Getting in touch with globe-trotting friends in adulthood can feel like a manhunt, a phenomenon to which Laura McMurchie – the vice president of communications at Experience Scottsdale – is no stranger. Having tracked one elusive friend down in Paris this past April, she booked a ticket so they could meet for a spring getaway to nearby Portugal’s white sand beaches. Fresh off her third visit to the country, McMurchie shares her favorite spots in this gem of the Atlantic Ocean.
Manteigaria
McMurchie has never had a sweet tooth, but the decadently creamy pastéis de nata – Portuguese egg custard tarts – that have made Manteigaria bakery famous throughout Lisbon and Porto broke down her walls. “I will always choose a glass of wine over dessert, but these things are so great because they just have the perfect texture,” McMurchie says.
@manteigaria.oficial
São Bento Railway Station
Portugal may be a picturesque country of russet red roofs and seaside enclaves, but to McMurchie, the crown jewel was a train station: São Bento railway station in Porto. Adorned with China blue tiles depicting figures and scenes from Portuguese history, it’s considered one of the most stunning stations in the world. “It feels like it should be in a museum,” McMurchie says.
porto.pt
Taberna dos Mercadores
After being landlocked in the Valley, McMurchie’s escape to the seaside country presented an opportunity that she refused to squander: “The seafood is to die for in Portugal,” McMurchie says. “That was my goal – I’m going to eat as much seafood as possible.” The memories of steamed clams swimming in white wine sauce and hearty feijoada de marisco (white bean and seafood stew) at Porto’s Taberna dos Mercadores still make her mouth water.
tabernadosmercadores.eatbu.com
Livraria Lello
The wizarding world may have whisked Harry Potter away from real life, but the series was inspired by Porto’s Livraria Lello, a neo-Gothic bookstore that seems like a real-world Hogwarts – winding staircases and all. McMurchie stumbled upon the “beautiful, elaborate library” while wandering through the city and couldn’t help but fall under its enchanting spell.
livrarialello.pt
