Peniche is found in the Western Portuguese region, approximately 90 km north of Lisbon. With its Mediterranean climes, the hot summers and the mild winters are constant weather patterns with low amounts of rain peppered throughout the year. Peniche on the other hand experiences the lowest temperature all year round because of the sea. Peniche is a beachfront community and city in Portugal with a population of over 28,000 in an area covering 78 square kilometers. The city is composed of six parishes namely Ajuda, Atouguia de Baleia, Conceicao, Ferrel, Sao Pedro and Serra d’El-Rei. There are two main areas of Peniche is the city proper and the seaside community of Baleal. (more…)
Coimbra Portugal is one of the oldest cities in the central area of Portugal. The city was the very first capital of Portugal and is situated in an area overlooking the river Montego. The main part of the city is the Universidade de Coimbra, which was established in the 13th century. These are not the only sites available for tourists in the city but there are so much more to offer. (more…)
Many have extolled the virtues of Sintra in the region of Extremadura in Portugal. Over the ages, writers, poets and travelers have showered praise on the beauty and natural virtue of the borough throughout history. One of the earliest writings about the region was made by the Arab geographer Al-Bacr then later by the literary poets Luis de Camoes and Lord Byron. Lord Byron has described as “the most pleasing in Europe” because of its history, environs and archaeological aesthetics. The poet Afonso Lopes Vieira described Sintra in these words, “In all the land of Portugal, the whole expanse of Europe, Sintra stands out as one of the loveliest, rarest places that Nature’s prodigious hand has created.” The English poet Robert Southey declares Sintra as “the most bless spot on the whole inhabitable gold.” Now it is one of the must go to places when you are in Portugal for a getaway or to start a new life again. (more…)
Alentejo is located in the south central region in Portugal. The original name is Alem-Tejo that is translated into either “beyond the Tagus” or “across the Tagus”. This large region is separated from mainland Portugal by the Tagus River extending far into the southern region towards the Algarve. The region is further divided into sub-regions namely the Alto Alentejo or High Region, The Baixo Alentejo or Lower Region, the Alentejo Central, the Alentejo Litoral and Leziria do Tejo. There are two mountain ranges in the region that are its highest peaks, namely Sao Mamede and Osa. Also located in the region is the Guadiana, the largest river in all of Portugal that acts as a natural border between the two countries on the Iberian Peninsula. (more…)
Praia da Rocha means Rock Beach in Portuguese. The hottest place in Portugal is a quick fifty-minute drive from Faro and is located between Portimao and Alvor. What was initially a quiet peaceful town became a boomtown resort in the early 1960s with the opening of the Faro International Airport and the popularity of the Algarve’s beachfront climate. The development of Praia da Rocha went full swing in the 1970s with the real estate development in the area. The beachfront was also extended when the nearby estuary was dredged up and the sand was pumped out and transferred to the beachfront area to create the best beaches in the region. (more…)
Lagos is a city found at the mouth of the Bensafrim River along the Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the popular Algarve region of Portugal particularly in the locale known as Barlavento or windward side. The city is thirty-five kilometers east of Sagres Point and up north is the way to Silves, the original capital of the Algarve. (more…)
Tavira is a city in Portugal located on the eastern end of the Algarve. The region of Algarve is located on the southern tip of Portugal, exactly thirty kilometers east of Faro. It is on the shores of Tavira that the River Gilao meets up with the Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the area known as Tavira measures 607.17 square kilometers, with a population of more than 25,000 known inhabitants. (more…)
Praia de Carvoeiro or more formally known as Carvoeiro is a civil parish in the municipality of Lagoa in the Algarve. The freguesia is five kilometers south of the main city of the region and measures 14.12 square kilometers in area. It was elevated to town status in 2001 and is conveniently located thirty minutes from Faro International Airport. (more…)
Located in the famed Algarve region of Portugal, Monte Gordo remained pristine and undisturbed until the 1960s when small hotels were being built on the area. Geopolitically, Monte Gordo is part of the town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio with its closest localities being Sao Avamonte and Tavira. Monte Gordo’s allure stems from its rich Portuguese history and the common border it shares with Spain. (more…)
Madeira is one of the most beautiful places in Portugal. The total land area of the archipelago is 828 square kilometers with a population of 245,806. There are four islands in the Madeiras, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island as the only inhabited isles. The other two are volcanic islands, Las Desertas and Las Salvagens, which are uninhabitable. The archipelago is located 360 miles from the nearest coast of Africa, 535 miles from the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, 230 miles from the Gran Canaria and 480 miles from Santa Maria of the Azores. (more…)