2022 was a year of “extreme feelings” in Europe, between the disappearance of restrictions associated with the pandemic, which so marked the years 2021 and 2020, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As a result, my trips were planned with a mixture of euphoria and uncertainty.

In response to these developments, my best travel experiences in 2022 mirrored one of the priorities I defined for that year: exploring more and better Portugal. And the result was that almost all of my trips were dedicated to my country!

So, do you want to know more about My Best Travel Experiences Of 2022? Keep reading!

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Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Countries

Unlike last year – when I had the opportunity to visit four countries – in 2022, I only managed to visit two: Spain and Portugal. But of course, the events in Eastern Europe – which I mentioned in the introduction – were the great justification for restricting me to the Iberian Peninsula.

These were the 2 countries that I visited in 2022:

• Portugal – from January to December
• Spain – in February, March, and April

Best Travel Experiences of 2021: The Cities, Towns, and Villages

One of my best travel experiences of 2022 was exploring fifteen locations for the first time, to which I ended up adding more than three dozen repeat locations (thirty-four, to be precise)!

Here are the 49 cities, towns, and villages that I visited in 2022:

• Aceredo (Spain) – in February
• Amares (Portugal) – in September
• Arcos de Valdevez (Portugal) – in February and August
• Barcelos (Portugal) – in November
• Braga (Portugal) – from January to December
• Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• Caminha (Portugal) – in November
• Coimbra (Portugal) – in December
• Condeixa-a-Velha (Portugal) – in November
• Córdoba (Spain) – in March
• Espinho (Portugal) – in August
• Esposende (Portugal) – in November
• Fiães (Portugal) – in August
• Golegã (Portugal) – in November
• Grijó (Portugal) – in August
• Guimarães (Portugal) – in September, October, and November
• Gulpilhares (Portugal) – in August
• Lindoso (Portugal) – in February
• Lisbon (Portugal) – in April and October
• Matosinhos (Portugal) – in September
• Miranda do Douro (Portugal) – in April
• Mirandela (Portugal) – in April
• Moledo do Minho (Portugal) – in November
• Oliveira de Azeméis (Portugal) – in August
• Outeiro (Portugal) – in April
• Podence (Portugal) – in April
• Ponte da Barca (Portugal) – in August
• Ponte de Lima (Portugal) – in January and November
• Porto (Portugal) – in April, Mai, June, September, and November
• Rihonor de Castilla (Spain) – in April
• Rio Caldo (Portugal) – in September
• Rio de Onor (Portugal) – in April
• Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) – in August
• Santa Maria de Lamas (Portugal) – in August
• Santarém (Portugal) – in November
• Santiponce (Spain) – in March
• Seville (Spain) – in March
• Sistelo (Portugal) – in August
• Soajo (Portugal) – in August
• Soutelo (Portugal) – in September
• Torre de Dona Chama (Portugal) – in April
• Valença (Portugal) – in January
• Varge (Portugal) – in April
• Viana do Castelo (Portugal) – in October and November
• Vila Nova de Cerveira (Portugal) – in October
• Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal) – in January, July, November, and December
• Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal) – in August
• Vilar de Mouros (Portugal) – in October and November
• Vila Verde (Portugal) – in September

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Archaeological Sites

For the second consecutive year, the topic of “Archaeological Sites” is part of this summary of my best travel experiences of 2022. So, after having created it on my cultural travel blog in 2021, this category gained two new sites in ruins!

These were the 4 archaeological sites that I visited in 2022:

• Antiqvarium (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Archaeological Ensemble of Italica (Santiponce, Spain) – in March
• Castro of Saint Blaise (Torre de Dona Chama, Portugal) – in April
• Ruins of Conímbriga (Condeixa-a-Velha, Portugal) – in November

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Castles

Along with palaces, castles are one of my favorite types of monuments to visit as a cultural traveler. However, when I was collecting data to describe my best travel experiences of 2022, I realized that I didn’t visit any new castles!

Here are the 6 castles that I visited in 2022:

• Castle of Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• Castle of Miranda do Douro (Portugal) – in April
• Castle of Outeiro (Portugal) – in April
• Castle of Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) – in August
• Castle of Santarém (Portugal) – in November
• Castle of Lindoso (Portugal) – in February

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Gardens

To distance me from the “outdoor travel”, “ecotourism”, or “nature travel” niches, my “Gardens and Parks” category is more focused on culture, history, and landscape architecture. Hence, I included formal gardens that once belonged to royal palaces, among others!

