Marvão perches on a granite crest high above the surrounding valleys. It commands a three-hundred-sixty-degree view that stretches all the way to the Portuguese border and beyond into Spain. The recorded history of Marvão dates back to the late 9th century when the Muwallad chieftain,…
Arraiolos cascades down a hillside dominated by a circular castle. In the spring, the surrounding landscape is a glorious patchwork of lush green grass and bright red wild poppies that turn their little faces toward the sparkling blue skies. The village is famous for its…
Amarante – an hour's drive from Porto – is an often-overlooked Portuguese gem. It rests on the banks of River Tâmega, which flows from Spain into the Douro. Trees caress the river with the tips of their branches, while Ponte de São Gonϛalo, a sturdy…
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…
