From our geographical point of view, as Central Europeans, Portugal is seen as a distant country. We don´t know much about it and probably should be so similar to Spain, right? But it is not. It´s got its own charm an appeal. We rode through the northern part of the country on our last trip and it is quite a mix between busy ocean side touristic towns and quiet historical inland villages, each very different and equally interesting.
Ocean side
Portuguese coast is usually colder than inland and this September the difference was sometimes as high as 10 degrees Celsius. This means one is less encouraged to bathe in the ocean or lay on the beach, but nevertheless, it is always beautiful to walk along the coast.
Viana do Castelo is a nice town with historical center full of typical little restaurants. Try local fish or Arroz de Tabaril, local speciality similar to Spanish paella, only served in a pot. Meant for two, but it could easily feed three. Beware of the fact that almost all restaurants are closed between lunch and dinner. There is Santa Lucia Sanctuary, up on the hill overlooking the town, where it is possible to go up the towers for view. Really worth it, if the weather is nice.
The northern border with Spain is formed naturally by the river Mino and at its estuary is the town of Caminha, historically important for the role of protecting the border and the estuary. On foggy days one can savour the magical atmosphere of old times throughout the town. Near the church, one can climb up the ramparts and take a walk on them. This will bring you on places where most people don´t dare going, peering down onto streets and people´s backyards. Also, in the evening, we had a great experience. We were wandering the streets during this foggy atmosphere and there, on the terrace of a bar, was a cat. Since I love cats, we had to stop to caress it. And all of a sudden, we sit there, cat in the lap, and are ordering a drink. This cat had to be paid by that bar to bring in customers 🙂
The river Mino also gave name to the whole region which is famous for producing the vinho verde, young wine, very fresh in taste, both white and red.
Much more to the South is the city of Aveiro. It claims to be the Portuguese Veneto, but with three or so canals it´s not. They have historical ships similar to gondolas, but much bigger, which were used for fishing in the past. Now they take tourists on trips, but with the capacity of about 20 people it does not have the charm of gondolas. Nevertheless, Aveiro has a beautiful little center with houses covered by azulejos or painted in bright colours. It is also worth going to the coast and spend some time on the beach.
Inland
Portuguese inland countryside is quite hilly and dotted with beautiful little villages made of stone, dating centuries back. There usually is a ruined castle and people still live in those ancient houses.
Ponte de Lima with its old bridge, Sernancelhe, Tarancoso with a Moorish tower and Linhares da Beira are all very good examples.
Also Valença is such a town, but bigger and very touristic, and within the walls of the historical center there are only shops and expensive touristic restaurants. But from its castle walls you can see its Spanish “sister” castle Tui, both guarding the border river Mino. However, there are better and more true similar towns, so I would advise to consider visiting them instead.
Tired of the usual hotel rooms? There are other options as well, for reasonable prices. The Convento de San Payo is hidden in the woods on a hill overlooking the Mino river and the estuary. There is also a pool that can be used at anytime, breakfast from local products is served in a room with windows to all three sides and they also have a herd of special species of sheep.
Manteigas is the most elevated town in Portugal and lays in the mountain range and natural park of Serra da Estrela. The highest point is Torre, almost 2 000 m, and it is the only place in Portugal where one can go skiing (very gentle slope), but otherwise the structures on the top are ugly, formerly used by the army. But the closely located area called
Penhas Douradas, that´s a completely different story. I’ve found the most breathtaking views I have seen so far in my life there. The visibility is hundreds of kilometres on a good day. Just get lost here and discover good looking but abandoned houses with enviable views and calm surroundings.
On our way out of the national park, we also visited two mountain villages like from a fairy tale. The first is Foz d´Equa, built in such a slope that one wouldn´t believe it´s possible to build houses here. Down in the valley there is a small “lake” with a stone bridge. Truly like from a fairy tale, and you can swim here as well. The second is Piodão, full of beautiful houses and a much appreciated restaurant called Fontinha, a little bit hidden but much better than the one on the square. Inside you will find a small selection of very tasty local dishes and potent vino tinto.
I guess everybody knows the Douro wine region where Porto wine come from, but there are also other regions with very good wine. One of them is Dão around the river of the same name.
The capital of this wine region is Viseu, a university city with
a lot of young people, bars, restaurants and very nice relaxed atmosphere. It also has a historical center with cathedral, a cable car and the wine country visitor center which is a bit outside the town. They have wines from all the region´s wineyards inside and also a map and a booklet with information about all of the wineyards.
For most of them an appointment is required and some offer accommodation as well. We visited a few and were pleasantly surprised by their wines as well as their hospitality. It reminded me very much of Sonoma in California, USA, only the prices were much lower 🙂
Cities
Guimarães is a historically very important city, because in 12th century Portugal gained its independence here and Guimarães became its capital. The whole story is told in an exposition in the tower of otherwise ruined castle. Next to it is the duke´s palace building with nicely decorated rooms and ornate ceilings. It´s also nice to wander in the narrow little streets of the small center, although it tend to be swarmed by tourist in high season. And if you are in for some exceptional accommodation and don´t mind paying for it adequately for one night, go for the Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães. Pousadas are luxury hotels
made from historical buildings owned by the state and the one in Guimarães is their flagship. It is situated on the slope overlooking the city in an ancient monastery and it also has a beautiful park. In the reception they have a leaflet explaining what can be seen on the premises and its history.
Coimbra is a city in central Portugal and its university is one of the oldest in the world and looking not unlike Hogwarts 🙂
The old university premises can be visited and it is worth buying a combined ticket. The visit would then take about half a day and it is possible to climb the university clock tower for views, see the representative halls, St. Michael chapel and the masterpiece library Biblioteca Joanina. In the evening, the cosy little streets invite to wander around, have a beer or
a glass of wine, and listen to the famous fado music. Fado singers are exclusively male, graduate from the Coimbra university, singing alone or accompanied by classical guitar, both singer and guitarist dressed in typical academic black robe. Fado songs are sad, heartfelt and utterly beautiful.
