🎨 What’s On Your Autumn Portugal List?

Happy Sunday, amigos 😎

As we embrace autumn’s arrival and the constant battle between overdressing and underdressing on any given day, we also start shifting life a little more indoors, with armchairs in front of fireplaces slowly replacing days spent soaking up the sun.

I love that our Portugal travel and discovery guide, Marga from Discover Portugal, is doing exactly that in today’s article. She’s embracing the changing seasons and showing us that exploring Portugal doesn’t have to stop when the cooler months set in. Instead, she’s rounded up some wonderfully creative things to try, from painting azulejos and making pastéis de nata to craft workshops and museum days.

I’m really excited for you to enjoy this one. And please do click through Marga’s links as you read. Her full guides are packed with beautiful photographs, practical details and plenty more inspiration to help turn an “ooh, I’d love to do that” into an actual plan.

Next week, we get a little more serious again, when our tax friends unpack some of the most costly financial mistakes expats make in their first two years in Portugal. Hopefully, it’ll help a few of us avoid making those same mistakes, so please share the newsletter with a friend ahead of next week’s drop.

There’s also something a little different further down today. Mark Moberg, financial planner and author of The Life Arbitrage, is researching a new guide specifically for LGBTQ+ Americans who have moved to Portugal. He’s looking for real experiences around life here, including some of the questions that don't always get talked about, and has put together an anonymous questionnaire for anyone who would like to contribute. You’ll find all the details below.

Right, let’s dive in, shall we?

Step inside the painted nave of Lisbon’s Convent of Madre de Deus and look upwards: a richly decorated barrel-vaulted ceiling unfolds in a sequence of scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, framed by gilded woodwork. Around the walls, paintings depicting the lives of Saint Clare and Saint Francis meet blue-and-white Dutch azulejos, creating a dazzling Baroque interior where devotion, storytelling, and craftsmanship come together in remarkable detail.

Today’s local inspiration is brought to you by Marga from Discover Portugal. Last time, she took us beyond the usual Sintra classics to discover some of its lesser-known palaces, gardens, and hidden corners.

This month, we’re swapping the day trips for some cosier activities. As the cooler months settle in, Marga is taking us indoors, with some wonderfully creative ways to keep exploring Portugal even when a beach day isn’t on the cards. She explores painting your own Portuguese azulejo, learning to make pastéis de nata, trying your hand at traditional crafts, joining a creative group, or finally visiting that museum you’ve seen on Instagram a hundred times.

And there are some really lovely ideas here. Marga has linked to her full guides throughout, with photos, practical details and everything you need to turn inspiration into a plan.

So don’t just add these to the mental “I should do that sometime” list. Pick one, open Marga’s guide, and save it for later. Then the next time you’re staring out at a grey Saturday wondering what on earth to do, you’ll already have a plan.

🍂

I don’t know if it’s the change of season, the need for a bit more offline time, or simply the joy of making something with my hands again, but this year I properly got back into crafting.

I even joined a knitting group in Lisbon in February, which has quickly become one of my favourite little monthly routines. It’s relaxed, social, and a very good excuse to put the phone away for a few hours. And… after 4 year in Portugal I finally have a group of like-minded friends!

Since then, I’ve also been involved in organising a few crafty outings to Cascais and Lisbon, from creative workshops to cosy indoor activities, and even a Portuguese cheese tasting.

So for October, I wanted to share a few ideas for the cooler months ahead. Not necessarily full rainy-day emergencies, but the kind of activities that are lovely when you want to do something local, creative, and a bit different.

And if you’re in Lisbon and fancy joining for knitting, crochet, embroidery, or another crafty meet-up, feel free to reach out!

Tile painting is probably one of the most obvious creative activities in Portugal, but honestly, it’s obvious for a reason.

Azulejos are everywhere here, on churches, train stations, palaces, houses, metro stations, and even random walls you walk past on a normal Tuesday. So learning a little about the techniques behind them makes you look at Portuguese tiles in a completely different way.

There are tile workshops in most cities, but I went a few times already in Lisbon. They range from quick one-hour sessions (perfect with young kids!) to longer hands-on experiences where you paint your own azulejo and learn more about the history of Portuguese tiles. In Benfica you can even follow a 60-hour in-depth course!

It’s also a lovely option if you have visitors. Instead of just taking them to see tiles, they get to make one themselves.

→ See our guide to tile workshops in Portugal here

Another very good indoor activity: eating pastéis de nata. Even better: learning how to make them yourself.

After living in Portugal for years and eating more custard tarts than I can count, I finally joined a pastel de nata cooking class. And yes, it was absolutely worth it.

You get to learn about the pastry, the custard, the history, and the little tricks that make Portugal’s most famous sweet so good. Plus, you usually leave with warm pastéis and a recipe you can try again at home, which is dangerous but excellent!

These classes are especially nice in autumn and winter because they feel cosy, hands-on, and very low effort from a planning perspective. You book, show up, bake, eat, and go home happy.

→ Read our pastel de nata cooking class guide here

If you want something beyond the classic tourist experiences, Portugal has more creative workshops than you might expect.

Think ceramics, embroidery, crochet, punch needle, weaving, screen printing, botanical printing, jewellery making, and other hands-on crafts. Some are one-off sessions, others are regular workshops, and many are beginner-friendly.

I love this kind of activity because it gives you a different way to meet people, especially if you live here and don’t want every social plan to revolve around drinks or dinner.

A Portuguese filigree workshop is also a beautiful idea if you want something more traditional. Filigree is delicate, detailed jewellery work, and it’s one of those Portuguese crafts that makes you realise just how much patience and skill goes into handmade pieces.

This one is still on my personal list.

Not every indoor plan needs to be a workshop. Sometimes a good museum and a coffee afterwards is exactly enough.

The National Tile Museum is a great match if you’re interested in azulejos before or after a tile painting workshop. They’re meant to open again later in the year. The Gulbenkian Museum is another option for a slower cultural day, and both parts of the museum are open again. 

Museums are also handy if you have guests visiting outside the sunny months. You can still show them something very Portuguese without relying on perfect weather.

A few easy indoor options in Portugal to keep in mind:

→ Serralves Museum (Porto)
→ MAAT Museum (Lisbon)
→ Biscainhos Museum (Braga)
→ Quake Museum (Lisbon
→ Algarve Live Science Cente (Faro - great with kids)

One thing I’m trying to do more this year is not treat autumn and winter as "lesser" months in Portugal.

Yes, the beach days get fewer. Yes, the weather can be unpredictable. (I actually start missing "proper" seasons with snow!) But it’s also a really good time to try things you don’t make time for in summer.

Take a class. Join a craft group. Learn to bake something. Visit a museum you’ve walked past a hundred times. Book a workshop with friends instead of another dinner. Or just spend a few hours making something badly and enjoying it anyway.

That counts too!

🍂

With thanks to our collaborator for today’s travel article. Marga is a Dutch travel writer, photographer, and Portugal expert who founded Discover Portugal after falling in love with the country during a 2019 visit and relocating to Lisbon permanently in 2021. With over 25 years of travel experience and a background in tourism, aviation, and tech—including nearly eight years as an international flight attendant—Marga combines her storytelling skills, local insights, and photography expertise to help travelers discover both Portugal's famous sights and hidden gems. Through her website and personalized services, she offers travel planning assistance, Lisbon photography sessions, and authentic stories from her ongoing exploration of every corner of Portugal, helping curious travelers experience the country like a local rather than a tourist.

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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