Guimarães is a fifty-five-kilometer (forty-five-minute) drive from Porto. This delightful medieval town, rich in Portuguese history, was voted the European Cultural Capital in 2012 and received World Heritage status in 2001 for being an exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval…
Arrived in Porto! Total chaos in the Old Town navigating a web of narrow roads jammed with traffic, searching for our hotel. Uncle Google announced you’ve arrived! The only problem was that the traffic was insane, and the name of the hotel was way up…
Coimbra, one of Portugal's oldest cities, is often referred to as Portugal's most romantic city, which would seem an exaggeration were it not connected to a romantic medieval love story. On the weekend we visited, however, it lived up to its romantic reputation. Praca 8…
Renowned for having the tallest waves in the world, Nazaré is a mecca for surfers who make a "pilgrimage" to experience waves that have been known to reach 30 meters – 98 feet in height. High-powered, brightly colored fishing boats bob out at sea and…
Aveiro, often called the Venice of Portugal, is a storybook town where canals wind among historical houses displaying Art Nouveau architecture while others are adorned with traditional patterned Portuguese tiles. Moliceiros boats, painted in bright primary colors, ply the canals gliding beneath the abundant bridges.…
On a cloudless spring day, we drove from Sintra to Obidos. Surrounded by protective medieval stone walls – Obidos sits on a hill commanding a countryside view. One enters this storybook town through two staggered gates designed to protect the town from storming invaders, a…
