Leiria and the surrounding regions has been the hub of civilization of the area. The earliest settlements found in the region have been from the Turduli, an indigenous people of the Iberia. When the Romans conquered the region, they established a town named Collipo until they were driven out be the Moorish invasion. There is not much record of the occupation of the Visigoths but at the time of the Moors, Leiria was already a village with a garrison. The garrison of Leiria was liberated by the first King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques in 1135. This was the period called in Portuguese history as the Reconquista. In 1137 the Moors regained the village until 1140. In 1142, the town was fully liberated from Moorish occupation and in order to foster economic activity, the feudal system of foral was instituted in Leiria. In 1254, Dom Afonso III instituted the precursor of Portuguese parliament in history as he invited to Leiria members of the aristocracy and intelligentsia. The town reached its peak as King Dom Dinis improved the castle built in the area to become the royal residence for himself and Isabel de Aragon, his Queen. The castle stands as the crowning glory of Leiria. (more…)
Setubal is rich with history that dates back to the Roman era. It has been claimed that the town was found by a relative of Noah. The town has had a long and fruitful relationship with the sea that started in the first century AD. The town has a large protected harbor, being the third largest in Portugal. The high point of the town was in the Age of Discovery, as King Alfonso V set sail from its harbor on his way to conquer Alcacer Ceguer in Morocco. (more…)
When you emerge from Lisbon and cross the suspension bridge that crosses the Rio Tejo, you reach the roadway to Setubal. After traveling 40 kilometers, you take the turn towards Sesimbra and reach the Arrabida National Park. At this point, you have reached the westernmost point of Europe. This is the Serra da Arrabida, where the Atlantic Coast can be viewed from rugged cliffs with unspoilt water and vegetation. Sesimbra is located forty kilometers south of Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon. This simple fishing port sits at the foot of the Arrabida hills fronting a blue bay. The hills serve to protect the locale from the fierce northerly winds. Ever since the 1960’s, Sesimbra has seen a steady increase of local tourists staying for the weekend. The town has an easy going feel to it and is a great place to kick back and relax. (more…)
The municipality of Monchique was born when Roman settlers arrived in the Caldas de Monchique. The main reason for the establishment of the early settlement was the belief in the curative powers from the springs in and around the municipality. Over the years, the population increased and by the 16th century Monchique caught the eye of the then King of Portugal, King Sebastian, which sought to elevate it to the status of township. (more…)
The Alentejo province is located to the south of Rio Tejo. It is a region of wide plains and its capital is the city of Evora. The city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its wide and colourful past and the presence of many historical sites in the city. The city was once enclosed behind medieval walls that served as protector to the many houses built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The layout of these houses includes tile patios that have been whitewashed lining up the cobblestoned labyrinth streets with squares of bubbling fountains and many Moorish arches. The city is a huge showcase of the finest historical architecture in Portugal, with great and varied influences all throughout its long history. (more…)
The locale known as Braga was established by the early Celtic tribes that dominated the Iberian Peninsula until it was overrun by the Romans in 250 BC. The Romans named the town Bracara Augusta, which became the capital of the province of Gallaecia. The province stretched all the way into Spain. The town was the intersection of five Roman roads that made the town flourish due to commerce and trade. The Suevi invaded and overtook Braga in 410 AD until the Visigoth hordes led by Theodore II overthrew the Suevi sixty years later. The introduction of Christianity and the embrace of this religion by the Visigoths pushed Braga to Christendom’s forefront. An archbishopric was established in the next century in the town itself making it one of the foremost cities in the world for Christianity. (more…)
Castelo, or Viana do Castelo is located between the sea, the river and the mountains. The city is located on the Lima Estuary, surrounded by hills that can be pictured from atop a mountain, the Monte de Santa Luzia. The choices between the sandy beach with the differing horizons of the mountain and the Atlantic have become a haven for tourists and visitors alike throughout the years. (more…)
Located at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Salema is considered as Land’s End of Europe. The setting seems so, with vertical cliffs rising hundreds of feet from the ocean to a dry flatland. The town was considered as such before the Age of Discovery, led by Christopher Columbus’ historic voyage to the Far East. Followed by Prince Henry the Navigator, a school for maritime voyage was set up in the village of Sagres to prepare sailors for their voyages far into the unknown. (more…)
Quarteira is located twenty-three kilometers west of Faro and is 307 kilometers south east of Lisbon, the country’s capital. The climate of the locale is warm all throughout the year and has a coastline of beaches embracing the Atlantic. This was once a slow and sleepy village of fisher folk between the bustling cities of Albufeira and Faro. This was the in between haven of artists and locals trying to get away from the tourist populated areas beside the Quarteira. (more…)
Ferragudo is a small town on the Algarve that lives simply and is simply beautiful. The first settlement in the known area of Ferragudo was a fortified hamlet under the supervision and control of the nearby town of Silves. When the Moors invaded the Algarve, it also took possession of Ferragudo. Upon the liberation of the Algarve, Ferragudo was declared to be a town that prospered until the great earthquake of 1755 that left most of Portugal leveled. (more…)