These were the 21 gardens that I visited in 2022:

• Crystal Palace Gardens (Porto, Portugal) – in April and November
• Dom Fernando Garden (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Doutor Adelino Sampaio Garden (Ponte de Limpa, Portugal) – in January
• Garden of Barrocas (Barcelos, Portugal) – in November
• Garden of Santa Bárbara (Braga, Portugal) – in November
• Garden of the Alameda de Arcos de Valdevez (Portugal) – in February and August
• Garden of the Campo do Trasladário (Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal) – in February and August
• Garden of the Castle of Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• Garden of the Castle of Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) – in August
• Garden of the Centenaries (Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal) – in February and August
• Garden of the Marginal (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Garden of the Marina (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Garden of the Miniature Monuments (Bragança, Portugal) – in April
• Garden of the Poets (Ponte da Barca, Portugal) – in August
• Garden of the Portas do Sol (Santarém, Portugal) – in November
• Garden of the Praça da República (Vila Verde, Portugal) – in September
• Garden of the Praça do Município (Vila Verde, Portugal) – in September
• Garden of the Sanctuary of Sameiro (Braga, Portugal) – in January
• Gardens of the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs (Córdoba, Spain) – in March
• Gardens of the Royal Alcázar of Seville (Spain) – in March
• Morro Garden (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal) – in November

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Museums

If you’ve been reading my articles from the beginning, then you’ve probably noticed that “Museum Guides” is the oldest section of my cultural travel blog. So it’s only natural to include a sizable number of museums and art galleries in my top travel experiences of 2022!

Here are the 23 museums that I visited in 2022:

• Abbot of Baçal Museum (Bragança, Portugal) – in April
• Archaeological Museum of Córdoba (Spain) – in March
• Costume Museum (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Dom Diogo de Sousa Archaeology Museum (Braga, Portugal) – in December
• Flamenco Dance Museum (Seville, Spain) – in March
• General Archive of the Indies (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Georges Dussaud Photography Center (Bragança, Portugal) – in April
• House of the Mirandesan Culture (Miranda do Douro, Portugal) – in April
• Iberian Mask and Costume Museum (Bragança, Portugal) – in April
• Military Museum of Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• Monographic Museum of Coimbra (Condeixa-a-Velha, Portugal) – in November
• Museum Center of Valença (Portugal) – in January
• Museum of Arts and Popular Customs of Seville (Spain) – in March
• Museum of Fine Arts of Córdoba (Spain) – in March
• Museum of Fine Arts of Seville (Spain) – in March
• Museum of Santa Maria de Lamas (Portugal) – in August
• Museum of the Firefighter Manuel Valdés Sobral (Valença, Portugal) – in January
• Museum of the Land of Miranda (Miranda do Douro, Portugal) – in April
• Portuguese Toy Museum (Ponte de Lima, Portugal) – in January
• Serralves Foundation (Porto, Portugal) – in April
• Soares dos Reis National Museum (Porto, Portugal) – in April
• Torre de Calahorra – Living Museum of Al-Ándalus (Córdoba, Spain) – in March
• Torre del Oro – Maritime Museum (Seville, Spain) – in March

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Palaces

I love all kinds of palaces, manors, and villas. Interestingly, all the palaces I visited this year are on the Iberian Peninsula (four in Spain and one in Portugal). And another interesting detail is the fact that three of these palaces are UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

These were the 5 palaces that I visited in 2022:

• Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs (Córdoba, Spain) – in March
• Palace of Carrancas (Porto, Portugal) – in April
• Palace of las Dueñas (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Palace of the Countess of Lebrija (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Royal Alcázar of Seville (Spain) – in March

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Parks

In contrast to last year, when I always visited parks associated with itineraries or specific guides about places or monuments, my 2022 explorations of national, natural, municipal, and green parks were deliberate and planned in detail!

