One step in from the coast, Caldas da Rainha is a spa town founded by a queen. In the 15th century Eleanor of Viseu discovered locals bathing in the strange-smelling springs, and so began Europe’s first hydrotherapy resort since Roman times. People descended on the town from far and wide in the 1800s, when it …
On the River Tagus, Póvoa de Santa Iria is a municipality edged by wetlands around 20 minutes on the train from the centre of Lisbon. The waterside, once a hive of fishing and industry, has been reclaimed with a “linear park”, transporting you over the marshes via a boardwalk for dreamlike views of the estuary …
Inside Porto’s Metropolitan Area, São Mamede de Infesta is a short hop north of this alluring UNESCO city. It couldn’t be easier to get to the centre of Porto, for enough sightseeing and cultural activities to make your head spin, whether it’s lively old town squares, Baroque churches or photo-worthy monuments like the Clérigos Church …
On the right bank of the Douro, Valbom is a small town just upriver from Porto. You can be in the centre of the city in the blink of an eye, sightseeing, appreciating art and architecture, tasting Port wine and exploring historic neighbourhoods. Valbom has its own appeal though, as goldsmith artisans have been crafting …
Fafe is a rural town in the northwest of Portugal, in touching distance of the city of Guimarães. This is a land of tall granite hills, deep forest and vineyards for vinho verde wine. The town’s recent history has been coloured by emigration, especially in the 1800s when locals left to make their fortunes in …
An enthralling town by the River Ave, Santo Tirso took shape in the early middle ages around a Benedictine monastery. This is still the main attraction, easily spotted by its towers with pyramidal, tile-coated domes. Attached to one of the monastery buildings there’s a new museum that presents Santo Tirso’s love for outdoor contemporary art. …
Lagos is a busy coastal town in the Algarve that has all the things people love about the region. There are beaches of all descriptions, from long sandy bays to tiny coves walled by ochre-coloured cliffs. These rocks create a breathtaking scene at Ponta da Piedade, where the bluffs and obelisks are riddled with caves …
The city of Torres Vedras is a versatile kind of place an hour north of Lisbon. Signs of civilisation go back more than 4,000 years, but the period that left a lasting mark on the city was the early 18th century. This is when the Lines of Torres Vedras was born; a massive network of …
North of Lisbon, Loures is close enough to the capital that you can pop into the city to visit a museum, go for dinner or potter around the alleys of an enchanting old neighbourhood. But it’s also far enough away that there’s open countryside around, laid with vineyards making Becelas DOC wine. And there’s plenty …
At the centre of a medieval pine plantation, Marinha Grande is a town that grew around Portugal’s Royal Glassworks in the 1700s. It has used the surfeit of pine resin and sand to fashion glassware since the 1700s, and this eventually evolved in a plastics industry that is still the largest employer. But that doesn’t …