Narrowing down the selection of idyllic locations for romantic getaways in Portugal has been a tough job. There’s just so much choice! To keep it simple, I’ve highlighted places for every region in Portugal where you and your sweetheart can feel the love and not just on Valentine’s Day. Table ofRead 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 fairy-tale palace, war museums, magnificent views, an old convent or a wander through Portugal’s finest collection of national and imported trees, Bussaco 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 →
More people are discovering the delights of Aveiro and to do this beautiful city justice, it’s a good idea to stay overnight. To that end, this article contains my suggestions for the best Aveiro hotels, guesthouses and apartments. Whether you’re looking for a gorgeous palace hotel, a romantic getaway orRead More →
If you’re looking for a quaint medieval town that’s not too far from Lisbon, try Óbidos. The various things to do in Óbidos itself include tasting the lip-smackingly good ginjinha de Obidos and exploring the pretty cobbled streets. Most people visit Obidos as part of a day trip but IRead More →
Mainland Portugal’s highest mountain, at 1993 metres altitude, is called the Estrela, which means Star. I’m fortunate that the Serra da Estrela mountain range is only an hour and a half drive from where I live in central Portugal but it’s about 3 hours from Lisbon and 2.5 from Porto.Read More →
The small but charming town of Tomar in Central Portugal was one of the first day trips I made when I first moved here many moons ago and I’ve enjoyed every subsequent visit. Fast forward 13 years or so and there are more things to do in Tomar than everRead More →
When I first moved to central Portugal, I went on several walks in the Serra da Lousã, each one ending up in a tiny village scattered with cottages made of rust-coloured slate. These Portuguese schist villages are hidden up in the mountains and until relatively recently, they had been allRead More →
Leiria is another of those cities that I put off visiting for a long time for no good reason. I’d heard nothing that made me want to go out of my way to visit Leiria so when I finally got around to it, I was pleasantly surprised. This small cityRead More →