Portugal’s overtourism problem is no longer a travel writer’s talking point. Tourism receipts hit over €29 billion, but local communities have grown increasingly disgruntled over the volume of arrivals in Lisbon and Porto. One Lisbon resident described parts of the capital as a “ghost place”, where a growing number of homes are rented to tourists and neighbours have simply disappeared. Meanwhile, Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport is operating at maximum capacity in 2026, constrained by its urban surroundings, with a single runway saturated during peak travel periods. The Portuguese government has approved a new mega-airport at Alcochete, expected to open in the early 2030s, but that does nothing for the short-term gaps travellers must currently deal with.
Portugal is not short of alternatives. The country’s own government clearly thinks so. An €11 million investment is being directed at tourism projects across northern and central Portugal, Alentejo and Ribateiro, as part of a broader “Growing with Tourism” initiative with a €30 million budget. Four places, in particular, make a strong case for sidestepping the Alfama entirely.
Guimarães
The BBC named Guimarães one of the 20 best global destinations to visit in 2026, noting it is “astonishingly under the radar” for a city considered the 12th-century birthplace of Portugal and its first capital. It has also been named European Green Capital for 2026, with a programme of events running throughout the year. The city has a youthful, creative energy (nearly half the population is under 30) and futuristic galleries built for its 2012 European Capital of Culture title sit alongside museums in ancient cloisters and bars carved out of old factories. Between 2012 and 2023, the city added 95.7 hectares of natural spaces, and a new Green Map connects Penha Mountain along a Biodiversity Route into the city centre. It is about 65km from Porto, easily done by train in under an hour. A decent room in the old town runs £60 to £100 a night. Meals at a proper tasca start at around £8. At O Petisko, a hearty set lunch of soup, main, and drink starts at around £4.
Évora and the Alentejo
The Alentejo flatlands are home to farms, vineyards, castles, wild horses, and towns dating to the Roman period, with villages that seem not to have changed in hundreds of years dotted between olive groves and cork trees. Évora is the obvious anchor. It has a Roman temple and a massive aqueduct whose arches have had houses built between them, plus the macabre Capela dos Ossos: a chapel lined with the bones of over 5,000 people exhumed from medieval graves. The region covers almost a third of the country yet holds no more than 5% of its population. The pace is either refreshing or maddening, depending on your constitution. Guesthouses in Évora’s old town run from £55 a night; the converted-convent end of the market reaches £200. Évora has introduced an overnight tourist tax, so factor in a small additional charge per night.
Comporta
An hour south of Lisbon, between pine groves and rice paddies, Comporta has a laid-back rhythm well regarded by people who can afford to be discerning, with slow days spent cycling boardwalks to empty beaches and drinking under cork oaks. It is not cheap. AlmaLusa Comporta offers understated luxury with a rooftop bar overlooking rice fields, from around £147 per night B&B. That said, it is a different world from the selfie-queue outside the Santa Justa Elevator, and dinner on garlic clams at Sal or watching flamingos sweep across the Sado estuary will do considerable damage to your Lisbon fatigue. You will need a car. Public transport to Comporta is almost non-existent.
Coimbra
If you still want a city but something different from the capital, Coimbra was once the capital of the kingdom of Portugal, and has the country’s oldest and most famous university, with an inviting old town divided into upper and lower sections, both filled with tascas and independent shops. Coimbra has its own distinct style of fado, developed by students at the university, and you will hear it drifting through city squares on most evenings. It sits on the main Lisbon-Porto rail line, so there is no excuse not to stop. It makes a solid overnight stop to break up the journey, and has enough of a city feel without being overwhelmed by crowds. Hotels run from £50 to £110 for something central and decent.
Getting there
Lisbon, Faro, and Porto are the main gateways to Portugal, with flights from London taking around two hours fifty minutes, with direct options also available from Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol. Portugal has reliable trains and an efficient coach network connecting major cities, but a hire car opens up the rural areas in a way public transport cannot. For Comporta especially, it is not optional.
