Destination notes
Elvas has been shot at, starved out and surrounded by Spanish troops. But not once did the largest fortified town in Europe fall to the Spanish – and they tried to take it four times. History…
Évora is one of my absolute favourite places in Portugal. I make a point to visit the sun-drenched capital of the Alentejo region at least once a year. It’s only a 90-minute drive or direct train…
As overtourism has etched away parts of the soul and culture of Lisbon and Porto, Braga remains at its core a traditional Portuguese city. It’s a lively, gorgeous destination with plenty of history, baroque architecture, contemporary…
The first time I visited Estremoz it was bucketing rain. I was trying not to slip on the tessellated marble pavement on the short walk between the car and the tasca. We were on our way…
Porto, the Invicta City (unvanquished), is a historic hash of granite streets and tall skinny buildings that lead down to the winding Douro River. While Lisbon is golden and sun-drenched, Porto is more moody and romantic.…
You won’t see the inside of Coimbra’s most stunning building on this blog, or almost anywhere. So concerned is the leadership of Portugal’s oldest — and for hundreds of years only — university with protecting the…