Portugal

Praia da Marinha and Benagil

In Meenu's words, 2019This boat trip is a must.

Our first Algarve day began at Praia da Marinha. A few steps from the car park there's a flat, rocky spot on the clifftop, and it's a fantastic place for photos. Meenu walked the clifftop in her yellow jacket while the drone flew out over the arches and sea stacks.

From Benagil beach we went out with Taruga Benagil Tours on a short 30-minute ride. We loved it so much that we stayed on the boat for a second trip. Some of the caves are completely dark, with just a small round hole that lets in the sun. In the big cave at Benagil, daylight falls through the roof onto a beach inside.

Then came Algar Seco. Walk down to Restaurant Boneca and follow the signs through a narrow cave to what Meenu called a magical space. In the low season you can enjoy it in private, with no interruptions.

Lagos and Faro

In Meenu's words, 2019At Outro Lado, make sure to try the sangria. It comes with a real long cinnamon stick for swirling the fruit.

On our second day we took the train from Faro to Lagos, about two hours each way. The drone went up over Ponta da Piedade, where golden cliffs and sea stacks run out below the lighthouse, and from the clifftop we looked out under big white clouds. We also went to Praia do Camilo.

In Faro we ate at Outro Lado, a cute little vegan restaurant in an alleyway in the centre. The food was delicious and the service lovely. Meenu's must-try is the Vegetable à Brás: shredded cabbage, potato and carrot in a golden soy sauce, topped with local green olives. For drinks after dinner, there's a buzzing spot by the orange trees.

Our hotel was Eva Senses, near Faro's train station, and we were very happy with the rooms, breakfast, views and service. Its rooftop terrace looks out over all of Faro, and you can take in the view over the buffet breakfast or from the rooftop pool. At dusk we filmed the marina as a plane came in over the lagoon. After a quick look around Faro on the second day, we took the Alfa Pendular night train to Lisbon.

Lisbon

In our words, 2019The buzzing street art capital.

We reached Lisbon on the night train from Faro. At the Santa Luzia viewpoint, Meenu sat in the shade of the tiled arcade, and we looked out over Alfama's rooftops to the Tagus, with a cruise ship in port. The number 28 tram came round the corner at Largo de Santa Luzia, red and yellow in the sun.

From the top of the Santa Justa Lift we looked over the ruins of the Carmo Convent and across the Baixa to the castle on its hill. We walked down stepped lanes, past walls painted with street art.

After dark the Christmas lights were up. Meenu rode an e-scooter past the shop windows, a tram passed under the lights, and in Belém the fountain in front of the Jerónimos Monastery glowed green. We also filmed Oriente station at night, under its canopy of steel trees.

Sintra

In our words, 2019A dreamy fairy tale land, in reality.

In Sintra's gardens we passed a waterfall and climbed mossy stone steps. At Quinta da Regaleira, Meenu waved from the top of the Initiation Well, where stone stairs spiral deep into the ground. We walked through tunnels lit along the floor and found a stone tower in the woods.

Inside Monserrate, the long gallery glowed gold under carved arches, and a red and gold dome rose over one of the halls. At dusk we were up at Pena, its ochre walls and turrets dark against a deep blue sky.

Porto

In our words, 2019Super friendly people.

Porto, up north on the Douro, was our last stop. We spent the night of 7 December at NH Porto Jardim. At sunset we were on the top deck of the Dom Luís I bridge as a metro train went by, with the Serra do Pilar monastery on the hill.

We rode the Guindais funicular down through its tunnel and out above the river, with the bridge ahead of us. As the light faded, we looked across the Douro to the houses of the Ribeira and the iron arch of the bridge. We also found an ice rink under a big white dome.