Saint Anthony, A Questionably Lucky Coin, and My Love Life
In early 2024, I started getting antsy to go on another trip. I was burnt out, stressed, and felt like I was the most serious and uptight version of myself. So I started planning my next trip. I landed on Portugal simply because it was the cheapest option over the next few months. I tried to find someone to go with me but didn't get any takers, so it turned into a solo trip, which I was equally nervous and excited about.
A Four-Mile Hike to Breakfast
My first stop was Lagos, a little beach town in the Algarve. The journey was about four hours from Lisbon through rolling green landscaping stretching to the sea. As soon as we began to drive through the beach towns with narrow streets and colorful stone buildings, I knew I was going to love it.
Once I got settled into my Airbnb, a historic little apartment with a view of the sea, I wandered down to the beach and through town. I grabbed dinner at a restaurant near the house, then headed to bed early to catch up from my 24-hour travel day.
My first morning in Lagos, I had coffee on the balcony while watching the sunrise. I headed down to the beach thinking I would take a quick walk before grabbing breakfast. Once on the beach, I was captivated by the beauty, stillness, and peace around me. I remember closing my eyes while the sun beat on my face and the water lapped at my feet, feeling so thankful to be there.
When I was climbing the stairs up to the beachside cliffs, I noticed the wooden boardwalks that crisscrossed the landscape. I decided to explore a bit longer and walked farther down the boardwalk to the next beach. And then a little farther. And then a little farther. Before long, I had abandoned the boardwalks for dirt trails that stretched out to the edges of the rock. Over the next few hours, I hiked four miles along the cliffs. They were a vibrant, rusty orange, streaked with layers of different shades that showed their age. The water was a sparkling, brilliant blue.
Eventually, I made it to Ponta da Piedade, a rocky cove accessible by the longest staircase yet. While walking down, I met two ladies who took a picture for me and accompanied me down the rest of the stairs. At the bottom, the waves gently splashed over the rocks while boats floated nearby. An older Portuguese gentleman met us at the bottom and offered a ride in one of the fishing boats. I negotiated a price of $50 for a boat to take me out alone, popped into a waiting boat, and off we went.
For the next 45 minutes, my local guide took me into the caves that dot the coastline, telling me facts about each and pointing out rock formations named for what they resembled. There was an elephant rock, a camel rock, a Titanic rock. Along the way, the fisherman stopped to scoop a giant, vibrant orange starfish off one of the rocks. As I held it, it curled its tentacles around my fingers, reminding me that it is so much more beautiful in life than in an American's tacky bathroom decor.
As we sped along the coast, the wind whipped through my hair, and I felt complete and pure joy. The freedom the water and open sea brings is unmatched, and I will spend the rest of my life chasing that feeling.
After the boat tour ended, I was absolutely famished, as I had set off for breakfast hours prior. I made the 30-minute walk back into the old town and found Coffee & Waves, where I ordered an espresso and açai bowl.
While waiting for my order, a lady with a British accent came into the shop and was greeted like a regular. When she heard my American accent, she struck up a conversation with me. We ended up talking for over an hour, mostly about real estate and investment properties, and she invited me over to her beach house that evening to talk more. I knew immediately that I would go. It was so outside of my comfort zone, but it was something that the Hannah I want to be would do.
That evening, after dinner at Casa de Prego, I took an Uber to meet Vanita and her husband at their beach house in Lutz. We spent hours talking, and they showed me their portfolio of rental properties across Manchester. I shared my desire to purchase a property to Airbnb in another country, and Vanita encouraged me, telling me how she had purchased properties on her own before she even met her husband. It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter, and I am so glad I went. I had come to Portugal not knowing anyone, and here I was spending an evening at the home of two people I'd met only hours before.
The following morning, I woke up before the sun for a sunrise paddleboarding tour. We met our host, Tiago, at Praia Dona Ana, where he gave us each our own board and instructions. The water was so still it looked like glass. Our group spent two hours paddling around the cliffs and into the caves along the coast. It was a bit chilly, but not uncomfortable until it started raining at the very end of the tour. By the time I made it back to the apartment, I was ready for a hot shower and dry clothes.
