Planning your ideal trip to Portugal can be time-consuming and stressful if you do it alone, especially if you don’t know the country or are short of research time. After all, there are countless wonderful and varied destinations and experiences to choose from so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed withRead More →
This bookable 10-day self-drive Portugal road trip itinerary saves you having to do the time-consuming research required to plan and book your own trip to explore the best of Central Portugal, especially around the Silver Coast and Coimbra. You’ll see gardens, palaces, castles, monasteries, nature reserves, wineries, historical villages, UNESCORead More →
The Portuguese countryside is speckled with historical villages but Monsanto holds the title of “Most Portuguese Village in Portugal”. Although I’m sure the people of Monsanto in Central Portugal are proud of this accolade, I don’t really understand why their village won it. Far from being quintessentially Portuguese, it’s oneRead More →
Sortelha is the kind of ancient Portuguese village that inspires legends. This particular story even has a a house named after it, a Casa do Vento que Soa (the House of the Wind that Makes Sounds), although I’m not sure which came first – the tale or the building. EitherRead 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 →
Sortelha is one of Portugal’s most romantic and atmospheric historical villages. From the castle, you can look down on the butterscotch coloured granite cottages within the village walls or out over the boulder-strewn countryside. Two of those boulders rest on the slope below the castle walls, just touching. It’s notRead 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 →
The Portuguese islands of the Azores, set in the mid-Atlantic, are characterised by dramatic landscapes, lake-filled calderas, fishing villages and hedgerows of blue hydrangeas. And tea and pineapple plantations. There are also some fabulous places to stay in the archipelago, from the best Azores hotels to guesthouses, mostly with staggeringRead More →
Evora is one of those small, attractive Portuguese cities that really deserves spending quality time in. While you can visit its highlights on a day trip if time is short, consider adding at least a couple of nights to your itinerary. To make that easier to do, this article isRead More →
