Portugal is one of those countries where the accommodation itself becomes part of the trip. You can find a hotel in Portugal that overlooks an Atlantic cliff, wake up to the sound of cork oaks in the Alentejo, or stumble into a surf lodge where the salt air never leaves. And you can do most of it without paying five-star prices — if you know where to look.

There are a lot of Portugal guides out there, but they all mention the same tourist spots. What follows is our by-region breakdown of where to stay in Portugal — the places we've stayed, the ones we'd book today, and the regions we think are seriously underrated.

Sesimbra is one of the easiest coastal escapes from Lisbon if you rent a car (and where we had the best pastéis de nata) — and also one of the easiest to get wrong.

On paper, it’s simple: beach, cliffs, Atlantic views, a locals’ favorite. In reality, some “sea view” stays barely glimpse the water, some central locations get noisy in summer, and the best-value places are often just slightly removed from the promenade.

This guide is strict on purpose. Every place listed below is:

• a hotel, pousada, apartment, or alojamento local

• chosen because the sea is genuinely part of the experience

Not everyone flying into Lisbon wants Lisbon.

Some people land, pick up a rental car, and drive straight toward the ocean —looking for cliffs, space, silence, and a hotel room where the sea isn’t a suggestion but the whole point. If that’s you (welcome to the club!), good news: you don’t need to go far, and you definitely don’t need a resort bracelet.

So, if you big windows over nightlife and landscapes over lobby bars, keep reading and discover some of our favorites hotels with sea views near Lisbon.

Oh, and a Portugal travel guidebook is worth packing, even if our tips are fab!

When we first started exploring Portugal highlights, we thought we knew what to expect: the picturesque tram of Lisbon, the amazing Sintra, the beaches of the Algarve, and, of course, a pasteis de nata or two.

But trust us — Portugal has so much more to offer when you veer away from the typical tourist hotspots. It’s these hidden gems, these tucked-away villages and wild stretches of coast, that really made us fall in love with this place.

If you want to discover Portugal like we did, here are 5 places in Portugal off the beaten path.

Spoiler alert: It’s impossible to eat just a pasteis de nata or two. There’s a reason why they sell them in tubes!