Known as the “Venice of Portugal”, Aveiro is a small, but beautiful Portuguese city. It’s famous for its canals (hence the Venice nickname) and the ovos moles sweets that come from here. You can see most of Aveiro’s attractions in a day, although it’ll be rushed. For a proper experience, and particularly if you want to visit the nearby beach, you should allow for an overnight stay. With that in mind, here are some of
Known for its university, Coimbra is a popular destination for tourists and, increasingly, people moving to Portugal. It is packed with history and character, particularly thanks to its university connections, and you can easily fill a day or two with things to see and do here. The following are just a few suggestions. Explore Coimbra University Coimbra is not only the oldest university in Portugal, but it has some of the most beautiful buildings as
If you’re visiting Coimbra, or lucky enough to live there, the big question you’ll be asking yourself is: what should I eat? You’ll find all the most common Portuguese dishes in Portugal, for example, caldo verde soup, bacalhau dishes like bacalhau com natas and bacalhau à bras, and grilled fish. But those are dishes that you’ll find all over Portugal and you may have tried them plenty of times before. So, instead, look out for
Caldas da Rainha is a spa town that’s situated around 90 km north of Lisbon. Over the past few years, as the “Silver Coast” and Central Portugal have grown in popularity, Caldas da Rainha has become one of the most popular places to move to in Portugal. The town was founded in the 15th Century by Queen Leonor, the wife of King Dom João II, who established a church and a hospital at the thermal
Up until a few years ago, Águeda wasn’t somewhere that you purposely stopped off at. As nice as the town is, there isn’t a lot to see and do in Águeda itself. Meanwhile Aveiro, which has the prestigious nickname of the “Venice of Portugal,” is just 35 km away and Coimbra, a definite must-visit destination in Portugal, is around 65 km away. Águeda’s fortunes changes in 2011, however, when, as part of the annual
Known as the Venice of Portugal, Aveiro is quickly becoming a popular destinations for tourists visiting Portugal. But, because it’s small, well-maintained, and close to the coast, it’s also becoming a popular place to live. Aveiro is nowhere near as big as Lisbon or Porto, but not everyone is looking to live in a big city. If you’re looking for somewhere pleasant, with easy access to the beach as well as nearby towns and cities
Belmonte is a very small but very beautiful Portuguese village. While the real attraction is just wandering through the picturesque historical town, there are actually quite a lot of museums that you can visit in the town as well as the castle. Nearby, there are other beautiful towns worth visiting – such as Guarda (30 km) and Monsanto (53 km) – while the very beautiful Serra da Estrela Natural Park is literally just up the
Castelo Branco isn’t a city that’s on the tourist trail, and there are two main reasons for that. Firstly, it’s a little out of the way. Although the drive from Lisbon only takes around 2.5 hours, it is the other side of the country from Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Aveiro, and all of the other popular places to visit. Secondly, there just isn’t that much to see and do in Castelo Branco. There is a castle
Famous for being home to one of the oldest universities in the world, Coimbra is a destination that’s growing in popularity — both with tourists and potential expats alike. Although small, the Portuguese city is packed with history and culture, particularly around Coimbra University. It’s also one of fado epicentres of Portugal and here you’ll hear the genre sung exclusively by men. Besides all of the history and culture that it has to offer, there
Although Fátima is a small city that existed long before it became a spiritual destination, when most people think of Fátima they think of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima. The sanctuary attracts somewhere between 5 and 8 million visitors every year, most of whom are deeply religious but also many who are spiritual or just curious to see this world-renowned religious destination. Fátima is unique: it’s an entire town that’s dedicated to Catholicism.