Portugal Literary Retreat

Friday 16th - Monday 26th April 2027

Dear Reader, I have a confession.

I started planning this as a Lisbon literary retreat. But how could I not include Óbidos and a stay The Literary Man, when it’s only an hour away? And if we’re going up to Óbidos, we might as well keep heading north to see the famous Biblioteca Joanina in Coimbra. Then, we’re closer to Porto than Lisbon anyway, so why not end up there for a stop at Livraria Lello and the new Manifesto Library?

And so, our Portugal literary retreat was born. This is a bookish bucket list tour of four of the country’s most literary destinations, starting in Lisbon and ending in Porto, with all the planning and logistics covered…

What is a Literary Retreat?

A literary retreat is a book-themed travel experience and guided tour; a curated journey through the world’s most vibrant literary destinations. Expect museum visits, walking tours, bookshop crawls and literary-themed group activities.

(Take a peek at our previous weekend retreats in Edinburgh and Madrid)

The Itinerary

Below is the core program of our retreat. We have scheduled activities in each destination, but there is also plenty of time factored in for you to explore independently, enjoy each place without rushing, and, of course, read!

As the time draws nearer, you will receive a full guide and itinerary with timings, incorporating any local events (e.g. book launches, performances etc.) which may not be announced yet.

Lisbon, Friday 16th - Monday 19th

Special Welcome Dinner: Our first group meal together is all about getting to know your fellow book lovers and enjoying our first taste of Portuguese cuisine.

Feira de Alfarrabistas Book Market: Every Saturday, the booksellers of Chiado set up shop on Rua da Anchieta, filling the street with rare editions, old maps, vintage postcards, and decades of secondhand finds. We’ll browse alongside the Lisbon locals who’ve made this a weekend ritual for years.

Private Literary Walking Tour: A local expert guide leads us through the streets that shaped Lisbon’s writers, from Pessoa’s old haunts to the corners of the city that inspired generations of Portuguese literature.

Casa dos Bicos / José Saramago Foundation: Behind the spiked façade in Alfama sits the headquarters of the José Saramago Foundation, home to the Nobel laureate’s personal library and a museum dedicated to his life and work.

Bookshop Crawl: We’ll hop between Lisbon’s most beloved bookshops, including a stop at Ler Devagar, the cavernous former printing-press-turned-bookstore in LX Factory, famous for its suspended bicycle sculpture.

Óbidos, Monday 19th - Wednesday 21st

Literary-Themed Dinner at The Literary Man Hotel: We’ll dine inside the largest literary hotel in the world, a former 19th-century convent lined wall-to-wall with tens of thousands of books, for a meal as bookish as the setting. Did I mention we’ll also be sleeping there?

Historic Secrets Walking Tour: Óbidos’s cobbled streets and castle walls hide centuries of legend. A guided walk uncovers the medieval stories and hidden corners most day-trippers walk straight past.

Coimbra, Wednesday 21st - Friday 23rd

Baroque Library Guided Tour: The Biblioteca Joanina, built between 1717 and 1728 at the heart of the University of Coimbra, is routinely ranked among the most beautiful libraries in the world. Think gilded shelves, painted ceilings, and, appropriately for book people, a colony of bats that’s been guarding the collection from insects for centuries.

Local Guided Walking Tour: We’ll wind through one of Europe’s oldest university towns, tracing the streets and traditions that have shaped Portuguese academic and literary life for nearly 750 years.

Live Fado Show with a Glass of Port Wine: An evening of Fado de Coimbra, Portugal’s signature musical tradition, paired with a glass of Port for good measure.

Porto, Friday 23rd - Monday 26th

Harry Potter & City of Porto Walking Tour: J.K. Rowling spent two years teaching English in Porto, and the city has since built an entire mythology around her time here, including the enduring (if officially denied) legend that Livraria Lello inspired Hogwarts.*

Livraria Lello & the Livraria Lello Foundation: Livraria Lello is a neo-Gothic interior from 1906 with a sweeping red staircase and a stained-glass ceiling that make it one of the most beautiful bookshops anywhere. We’ll visit both the bookshop and the foundation, plus the new Manifesto Library, a banned book collection curated by Dua Lipa’s Service95 book club.

Wine-Tasting Experience: As we’re just a stone’s throw from Douro Valley, the birthplace of Port wine, it would be rude not to have a tipple or two.

Portuguese Centre of Photography: Housed in a former 18th-century prison and courthouse near the Clérigos Tower, this is where author Camilo Castelo Branco wrote Love of Perdition.

Bookshop Crawl of Porto’s Best Bookstores Beyond Lello, Porto has plenty more worth browsing. We’ll spend time working our way through the city’s best independent bookstores.

Special Farewell Dinner: We’ll close out four cities and countless bookshops with a last dinner together in Porto, toasting the trip before everyone heads home.

What’s Included

Join what and when you want to. If you’d prefer to skip an activity or a group meal, that’s absolutely fine. Your time is yours.

*Nomad Book Club pledges to donate to ILGA Portugal, the country’s oldest LGBTQ+ rights organisation, using profits from this retreat.

