I first wondered whether the hilltop village of Monsaraz might feel too touristy, perhaps a little contrived. From the moment Mike and I walked through the ancient archway into the walled medieval citadel, that thought vanished. Monsaraz is one of those special places where the narrow cobbled streets, whitewashed housesRead More →
Driving to the picturesque village of Piodão is a scenic adventure full of hairpin bends and narrow roads that snake through the mountains. On clear days, the views are spectacular. The terraced fields and stone walls of low-lying arable land contrast with the barren heights of the Serra do Açor. Eventually, you’ll arrive at a picture postcard cluster of tightly packedRead More →
Exploring Portugal off the beaten path will lead you to many pleasant surprises, such as traditional villages, stunning landscapes and fascintating history. It doesn’t take much to leave the tourist trail behind and for this article, I’d like to tell you about some places in the east of the countryRead More →
Azenhas do Mar is one of the most picturesque villages near Sintra, with whitewashed houses tumbling down cliffs towards a small beach and natural sea pool. In fact, you may already have seen images of this charming village within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. Azenhas do Mar is best visited asRead 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 →
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 →
When I first moved to central Portugal, I went on several walks in the Serra da Lousã, each one ending up in a tiny village scattered with cottages made of rust-coloured slate. These Portuguese schist villages are hidden up in the mountains and until relatively recently, they had been allRead More →
The quiet village of Penha Garcia straddles a rocky cliff which commands sweeping views over the neighboring plains in the southeast part of Central Portugal. The surrounding rock formations are one of the geological highlights within the NaturTejo Geopark, notably the trilobite fossils that are scattered within them. Given itsRead More →
You won’t find any scantily clad ladies parading the cobbled streets of Lazarim for carnival. This tiny village in northern Portugal draws the crowds for its more traditional pre-Lenten celebrations (entrudo in Portuguese), which it claims are the “most genuine in Portugal”. The Caretos of Podence might have something toRead More →