After one last açai bowl from Coffee & Waves, I packed up and headed to the bus station for the trip back to Lisbon.
Lisbon, the City of Stairs
Once we arrived back in Lisbon, I got a car to take me to my Airbnb, where the sweet neighbor, Paula, was waiting to let me in. She greeted me at the door of a stunning yellow historic building and took me up to the second floor, where we entered one of the most beautiful apartments I've ever seen. The back balcony faced Praça Martim Moniz, with sweeping views of the hilly city. The front balcony faced the street and buildings adorned with colorful tiles. The neighborhood was called the Moorish Quarter and was located at the base of the hill that Castelo de São Jorge sits on.
After getting settled in, I decided to head out before it got dark and went off in the direction of A Nossa Casa, a restaurant at the top of my list.
I crossed Praça Dom Pedro IV, where stalls selling food, drinks, and crafts had been set up as a market, then headed toward Bairro Alto, climbing what felt like a million stairs along the way. As I was walking, a man stopped me and said, "Hello, you are so beautiful, I love your outfit. Are you Portuguese?"
I said, "No."
He responded, "I could tell."
Surprised, I asked, "How??"
"Your teeth are so white!"
As a first-time solo traveler, I was so hesitant to talk to this man, convinced that it had to be part of some scheme or pickpocket scam. But he literally just stopped to say hello, comment on my smile, and then went on his way. It was the most wholesome experience.
Unfortunately, dinner was less successful. I finally made it to A Nossa Casa, but it was packed, and I couldn't figure out how to literally get inside. I gave up, headed back toward the apartment, and got pizza from a place on my street. It was terrible, as expected.
The following morning, I woke up early and watched the sunrise from the balcony before heading out to meet Yulia, a Russian photographer and Lisbon resident, who took me on a photo tour of the city. We spent about two hours visiting the sights in Alfama, all of which were very quiet since it was so early. My favorite spots were Miradouro de Santa Luzia and Miradouro das Portas do Sol, scenic overlooks with beautiful views of the city. At the end of the tour, we stopped to see the iconic yellow Tram 28.
After we parted ways, I headed over to Feira da Ladra, Lisbon's sprawling flea market, where I purchased a few pieces to take home. Now that I had my flea market finds in hand, I could explore the rest of Alfama. I walked along the uneven sidewalks and climbed more hills and stairs than I could count, stopping to take pictures of my favorite tiles along the way.
That afternoon, I traded walking for a tuk-tuk ride. I met my driver near Praça do Comércio, and he was a fun, flirty 20-something Portuguese man. I knew immediately that we'd have fun. He insisted on driving me back through Alfama to make sure I hadn't missed anything on my first tour. We stopped at Lisbon Cathedral, where he pointed to the giant clock face and quizzed me on what was wrong with it. After a few seconds of studying it, I realized that the Roman numeral for four was wrong. He congratulated me on getting it, then told me he had a traditional Portuguese game for me.
We turned toward the Church of Saint Anthony, where he explained that Saint Anthony is the saint of finding things that are lost. In Portugal, they consider Saint Anthony the saint of finding love as well.
In front of the church stands a giant statue of Saint Anthony holding a Bible. According to tradition, if you toss a coin toward the statue and it lands in Saint Anthony's Bible, you'll find your one true love within a year. If the coin lands in the Bible but bounces out, you will most certainly be alone for another year.
My guide asked me if I was ready to try, and I looked around. A crowd had gathered in the square, eager to see the fate of my love life. The pressure was on. He told me I had three tries as I took the first coin from him and looked up at the giant statue. Could I even throw that high?
People began encouraging me from the crowd, so I tossed the coin toward the Bible in Saint Anthony's hand. It felt like slow motion as the coin landed directly in the Bible without bouncing out. I did it! The crowd went wild.
I am not kidding. People were cheering and high-fiving me in a moment that felt straight out of a movie. I looked over at my guide, who was standing there speechless. He finally said, "I've never seen anyone get it on the first try."
