I went to Portugal for the first time with my girlfriend about four months ago. We spent a couple of weeks checking out Lisbon and the Algarve, but decided to rent a car to explore some smaller coastal towns in between.

I thought Lisbon was really cool. We loved the vibe and architecture, and we walked pretty much everywhere (the hills definitely tired our legs out, though). I had to get some remote work done and found a spot called The VENUE. If anyone's looking for a café with fast WiFi and a great atmosphere for working, this place is perfect.

In the south, Lagos had stunning views around Ponta da Piedade, but the main beaches were honestly way too crowded for us. We ended up liking Salema a lot more. It's much quieter, has a beautiful beach, and a little spot called Solecci does a really solid cortado. We spent two full days there just decompressing.

Vila Nova de Milfontes was the biggest surprise along the coast.…