Portinho de Arrábida, Serra da Arrábida, Portugal

You really don’t have to go far from Lisbon to find stunning landscapes and some of Europe’s most beautiful beaches. Simply take a day trip south across the River Tagus to the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park and you’ll find white sand and turquoise waters backed by greenery and limestoneRead More →

Peneda-Gêres waterfalls and lagoon

One highly underrated hiking destination in Europe is Portugal’s only National Park, Peneda-Gerês. Boasting minimal crowds plus secret lagoons and waterfalls to discover, this is one experience that you don’t want to miss out on. In Peneda-Gerês you can experience seemingly untouched nature as well as a healthy dose ofRead More →

Views from the top of the hill. Douro walking holiday

The southern side of the Douro Valley gets far less attention than the north, which makes it perfect for an off-the-beaten-track walking holiday. I had the privilege of experiencing this 1-week, self-guided hiking vacation in the Douro wine region while working on the written descriptions and route instructions that theRead More →

Views, Serra da Estrela

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 →

Man on a rock gazing at mountains on a Portugal hiking trail in Peneda-Gerês National Park

Portugal has many spectacular hiking trails to offer, with a range of difficulty levels and a huge variety in landscapes. I’ve had the pleasure of walking in every region of mainland Portugal as well as many of the islands of Madeira and the Azores. Here are some of my favouriteRead More →

Man hiking. Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro mountain peaks in Madeira, Portugal

As a leisure activity, hiking in Portugal has become much more popular in the last few years. When I first moved here, it was mainly foreigners who went for long walks just for fun. Nowadays, there are more Portuguese hikers out and about and lots of visitors are keen toRead More →