The town of Abrantes is commanded by a medieval castle above the right bank of the Tagus River, which bends past far below. The townscape is hilly but the surrounding countryside is flat, and Abrantes has a few lookouts where you watch over the river plain for miles. In the old town are sociable squares …
Cod is almost a way of life in Portugal, and if ever there’s a place to go to understand this affection it’s at a base of the country’s “White Fleet”. Most of the trawler captains in that time were Ílhavo born and bred, and went on epic sorties to the North Sea and Atlantic. Brine …
Between the Aveiro Lagoon and the Atlantic, Gafanha da Nazaré is a seafaring town in the Ílhavo municipality. With the scent of brine in the air and trawlers still moored in the port, most of your activities will have a nautical theme. You can doze off on the beach watch the rolling surf, dine on …
A World Heritage town on the Azorean island of Terceira, Angra do Heroísmo has ruled the archipelago since the Age of Discovery. Thanks to this mid-Atlantic setting it looks like few other European towns, and the many historic fortifications are proof of Angra’s role in trade and conquest from the 15th century on. The period …
A short hop from both the Atlantic Coast and Porto, Lourosa is a little town in the north of Portugal. Lourosa gets a lot of day-trippers for its zoo, which is the country’s only attraction dedicated entirely to birdlife. The countryside abounds with cork oak trees, and springing from this natural wealth was the Corticeira …
By the coast in the northwest of the Centro region, Ovar stars for the natural beauty inside its boundaries. The Atlantic is a stone’s throw and you’ll come to the small resort of Furadouro, an inexpensive alternative to big getaways and cities, with wild Atlantic beaches drawing surfers to their rolling waves. The Aveiro Lagoon …
Ponte de Sor is a rural town in a land where cork oak trees cultivated for their valuable bark. And although Porte de Sor is rather quiet and unassuming there’s always something happening at the stylish “CAC” culture and arts centre. The countryside is dry and sun-bleached in summer, but water is still a constant …
In the Centro region on the first peaks of the Serra de Aire range, Ourém is a town under the watch of a castle and citadel. This fortress was controlled by the medieval Counts of Ourém, and is posted high on hill that even now is a challenge to conquer. The old settlement within the …
If there’s a time to be in Águeda it’s the month of July when the town is swept up in the colour, creativity and fun of the AgitÁgueda festival. This three-week event turns the centre into an arty wonderland, with spontaneous performances and extraordinary art installations. The rest of the time it’s a peaceful country …
To the northeast of Lisbon and next to the ultramodern Parque das Nações, Sacavém is a former industrial parish by the Tagus Estuary. Many trades were based here, but one remembered most fondly was the ceramics industry. All but one kiln has disappeared now, and this is housed inside an absorbing museum about Sacavém’s old …