Here are the 15 parks that I visited in 2022:

• Arnado Theme Park (Ponte de Lima, Portugal) – in January and November
• Campo da Agonia (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Choupal do Largo de Côrro (Ponte da Barca, Portugal) – in August
• Devesa Park (Vila Nova de Famalicão) – in November and December
• Guia Park (Ponte de Lima, Portugal) – in January
• La Salette Park (Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal) – in August
• Lavandeira Municipal Park (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal) – in August
• María Luisa Park (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Miranda do Douro Park (Portugal) – in April
• Natural Park of Bom Jesus (Braga, Portugal) – in November
• Park of Our Lady of the Abbey (Amares, Portugal) – in September
• Park of Santa Maria de Lamas (Portugal) – in August
• Peneda-Gerês National Park (Arcos de Valdevez and Terras de Bouro, Portugal) – in August and September
• Ribeiras do Uíma Park (Fiães, Portugal) – in August
• Serralves Park (Porto, Portugal) – in April

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The Religious Temples

Even though I’ve been to a few countries in 2022, I’m happy to have “broken a record” in the number of religious temples. Especially when compared to the fifty, nine, and eight religious temples I visited in the years 2021, 2020, and 2019 (respectively)!

These were the 52 religious temples that I visited in 2022:

• Basilica of Bom Jesus do Monte (Braga, Portugal) – in November
• Basilica of La Macarena (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Basilica of Our Lady of Sameiro (Braga, Portugal) – in January
• Cathedral of Viana do Castelo (Portugal) – in October
• Chapel of Bom Jesus (Valença, Portugal) – in January
• Chapel of Our Lady of La Salette (Oliveira de Azeméis, Portugal) – in August
• Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception (Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal) – in August
• Chapel of Our Lady of the Incarnation (Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal) – in August
• Chapel of Our Lord of the Charm (Valença, Portugal) – in January
• Chapel of Santa Marta das Cortiças (Braga, Portugal) – in January and November
• Chapel of Santa Marta do Leão (Braga, Portugal) – in January and November
• Chapel of Santo António (Vila Verde, Portugal) – in September
• Chapel of the Afflicted (Fiães, Portugal) – in August
• Chapel of the Guardian Angel (Ponte de Lima, Portugal) – in November
• Chapel of the Lord of the Rock (Gulpilhares, Portugal) – in August
• Co-Cathedral of Miranda do Douro (Portugal) – in April
• Collegiate Church of the Divine Savior (Seville, Spain) – in March
• Church of Bom Jesus da Cruz (Barcelos, Portugal) – in November
• Church of Saint Dominic (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Church of Saint John the Baptist (Sistelo, Portugal) – in August
• Church of Saint Saviour (Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal) – in August
• Church of Saint Stephen (Valença, Portugal) – in January
• Church of Santa Maria de Lamas (Portugal) – in August
• Church of Santa Maria dos Anjos (Valença, Portugal) – in January
• Church of Santa Maria Madalena (Braga, Portugal) – in January and November
• Church of Santo António da Torre Velha (Ponte de Lima, Portugal) – in January
• Church of the Holy Cross (Miranda do Douro, Portugal) – in April
• Fiães Church (Portugal) – in August
• Lapa Church (Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal) – in August
• Loios Convent (Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal) – in August
• Misericórdia Church (Bragança, Portugal) – in April
• Misericórdia Church (Miranda do Douro, Portugal) – in April
• Misericórdia Church (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Minor Basilica of the Holy Christ (Outeiro, Portugal) – in April
• Monastery of Bouro Santa Maria (Amares, Portugal) – in September
• Monastery of Santo André de Rendufe (Amares, Portugal) – in September
• Monastery of São Salvador de Grijó (Portugal) – in August
• Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba (Spain) – in March
• New Cathedral of Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• New Church of São Paio (Vila Verde, Portugal) – in September
• Old Cathedral of Bragança (Portugal) – in April
• Parish Church of Golegã (Portugal) – in November
• Parish Church of Ponte de Lima (Portugal) – in January
• Parish Church of Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal) – in August
• Parish Church of Santa Maria Maior (Barcelos, Portugal) – in November
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte (Braga, Portugal) – in November
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Abbey (Amares, Portugal) – in September
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Agony (Viana do Castelo, Portugal) – in October
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Relief (Soutelo, Portugal) – in September
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro (Braga, Portugal) – in January
• Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta (Rio Caldo, Portugal) – in September
• Seville Cathedral (Spain) – in March

Best Travel Experiences of 2022: The UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Last but not least, what was one of my best travel experiences of 2022 and will probably continue to be one of my best travel experiences for years to come: collecting visits to new UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

Here are the 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that I visited in 2022:

• Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville (Spain) – in March
• Historic Centre of Cordoba (Spain) – in March
• Historic Centre of Guimarães (Portugal) – in November
• Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar (Portugal) – in April and November
• Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga (Portugal) – in November
• University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia (Portugal) – in December

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• Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless
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