Coimbra is often overshadowed by Lisbon and Porto, but it remains one of Portugal’s most rewarding cities to explore. Home to a UNESCO World Heritage university, centuries of fascinating history and a lively student culture, Coimbra combines grand monuments with riverside parks, traditional fado and a distinctly local atmosphere. AsRead More →
Aveiro is often visited as a day trip, but staying overnight gives you a very different experience. Once the day-trippers leave, the city feels much calmer and easier to enjoy. If you’re deciding whether to stay, or where to base yourself if you do, this should help. Whenever Mike andRead More →
Trying to decide where to stay in Coimbra? This city is compact enough to explore on foot, but where you base yourself still makes a noticeable difference. Some areas are much easier if you’re arriving by train or bus and planning to walk everywhere. Others make more sense if youRead More →
Portugal’s Silver Coast stretches roughly between Lisbon and Porto and includes historic towns such as Óbidos, Alcobaça and Nazaré as well as quieter beach resorts and nature reserves. As a beautiful, green, agriculturally rich area of Central Portugal with gorgeous beaches, ancient and interesting towns and villages and activities rangingRead More →
The heartbreaking tale of Pedro and Inês, Portugal’s famously ill-fated lovers inspired me to visit Alcobaça, a pretty town in the Silver Coast of Central Portugal. The theme of love is a strong part of Alcobaça’s identity and you’ll see it reflected throughout the town, which is also known forRead More →
Coimbra deserves more of your time. Seriously. For many visitors to Portugal, it’s a day trip destination, or worse, a mere half-day stop. That’s a mistake. The city itself can easily keep you entertained for a couple of days, especially if the weather’s good. Factor in the range of possible day tripsRead More →
If you’re looking for a quaint medieval town that’s not too far from Lisbon, try Óbidos. The various things to do in Óbidos itself include tasting the lip-smackingly good ginjinha de Obidos and exploring the pretty cobbled streets. Most people visit Obidos as part of a day trip but IRead More →
Leiria is another of those cities that I put off visiting for a long time for no good reason. I’d heard nothing that made me want to go out of my way to visit Leiria so when I finally got around to it, I was pleasantly surprised. This small cityRead More →
There are several cute towns and villages in Central Portugal that have become known for something very specific, like their medieval style streets, an important monument or an old castle. Caldas da Rainha, however, has flourished mostly because of its history as a spa town and its hyperrealistic ceramics, whetherRead More →
