It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for Portuguese manor houses and stately homes, especially ones you can stay in and pretend you own (or perhaps that’s just my little fantasy). Casa da Ínsua is one such place and I jumped at the chance to check it outRead More →
The village of Melgaço is almost as far north as you can get in Portugal and is only separated from Spain by the River Minho. Surrounded by hills, forests and vineyards and the mountains of Peneda-Gerês National Park, its setting couldn’t be more beautiful. I only had one day toRead More →
My first experience of staying in restored Portuguese manor houses came about by accident and now I’m hooked. These lovely old buildings allow me to indulge fantasies of living in stunning historical settings and to find out more about Portugal’s past on a very personal level. Solar is Portuguese forRead More →
The ancient city of Conímbriga in central Portugal is one of the best Roman ruins I’ve ever visited. It’s so good I’ve been there twice and been impressed on both occasions. Even my 13-year-old stepdaughter declared, “It was better than I expected!” So what makes Conímbriga so remarkable? For me,Read More →
I’d been curious about Elvas ever since I picked up a brochure at Lisbon’s annual tourism show. After UNESCO granted it World Heritage status in 2012, I decided to see it for myself. My excuse to visit arrived in the form of an International Hot Air Balloon Festival hosted thereRead More →
Having spent years as a beach bum, I quickly switched my affections to river beaches when I arrived in central Portugal for a number of reasons. Each one is unique and although I have a few firm favourites locally, I’m always keen to check out different river beaches. As you’llRead More →
The rejuvenating properties of white cement are noticeable in the lakeside town of Santa Comba Dão (aka the ‘Princess of the Dão) in central Portugal. Like botox for buildings, the cement has been used extensively to smooth out the deep gaps that had formed between the granite blocks of traditional buildings. The roughRead More →
Julie Dawn Fox explains why Cascalheira river beach near Arganil, central Portugal is surprisingly good.Read More →
Julie Dawn Fox explains why the variety, natural shade and warmer, calmer waters make central Portugal’s river beaches an excellent alternative to coastal beaches.Read More →
