Do not visit Nazaré; her great waves break mainly on YouTube. Do not seek the true self in Comporta; you’ll find only others looking. Avoid crowded Fátima; it is a giant parking lot. The best spiritual pilgrimage in Portugal is up north, to the Mateus estate in Vila Real, a four-hour drive from Lisbon. The property holds the body of Saint Marcos—São Marcos—an early Christian martyr tortured and killed by the Romans, now resting in a suit of pure gold among some of the best vineyards in Portugal.
Rent a car in Lisbon. Set your G.P.S., first, to a purifying stop: Bar 21, named for its position on the 21st kilometer of the National Highway, in the town of Penacova, whose name, just as plainly, means “rocky cliffs.” Jesus Christ cast demons into swine; here, modern pilgrim, you’ll do the same. They roast their own suckling pigs, served on fresh rolls with pepper sauce, along with their own sparkling white wine, sprightly with mountain minerals. Have a sandwich and a glass, or two, then head to the exquisite bed-and-breakfast near the Mateus estate, artfully carved into 17 acres of bird-studded flowers and fruit trees on the Corgo River hillside: Casa Agrícola da Levada.
