so i just got back from two weeks in Portugal and brought my Mini 3 along and honestly the experience was pretty mixed. the scenery is insane, like flying over the Douro Valley was probably the best footage ive ever gotten, but getting there was kind of a headache i wasnt prepared for.

first thing — Portugal uses EASA rules so you need to register your drone in your home country AND in Portugal if youre staying more than a few days, or at least that was my understanding of it. i honestly still dont know if i did it completely right. i registered on the ANAC website which was all in Portuguese and google translate only gets you so far.

also Sintra is basically a no-fly zone, like the whole area around the palaces, which makes sense but nobody really warns you about that. i saw at least two other tourists just casually launching there and i was kind of holding my breath for them.

Algarve cliffs are worth the trip alone if you can find somewhere legal to launch from. just do your research before you go because i spent like two hours one morning trying to figure out if a specific beach was okay and ended up not flying at all.

yeah the EASA stuff caught me off guard in Spain too, it's like every country technically follows the same framework but then each one has their own little national quirks layered on top. i used an app called Drone Assist and also checked with the local aviation authority site but even then i wasnt fully confident. the Douro Valley shots sound incredible though, was that near Pinhão? i've been thinking about doing that exact trip.

Sintra no fly zone got me too lol. i just flew anyway from a hill outside the main area and it was fine but i was nervous the whole time. probably not the smartest move in hindsight.