Over the years, I’ve written about some of my favourite traditional villages in Portugal, most of which are actually part of a network called Aldeias Históricas de Portugal. Under this official umbrella, there are 12 villages, all within the Centro region of Portugal. Most of them used to be borderRead More →
Coimbra deserves more of your time. Seriously. For many visitors to Portugal, it’s a day trip destination, or worse, a mere half-day stop. That’s a mistake. The city itself can easily keep you entertained for a couple of days, especially if the weather’s good. Factor in the range of possible day tripsRead More →
Whether you’re after a fairytale palace, war museums, magnificent views, an old convent or a wander through Portugal’s finest collection of national and imported trees, Buçaco is the place to go. Which explains why this 250-acre forest is such a popular weekend picnic spot and worthy tourist destination. Only 30Read More →
On my first trip to the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG) several years ago, the weather was too bad for the full day hike I had organised. Instead, I ended up doing an introductory driving tour of its rugged landscapes with some short sections of walking trails. As a taster, this experienceRead More →
If you’re going to be spending Christmas and New Year in Portugal, either as an expat or on holiday, this post is for you. Find out how and where to celebrate, how the Portuguese do things and what events are going on during the festive season. Click one of these links to jumpRead More →
Figueira da Foz, aka the Queen of Beaches, has been a popular Portuguese holiday resort for over 100 years, hence the number of hotels, holiday apartments and rooms to let. There is, of course, more to see and do in Figueira da Foz than lounge on its beaches or stroll the extensiveRead More →
If you’re looking for a small, attractive medieval town that’s not too far from Lisbon, try Óbidos. Most people go there as part of a day trip but I also enjoy the peaceful experience of staying overnight. As well as the various things to do in Óbidos itself, including tasting theRead More →
If you visit any tourist destination in Portugal, you’ll undoubtedly find at least one version of the cheerful Barcelos cockerel dominating most souvenir shops. But what on earth does a cockerel have to do with Portugal? I hear you ask. Well, there’s a legend about that… As the story goes, backRead More →
The plan was to spend 3 hours or so walking around the crater lake at Furnas, one of many such lakes on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. Our attempts the day before to walk around the crater edge at Sete Cidades and gaze down at the blueRead More →
