Portugal, as European countries go, is quite affordable while still maintaining the European charm we all love with great food, architecture, landscapes, and history. Our 9-day itinerary includes 4 days in the Algarve. Located in the Southern coastline of Portugal, the Algarve region is known for beautiful beaches with impressive rock formations, white-washed fishing villages, and great Portuguese cuisine. Depending on where you visit, it is only 2.5 to 3 hours from Lisbon by car. The remaining part of the itinerary is spent in Lisbon, with a day trip to Sintra, where several castles sit within walking distance of one another. The capital city of Portugal is remarkably like our home city, San Francisco, except much older of course. It has cable cars, a Golden Gate Bridge, is situated on hills, and even suffers from earthquakes. We felt very much at home. Lisbon though, has a much more interesting history.