tips for packing for Portugal

wearing Krewe sunglasses, Scotch & Soda blazer, knit top, matching pants, and Birkenstock sandals

Ah Portugal! It’s good to be back! My husband and I visited Lisbon back in 2017 and loved it so much, we knew we’d come back someday soon. After waiting out the pandemic, that “someday” finally came this summer! Since we had been before, I knew what to expect in terms of packing and was eagerly planning my outfits weeks in advance. For this trip, we spent 5 days in Lisbon and 5 in Porto with day trips to nearby beaches and the Douro Valley sprinkled in between. Here are a few tips on what to pack if you’re planning your own trip to Portugal:

Embrace color. Portugal is such a fun, vibrant country, it’s easy to reflect that in how you dress. Many of the pieces I brought were from Scotch & Soda’s summer collection that I picked up at their new DC location at Union Market. The quirky and bright prints could not have been more perfect for Portugal!
Mix and match. I’m obsessed with the matching set trend – it’s so practical! Each set is essentially 3 outfits in one. I brought this Scotch & Soda knit top and matching pants and this Matthew Bruch linen wrap top and skirt. Both played well with white pieces like this tank, pants, and shorts.
Fill in with solid basics. A no-brainer when it comes to packing, but it bears repeating: good neutrals are force multipliers when it comes to outfit combos. In addition to the aforementioned white pieces, I brought this tee in black and white, these khaki pants, and wide-leg jeans like this pair.
Pack light layers. Despite the warm temps during the day, Portugal can definitely cool off at night. I got loads of wear out of a light weave sweater and this jacket (sometimes both when it got really chilly). I brought this white blazer for dinners out. This white-button down worked well on windy beach days, too.
Wear flats. You might notice there’s very few heels in my Portugal outfits. That’s because I really only wore them a handful of times. Both Lisbon and Porto are very hilly and the beautiful cobblestone streets are extremely slippery. Locals never wear heels and tourists stick out like a sore thumb when they do. My advice: don’t even pack them. My go-to’s were Scotch & Soda’s colorful retro sneakers, chunky sandals, and pool slides.
Swimsuits make great tops. Another not new travel hack, but it’s one of my favorites for summer vacation. I packed this asymmetrical one piece and this strappy one because they look super cute with shorts and pants (and under this mesh cover-up dress!).
Don’t be too fussy. The vibe is very chill. Don’t bother packing over-the-top party dresses and blouses – you won’t wear them. Fancy jewelry isn’t necessary either. I mostly wore my Mejuri hoops, these Aureum earrings, and this necklace.