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 →
Jangling cowbells give her a little warning but not enough time for the pretty young girl to escape the mischievous embrace of one of the masked Caretos de Podence. With one colourful woolly arm around her shoulders, he bats her hair with the tip of his long hood and bumps his bell-cladRead 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 →
It’s been a while since I interviewed a fellow traveller about their experience of travelling in Portugal but my latest guest has lots to share with us. Having hired a car she managed to pack a lot into a short time, and cope with a heatwave! Read on to discoverRead More →
I’ve never been a great fan of sparkling wines, not even champagne, but I’ve always wondered how they get their bubbles. When I had the opportunity to visit the Murganheira wine cellars to find out how Portuguese espumante (sparkling wine) is made I gladly took it. There are several ways ofRead More →
If you’re travelling to Porto, the chances are you’ll be trying some of Portugal’s delicious port wine during your stay. I’ve been to many port wine establishments in the city over the years, most of them fairly similar in their approach and all enjoyable. My two most memorable port wineRead More →
One of Porto’s claims to fame is its port wine, a fortified wine that comes from the grapes of the Douro valley. If you look across the river from anywhere in the city, you’ll see the names of the biggest brands emblazoned on the red roofs of the port wineRead More →
The village of Melgaço is almost as far north as you can get in Portugal and is only separated from Spain by the River Minho. Surrounded by hills, forests and vineyards and the mountains of Peneda-Gerês National Park, its setting couldn’t be more beautiful. I only had one day toRead More →
After a day walking a section of the Portuguese Way of St James pilgrimage route, I’ve somehow been persuaded to come back and do the full 227 kilometre walk at some point. When I arranged to do one stage of the Portuguese Way with Portugal Green Walks I had no intention ofRead More →