View of cityscape of Viseu, Portugal

Why should you visit Viseu in central Portugal? Well, perhaps because it’s such a lovely place that it’s been voted ‘Best city in Portugal to live in’. Twice. I won’t be moving up there any time soon but I am pleased to have got to know it a little better.Read More →

Golfer, Royal Obidos golf course, Silver Coast

I’ve invited Portugal golf travel expert, Andy Waple, to give us his tips on the best places to play golf in the Silver Coast of Portugal. Here’s what he has to say on the matter:   What’s so special about the Silver Coast of Portugal? A relatively new course on the block hasRead More →

Pretty street and stone cottages, Casal de São Simão

Imagine a cluster of rust-coloured stone cottages nestled in the hills, seemingly untouched by modern life. Surrounded by forests, mountain streams and river beaches, the schist villages of Central Portugal are idyllic and special. As you walk from village to village on this self-guided or guided walking holiday, you’ll experienceRead More →

Cabo Carvoeiro and Berlengas islands, Peniche, Portugal

The huge waves that draw surfers to the beaches around Peniche were not the reason I visited. One disastrous surfing lesson was enough to persuade me that it’s not the sport for me. I had other plans, the main one being a boat trip to the nature reserve on Berlenga Islands.Read More →

Santa Maria church and cathedral and Roman remains, Idanha-a-Velha

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 →

Steps to Santa Catarina fortress, Figueira da Foz, Portugal

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 are, of course, more things to do in Figueira da Foz than lounge on its beaches or stroll the extensiveRead More →

Ceramic panel of a moliceiro collecting seaweed, Aveiro

I’m probably not the only one who felt slightly disappointed the first time they visited Aveiro but I’ve long since changed my opinion and now love this city. My initial disillusion was largely due to the fact that it’s marketed as the Venice of Portugal but although the city centreRead More →