If the thought of a whole festival dedicated to chocolate appeals to you, here’s my advice for getting the most out of annual chocolate festival in Óbidos. 1. There’s plenty to enjoy without buying a ticket If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to stump up the 7 euros toRead More →
Exactly how far north or inland the Silver Coast, or Costa da Prata, of Portugal extends is debatable so for the purposes of this article, I’ll concentrate on the things to see and do around Caldas da Rainha, Òbidos, Alcobaça and Nazaré. As a beautiful, green, agriculturally rich area ofRead More →
The huge waves that draw surfers to the beaches around Peniche were not the reason I visited. One disastrous surfing lesson was enough to persuade me that it’s not the sport for me. I had other plans, the main one being a boat trip to the nature reserve on Berlenga Islands.Read More →
If you’re looking for a small, attractive medieval town that’s not too far from Lisbon, try Óbidos. Most people go there as part of a day trip but I also enjoy the peaceful experience of staying overnight. As well as the various things to do in Óbidos itself, including tasting theRead More →
The heartbreaking tale of Pedro and Inês, Portugal’s ill-fated lovers inspired me to visit Alcobaça, a pretty town in the Silver Coast of Central Portugal. Pedro’s unwavering love for his forbidden sweetheart, Inês, who was murdered by his father’s henchmen, led to the exhumation of her body and posthumous coronationRead More →
As you might expect from a place called Buddha Eden, this garden in the Silver Coast area of Central Portugal contains several Buddha statues. Portuguese art collector and businessman Joe Berardo was horrified when the Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. He responded byRead More →
I used to have a phobia of birds. I’m over it now, but when I first heard that Berlenga Island was a nature reserve with a huge seagull population, I had misgivings about going there. Curiosity and a few glowing reports of its natural beauty eventually got the better of me so IRead 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 →
I’d heard good things about Quinta do Sanguinhal and was not disappointed when we finally got the chance to visit this winery on a recent trip to the Silver Coast. The traditional wine estate is just outside the small town of Bombarral and has been in the same family sinceRead More →
