Complete Guide to Lisbon, Portugal

I first visited Lisbon back in 2017 and immediately knew I wanted to move there. Although I could barely catch a glimpse of it during my long layovers, I was in awe with everything. Not even all those hilly, winding streets could put me off!

In November I got to spend a week in the capital of Portugal. While this may sound a lot to some (Lisbon can be seen in 3 days), I could easily extend my stay for longer. It is impossible to run out of things to do in Lisbon and as a food lover, I was in complete heaven.

In this post, I will cover everything from what to see, where to eat and where to stay. Read More

Madeira: One Week Road Trip Itinerary

Madeira’s known as an island of eternal spring. Thanks to the warm ocean currents around the island, there are no extremes here. The temperature is almost stable all year round (around 20 °C), which means you can escape there even when most of Europe is white. Most popular months, however, are from April to September, when it’s a bit drier. It was no coincidence we chose the end of April for our trip – I had known years in advance I wanted to see as many flowers as possible in bloom (Madeira’s flora is pretty spectacular).

When we were booking flights to Madeira Island, we were asking ourselves for how long to go. As it turns out, 7 days were the perfect amount of time to do everything a first-timer should have seen and more. I think we got to truly experience the island but I’m still looking forward to returning there someday.

TIP: Always check the weather web cams before heading anywhere and then decide what you’re going to do that day.

The itinerary below is similar to the one we did but it’s improved. Ours was a bit “all over the place” and this is how I’d do the trip if I was doing it again.
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Austria  ·  Madeira  ·  Morocco  ·  Portugal

5 Stories Behind My Favourite Photos Taken in 2017

Every year I try to go through all the photos I have taken. I never succeed at it since I take way too many shots, but it’s the intentions that count, right?

2017 has been a year of change. We are slowly changing our way of travelling, not intentionally, just doing what works best for us and learning from our mistakes. Our destinations are also starting to get a bit different. Both Madeira and Morocco were something special.

In this post I’m sharing 5 photos from 2017, that make me smile everytime. Each of them carries a story.

#1 Making new friends in Morocco

On day 2 of our trip to Merzouga desert, our host took us very close to the Algerian border. We got off our tired camels and started exploring the surrounding area, while he was looking after the animals. 20 minutes later, when I was coming back as the first of our tiny group, there was a foreign man asking me something. Read More

24 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Madeira Island

Madeira Island is Europe’s hidden gem you simply have to visit. During our road trip we hiked through the clouds, tasted some of the best liquor and walked many colourful gardens. The best part? Although we headed there during the high-season, we had most places all to ourselves! I don’t believe it’s going to stay like this much longer, so hurry up and fly there while it’s still very authentic!

Here are some photos to help encourage you to purchase that plane ticket and explore one of the most beautiful islands.

Red rocks at Ponta de São Lourenço.

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How Much Does One Week Road Trip in Madeira (Portugal) Cost?

It’s now been less than a month since we left Madeira island but I can’t stop daydreaming about it. I’ve never seen such diverse island before and if I could, I’d return in a heartbeat.

The best way to explore the island is by car and this is how we did it. Below you can find information on how much the whole trip cost us. Please note that I first write down the price we paid together and then calculate how much it was per person.

CAR

How Much Does One Week Road Trip in Madeira (Portugal) Cost? | The Cheerful Wanderer

Rent for 7 days + half tank of fuel: €262
Parking: €3.90 (Funchal)

Expenses per person: €132.95

The car was supposed to be cheaper, but we went for the upgrade to Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the result was a higher price. It did work out quite well, I think. Madeira is very hilly so getting a good car is necessary. Read More