On the Costa Alentejana Sines is an old fishing town best known in Portugal as the birthplace of the explorer Vasco da Gama. His statue stands proudly beside the walls of the castle in which he grew up, and the museum inside recounts the life of this national hero. Now, Sines is making waves as …
A venerable town on a hill near the coast, Loulé has a quaint old centre, weird and wonderful folk celebrations and a choice of monuments like churches and a castle. It’s all in stark contrast to the tourism infrastructure on the coast, which is like nothing you can find anywhere in the Algarve. Vilamoura is …
Torres Novas is a pretty town in Portugal’s central Ribatejo region, guarded by the fearsome walls of a medieval castle. The town’s big cultural claim to fame is the revered Portuguese painter Carlos Reis, who was born here in the 19th century. He made a name for his depictions of bucolic scenes, and the municipal …
West of Braga, Barcelos is a cute medieval town with a strong cultural identity. This comes from artisan traditions like pottery, as well as the Galo de Barcelo, the ornamental rooster that became an emblem for Portugal. The weekly market on Thursdays is one of Portugal’s largest, and together with the usual fresh produce it’s …
This sleepy town is embedded in Alentejo’s fertile farmland and commanded by a marble castle tower. Beja has existed in some form since the Celts, and in Roman times it was named Pax Julia after the treaty that brought western Iberia under the imperial yoke. With some help from the tourist office you can hunt …
Possibly the prettiest town in the Algarve, Tavira is a seaside getaway that has taken tourism in its stride and kept hold of its old character. The town straddles the banks of the Gilão River as it enters the Atlantic at the Ria Formosa natural park. You can take your time on the old streets …
A gorgeous old city in two parts, Bragança’s high ground is ruled by the citadel and castle, while on the banks of the Fervença River below is the new town. Truth be told, the new town isn’t very new either, as the former cathedral here is from the 1500s. The medieval citadel and castle above …
Visiting Portugal is a great choice, particularly if you like all things maritime related, as Portugal stretches for 800 kilometers along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is graced with Lisbon as its capital city which sits at the entrance of the majestic River Tagus. Much of the country is a mix of rugged …
The town of Chaves in the far north of Portugal has been settled since Roman times. They built a city here around the thermal springs, and left behind a stone bridge which still bears its Latin inscriptions. Fast forward more than a thousand years and you come to the rule of Dom Afonso I, illegitimate …
Pombal is a name you’ll hear a lot in Portugal, and that’s partly because of its role in the country’s politics. The 1st Marquis of Pombal was one of the nation’s greatest prime ministers, and there’s even a whole architectural movement named after him (Pombaline). He retired to this town in the Centro region in …