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 →
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 →
I’m probably not the only one who felt slightly disappointed the first time they visited Aveiro. It’s marketed as the Venice of Portugal but although the city centre has canals and pretty boats, the similarities end there. Don’t get me wrong – the historical centre and nearby Ria de Aveiro lagoons are undeniablyRead More →
In all my years of blogging about Portugal, I’ve neglected to tell you about the many things to do in Coimbra. This pretty riverside city, presided over by a UNESCO Word Heritage university, has a fascinating history that visibly dates back to Roman times. As the first place I livedRead More →
Many people in the Vila Nova de Poiares neighbourhood learned to swim in the swimming pools at Recreio da Fraga leisure complex (nicknamed Fraggle Rock in our house) but it became neglected and was closed down for many years. Thanks to the efforts of the local council and local investment, theRead More →
Did you realise that there are no less than four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Central Portugal, all less than an hour’s drive from each other? These remarkable buildings contain tales of Portuguese history dating back to the the earliest days of Portugal as a country. With the Knights Templar,Read More →
I’ve been busy working on my plans for Portugal travel in 2018 and already have a long list of places to visit. If previous years are anything to go by, I probably won’t make it to all the destinations on my wish list this year but this post may inspireRead More →
