Floating at Casto Marim salt pan spa, Eastern Algarve

Castro Marim salt pans don’t only produce sea salt and flor de sal the traditional way; they’ve also turned a salt water pond into an outdoor spa experience. Here, you can soak in salt while being covered in gooey clay, one of the more unusual things to do in theRead More →

Quinta do Bom Vento. Idyllic rural accommodation in Silver Coast Portugal

Having spent years sailing around the world, Sam and Rich Malone found the ideal place to drop anchor in Portugal’s Silver Coast. After 11 years of hard work and significant investment, they have achieved what many Brits dream of and transformed a ruined Portuguese farmhouse and outbuildings into a delightfulRead More →

Mountain views from Quinta de Santa Cristina on a vinho verde wine tasting and tour

Vinho verde is often badly translated as ‘green wine’ but it really just means young wine; light, fresh, slightly effervescent and best drunk within a year of bottling. Within this overall category of Portuguese wines, there’s a surprising variety of flavours, as I discovered when I visited Quinta de SantaRead More →

Arraiolos as seen from the Pousada at Convento dos Lóios. Visiting Arraiolos. What to see and do in Arraiolos

I don’t know whether it’s an age-related thing or a by-product of blogging about Portugal but my appreciation of skilled craftsmanship has certainly increased in recent years. Among the many Portuguese arts and crafts that I have come to admire are the Arraiolos tapestry rugs. These beautiful, hard-wearing woolen carpetsRead More →

View from Serra do Topo, São Jorge island, Azores

When I’m feeling stressed and long to retreat from the world for a while, the place my mind transports me to São Jorge island in the Azores. I’ll admit, I haven’t been to all of the Azores islands yet so there is a chance that São Jorge’s position as my favourite mayRead More →

Traditional woodcraft in Vila Nova de Poiares

One of Vila Nova de Poiares‘ major annual events is Poiartes. As the name suggests, the predominant theme of the fair is arts and crafts so artisans from the municipality and other parts of central Portugal come here to show and sell the results of their skilled work. If you’reRead More →

View of castle and statue to the right in Lamego, Portugal

I often get asked about places to visit in the Douro wine region. For architecture, history and culture, one of my favourite towns in the Douro area has to be Lamego. Although not on the River Douro itself, it’s only 20 minutes away by car, still in the wine regionRead More →