Portugal is more famous for sunshine than for snow, which is why yesterday’s walk in the Serra da Estrela mountains was such a novelty. I’d arranged to join a group of people on a hike around Lagoa Comprida which is at an altitude of 1580 metres. The weather forecast promised a clearRead More →
Loriga river beach claimed a place on my wish list when it was voted as one of the finalists in the beaches edition of the 7 Wonders of Portugal. Once you’ve seen photos of the turquoise rock pool nestled in the mountains, you’ll understand the appeal and may even wish to find somewhereRead More →
The sleepy little village of Serpins in central Portugal may have seen better days but there are still a few treats both in and around it. As well as having its own river beach, there’s a beautiful gorge a little further upstream below a charming hilltop viewpoint. Its unusual curved railwayRead More →
“You’re going to see magic this morning,” Olga Cavaleiro, co-owner of O Afonso Pastelaria, promises as she leads me and my companions to a large empty room behind her café and bakery. This is where the impossibly thin pastry for pastéis de Tentúgal (Tentúgal pastries) is made. The dough is made just from waterRead More →
Not only does Loggia restaurant in Coimbra lay claim to magnificent views, it also professes to serve the best sponge cake in the universe! Located within the Museu Nacional Machado de Castro in the city’s hilltop university zone, the glass-fronted restaurant overlooks the dome of Sé Velha, the old cathedral,Read More →
How do you revitalise a sleepy historical village that’s off the beaten track? Paulo and Carmen Romão from Casas do Côro have made a huge difference to Marialva by buying up several traditional granite cottages and renovating them to form a luxury rural retreat. They haven’t taken over the entireRead More →
Marianne from East of Malaga has picked a theme that’s close to my heart for her monthly blog hop challenge; street art. Portugal has some very talented street artists who express their creativity on walls around their own country and abroad. One of my favourite Portuguese street artists is AlexandreRead More →
If you spend your days on an exposed mountainside watching over your flock in all weathers, you need something warm and waterproof to wear. Portuguese shepherds traditionally braved the elements in cloaks or coats made from burel, a tightly woven wool fabric that kept them dry and relatively cosy. MadeRead More →
After reading about Sortelha’s “great charms” in a guide book, I was keen to see if it would live up to the hype. It does. So much, in fact, that of the Historical Villages of Portugal I’ve visited so far, Sortelha and Monsanto are my favourites. I’ve already told you what’sRead More →