Portugal 🇵🇹 or Spain 🇪🇸 summer 2027?

And, which dates? Could do both too…

Feel free to DM me. I’ve been to both and absolutely love Spain. Valencia has been one of my favorites. If you have the opportunity to do both Spain and Portugal it’s very much worth it. I’ve gone in the May through July timeframe. There are also wonderful islands in Portugal if you like to hike such as Madeira that you can look into.

Have you ever been to Spain? Depends on the vibe you want or type of trip. I would say Portugal though. You got your city life in Lisbon, historical beauty in Sintra, and amazing wine in Porto.

Honest opinion - forgo both in the summer and go in September / October (or May if you have to).

Spain and Portugal get exceptionally hot in June - August, and given the lack of AC in most spots, crowds, and level of development it’s just not enjoyable particularly in the Algarve, Andalusia, and Madrid (if you have to do the summer then check out the Basque Country with San Sebastián).

2 years ago my gf and I fried in the Algarve in Mid July when it got to 105 degrees in the middle of the day. Touring was basically a no go unless it was very early or late in the day and everything closed midday,

You’ll save significantly on hotel prices, less crowds, and the water will be just as warm / if not warmer since it takes months to adapt to the temp. Things don’t close for the season until mid October anyways.

@author - Saw your comment about Italy and feeling like you could return and experience something totally new, and I totally get it because that is how I felt about Greece..

I would say that while it’s great to go back to Italy, it may be nice to explore a few other locations first and then explore a new area of Italy in a few years. Especially if you’re traveling with family, it’s nice to feel like you’re experiencing entirely different cultures, and multiple countries ‘feels different’ when your talking to others about where you have traveled; even if you could swear north and south are entirely different places.

I think Spain would be a great choice and then pick your specific destination cities based on the vacation features or experiences you want to prioritize…

One other mention is that you can drive from Barcelona to southern France in like 2 hrs; and a number of locations are accessible by short flights or train from Madrid and Barcelona.

Ultimately you will have a great experience with whatever you choose. And does someone who bopped around a little too much, I would highly recommend picking those core experiences, and then figuring out where you want to achieve them versus soaking in everything…. After a while it turns into ‘another intricately decorated cathedral’ ‘another set of ruins’ :p — diversity over comprehensiveness

Well what do you like to do or see..? Spain has many options, and Portugal is quite diverse as well (for instance, Porto vs The Algarve)

I’m bias. I’m from Algarve Portugal. Go in August as everyone is on holiday and the vibes are spectacular. July if you want less crowds. Algarve beaches are not ones to miss.

Go to Valencia Spain it’s super cheap

We went to Portugal with kids in mid June in 2023. The southwest was absolutely dead- it was amazing. Algarve was busy, but we stayed in Sagres, a bit to the west, and it was super empty. Then we drove up the coast from there- went to random beaches and they were all totally empty with stunning scenery - Praia do Amado and Praia Bordeira, i remember. Practically had the beaches to ourselves, but there were cafes, luckily. I think it was empty because it wasn’t high season yet? Or maybe because everyone goes to the Algarve proper. Either way, one of our fav family trips that my kids still talk about.

I am from Spain and I was raised near the Portugal border. I can tell you, August is not the best time at least the first 15 days as accommodation will be much more expensive and everything will be crowded. If you can choose make the second half of August or last week of august and early september (especially if you are planning to travel to the southern part as temperatures can be extremely high). Now if I had to chose I d say both, flights are not expensive (in comparison to US standards) and there are differences (mainly in terms of food and water temperature). I d say you have to try the balearic islands in Spain, formentera, Menorca or mallorca, and you have amazing beaches in the mediterranean coast of Spain. Don’t go to the inner part of the south (sevilla) as that’s too hot in summer and people literally abandon the city. Lisbon is beautiful but for summer I think it’s not worth it as there are much better beaches in the south (Algarve). If you tell me what you enjoy doing and what’s your ideal plan I d be happy to give you more tips, both countries are amazing and most of it will feel cheap with a US salary (although cost of living is increasing every year a lot such as the gap is narrower than it used to)

How long will your trip be? Also how willing are you to travel within the country either by train or driving while you are there? these would highly impact my recommendation for you.

I took a three week trip last year that involved five days in Portugal and then the remainder of the trip in Spain. — end of Aug to early sept

In Portugal I probably would’ve done things differently and I’ve been traveling alone, but I was visiting a friend who moved there. Primary experiences:
- Porto: enjoyed the Port winery tour, had a delicious dinner by the river
- Aveiro (costal city): they called this the Venice of Portugal — but either my friend didn’t show me the highlights, or the time of year may have influenced experience… did sit and have a drink by a canal and there were many fun shops .
- Praia da Barra - went to beach— nice for a day but depends what you want from a beach —when I was there, it was incredibly windy; most beachgoers set up these wind breakers to prevent sand from blowing). Areas of the Portugal coast are known for some of the largest waves in the world I believe, if you are into surfing…. [I highly preferred the Greek Ionian island beaches for astetic and swimming]
** products like purses, wallets, and small bags made from cork are famous in Portugal so they are highly recommended products to buy if you visit for gifts or souvenirs—- they are also significantly less expensive than if you purchase them in Spain

Spain — I visited many different cities in Spain, with the combination of driving and train transportation. I overpacked my itinerary, but the rail system is pretty effective for travel between many locations,

there are so many options in Spain for someone to give you recommendations you would really have to provide more information on what you buy you in a trip.. eg several cities in northern Spain

What we are looking for: history, architecture, museums, nice drives, large open areas for dinner/nightlife (similar to Rome and Madrid).

Maybe beaches as well…