u/Visual-Attention5352

Hi! I'm putting the final touches on our first trip to Portugal and am hoping for some feedback. We have 12 days starting in late-June. We're looking for a balance of nature and culture, cities and countryside, and we love music, food, and wandering around. I'm extremely keen to stay in at least one castle/pousada.

Here's what I'm debating:

• Lisbon for 4 nights/5 days
• Drive to the "historical" and less urban portion of our trip, perhaps a night in Obidos (castle!) or head to Estremoz; total of 3-4 days
• Drive to Porto, drop rental car, and spend 2-3 days there
• Return to Lisbon via train for a final day/night

Option 2: Skip Porto entirely and instead head to the eastern Algarve for 3-4 nights, adjusting the other destinations accordingly. I've looked into Tavira but am open to options.

A few considerations:

• We love coastal areas, but have a separate beach trip booked for later in the summer
• The Casa da Musica in Porto is closed when we will be there, which is a bummer b/c we're super into music
• We don't want a frantic pace or too much travel time

I'd actually opted against the Algarve but people keep telling us it's a must. Is it? And is that true in late-June or will it be packed already? Help!

Thanks, y'all!