Beautiful accommodation, with breakfast (including two nights at The Literary Man hotel in Óbidos)
Transport between destinations, and within destinations where necessary
Lisbon: Welcome dinner, literary walking tour, entry to Casa dos Bicos / José Saramago Foundation, bookshop crawl
Óbidos: Literary-themed dinner and stay at The Literary Man Hotel, history walking tour
Coimbra: Baroque library guided tour, walking tour, live fado show with port wine
Porto: Harry Potter walking tour*, visit to Livraria Lello and Liivraria Lello Foundation, wine tasting, entry to the Portuguese Centre of Photography, bookshop crawl, farewell dinner
Goodie bag

Pricing

As host, I have strived to make this retreat the best possible value it can be. There are three options, each outlined below and priced in GBP (£), though you have the option to pay in Euros or US Dollars at checkout, if you prefer.

You can either pay in full at checkout or put down a 20% deposit to secure your place (you will receive an email to settle the remaining balance a month before the retreat start date). Payments are non-refundable, unless the retreat is cancelled by the host.

Single Occupancy

Private room with a double bed, ensuite bathroom, plus the full itinerary. Breakfast is included.

Double Occupancy (2 People)

Private room with either a double bed or twin beds (please specify), ensuite bathroom, plus the full itinerary. Breakfast is included.

Shared Occupancy

Share a twin room with ensuite bathroom with another retreat attendee (same sex only), plus the full itinerary. Breakfast is included.

Please note that this retreat requires a minimum of 4 attendees to go ahead. Please wait to book flights until this number has been confirmed; I will contact you as soon as we have the minimum.

If we are still less than 4 people six weeks before the start date, the retreat will be cancelled and all payments refunded.

The Accommodation

Our selected accommodations are in prime locations, with quality amenities and comfort a priority, while two are even literary-themed!

Breakfast is included in your stay. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements in advance.

Your Host

Hi! I’m Amy. the founder of Page Traveller and host of Nomad Book Club!

After 10+ years of running this literary travel blog, 3+ years of working in the travel industry, as well as 15+ years of full-time travelling and living overseas, I decided to set up these retreats to create the exact travel experience that I am always looking for.

Are bookshops the first thing you look for when you arrive in a city? Do you like to read novels set in the places you visit? Are you guilty of overpacking books? Me too!

Any Questions? Feel Free to Reach Out...

Testimonials

“Lovely and Different and Very Interesting”

This is something that I don't think if the group was organised, I would have had the opportunity to go and experience. It was lovely and different and very interesting... Please keep organising the retreats, so we can go to more of them!

“Discovering the City in a Different Way”

The highlight was discovering a city in a different way, through literature... learning so much about Scotland and meeting a really nice group of people. It's hard to pick one!

“Everything's Been Fantastic”

Thank you very much for putting this together. I'm really glad I stumbled onto your website when I did and that I was able to incorporate it into my travels in Europe... Everything's been fantastic.

“Highly Recommended”

Exploring Madrid’s literary scene with the Nomad Book Club was a truly enriching experience, and it couldn’t have been curated better. The weekend was thoughtfully planned, with a wonderful mix of book launches, poetry workshops, visits to historic literary sites, exhibitions and relaxed moments like browsing bookshops. Amy created a welcoming and stress-free environment, giving us the freedom to join activities or choose to explore on our own. I left the weekend feeling inspired, fulfilled, and grateful for the conversations and connections formed along the way. Highly recommended for anyone who loves books, travel, and meaningful cultural experiences.

“Enriching Experiences”

I especially enjoyed the retreat in Madrid, as one of Amy's suggestions was to read a book that included the city we would be visiting. And I ended up wandering around Madrid, marveling at and recognizing places that appeared in the novel I was reading. Visiting amazing bookstores, participating in a poetry workshop, and spending quality time with other literature lovers—experiencing the city in this way—is one of the most enriching experiences I've ever had.

“The Itinerary Was Brilliant”

I went on the Madrid Literary Retreat and had a wonderful time. Before the retreat, Amy was super helpful in answering my questions. On arriving, Amy was very welcoming and the accommodation was lovely. The itinerary was brilliant with plenty of activities but also the option to branch off and do your own thing. Overall I had a fantastic time and loved meeting everyone and learning more about Madrid’s literary history.

More Retreats

Prague Literary Retreat

Cobblestones, spires and a native son who gave the world a new adjective; it was easy to pick Prague as our next literary retreat destination.

This is the city that shaped Franz Kafka, and Kafka’s Prague (bureaucratic, dreamlike, a little bit haunted) still lingers in its courtyards and crooked lanes. This city built for readers who like their books with a side of atmosphere.

DIY Retreat Packs

If you wished you could have joined our Edinburgh retreat, but circumstances prevented you, plan your own literary trip using our new DIY retreat PDF packs (interactive GoogleMaps included)!

Choose between the full literary guide, filled with all the information, research and planning from the Nomad Book Club retreat, or opt for just the bookshop guide with crawl routes.

More destinations coming soon…