Triumphant, we returned to the tuk-tuk to head to our next stop.
The rest of the tour included ginjinha, a sour cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup, my first pastel de nata, and several more viewpoints overlooking the city.
That evening, I had a sailing tour departing from the Boca de Santo Amaro. I met up with my group on the dock and introduced myself to two ladies who were also traveling solo, one around my age and one much older. We sat together at the back of the boat for the majority of the trip, sipping Portuguese wine, eating charcuterie, and getting to know each other.
At some point, I wanted to get my picture taken and jokingly asked the captain, Angelo, if I could drive the boat. To my surprise, he said yes. He taught me how to steer, showed me which direction to aim for, and then walked away. I had the most fun being the captain for about 15 minutes, enjoying the wind whipping through my hair and the sights along the shoreline.
Eventually, I turned over my post to Angelo and went back to the others to enjoy the sunset over the city. As the sun set, Lisbon began to light up and was soon glowing against the dark blue sky.
Strangers Who Became Friends
The following morning, I joined a small group heading to Sintra to explore Quinta da Regaleira. Our tour guide's name was Duarte, and he was the owner of a successful tour company in Portugal. The drive to Sintra was relatively short but fun, as we all chatted and began to learn more about each other. I quickly bonded with three other girls on the tour when we learned we were all traveling solo for the first time. Despite our very different backgrounds, we had so much in common and felt like long-lost friends.
Our first stop was Quinta da Regaleira, where we visited the famous Initiation Well and explored the tropical gardens, which were my favorite part of the property.
After the tour, Duarte drove us to the small village of Adraga, where we had an incredible meal at Pensão Cedeira. The multiple-course lunch was amazing, but even better was the atmosphere. It was such a joy to dine with a table full of new friends, wine flowing, food being shared, stories being told, and laughter never ending. In that moment, I felt like I understood and appreciated the Portuguese way of life the most.
After lunch, we visited Praia da Adraga, a small beach with some of the biggest waves I've ever seen, and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. Our final stop was an overlook in the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais, where Duarte gave everyone a sample of Portuguese moonshine, amarguinha, and a final sweet treat. We spent a while there just talking, laughing, and drinking before finally heading back to Lisbon.
The girls invited me to hang out with them that evening, so we exchanged contact information and made plans to meet later. I stopped by A Nossa Casa on my way home and finally managed to secure a dinner reservation for the following evening.
That night, I met the girls at their hostel, and we headed to a bar called O Bom O Mal e O Vilão, which Duarte told us had great live music. He was right. We spent the evening singing, dancing, and meeting people from all over the place, including a group from London in town for their friend's bachelor party. After hours of laughing and making new friends, I took an Uber back to my Airbnb.
A few days earlier, I had arrived in Portugal nervous about traveling alone. Now, I was spending my evenings with people I never would have met otherwise.
The Version of Me I Had Missed
I made no plans for my final day in Lisbon and instead wandered through the neighborhoods, buying pastéis de nata, exploring antique shops, and visiting the gardens of Palácio Fronteira.
That evening, I finally had my long-awaited dinner at A Nossa Casa, and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere was cozy, the staff warm and hospitable, and the sweet potato gnocchi was the best thing I ate during the trip. After a leisurely dinner, I walked through the city for a final time and packed up for a very early morning flight home.
Somewhere between hiking alone along the cliffs of Lagos, climbing into a Portuguese fisherman's boat, accepting an invitation from a stranger, throwing a coin toward Saint Anthony, drinking wine around a table full of people I'd just met, and dancing with new friends in Lisbon, I remembered something about myself.
I'm fun. I'm spontaneous. I'm adventurous. I'm outgoing.
Those parts of me hadn't disappeared. They had just gotten buried somewhere beneath responsibility, demanding jobs, schedules, and the serious business of being an adult. Traveling Portugal brought them back to the surface.
Maybe the Portuguese are right. Maybe Saint Anthony really does help us find our one true love. After all, Portugal was where I learned to truly love myself.