade to another of my favorites, Jardim Amalia Rodrigues. You’ll pass by several other city landmarks along the way.

Botanical gardens (3) — Jardim Botanico de Lisboa, Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Estufa Fria

Close to Jardim Amalia Rodrigues, there are three delightful botanical gardens. I enjoyed Jardim Botanico de Lisbon, which feels like a secret garden, hugging the side of a hill with grace. In particular, there are ample benches to have a seat and reflect in the oxygen-rich air. Reach the park via one entrance at the top of the hill (SW corner).

The Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a beautiful museum of art pieces and nature integration. Estufa Fria is a wild garden of exotic plants, water features, and general botanical goodness.

Cais das Colunas

Atop the Castelo de S. Jorge, I noticed a prominent square near the river below (Praça do Comércio), which was not on my radar during the Lisbon trip.

So, trusting intuition to guide me, I descended the maze of stairways and cobblestones to the stately square — and crossed the roadway toward the water’s edge. Although Cais das Colunas is an understated historical quay, it provided a divine connection to the Tagus River.

Even surrounded by tourists snapping photos, I slipped into a trance, watching the gentle waves splash onto the steps and disappear into the churning water. Visit this spot with time to find stillness within — then wade through the portal into a magical realm of clarity and healing.

The coastline between Cabo Raso and Cascais

We requested this drive be integrated into our Sintra day trip. It turned out to be a highlight for many’s vacations to Portugal. Meander along a prominent road view of the wild Atlantic Ocean — frothy waves dramatically crashing against the rugged lava coastline. 

In particular, a wonderful dining experience is at Furnas do Guincho. Dine on fresh seafood while huge waves meet land mere feet from the outside patio — laying a salty mist on everything in the way. 

Jardim da Cordoria — Porto

Although a hub of activity, especially on weekends, make this a place to start your day in nature. Rows of age-old sycamore trees proudly usher visitors into unseen realms of spirit. They were severely damaged in a hurricane years ago — and pruned back in a way that encouraged “new” growth. That grew into an elaborate winding canopy, which reminds me of nature’s resilience.

I offered to facilitate a nature-forward immersion with my friends and family on my vacation to Portugal. Four loved ones joined me to connect with the land spirits here (photo shown). Take time to enjoy the healing and well-being steeped in this urban greenspace.