Well; let`s assume a start-point of Coimbra (“Queenborough”), see below, the academic and ancient Capital of Portugal and modern centre for a University with an incredibly strong medical tradition – a proximity and excellence of available health care which might have influenced your choice of location. If you do visit (preferably as an independent day-trip), be sure to visit the old centre of the city. First-time visitors might want to see the University quadrangle, the Student’s Union (bar!), the downtown shopping / pedestrian centre, and the Mondego river – bridges and barges. The former Royal Palace and grounds at Luso, a tad further North, are a favourite tourist destination.
After that, to the North you`re really into the bigger industrialised Cities typical of European topography. Porto, of course or more traditionally Oporto <”O porto”, two words, is straightforward Portuguese for “the port”, and that`s exactly what we`re talking about; not only, but ultimately for the shipping of Port!> Porto is the biggest, the bustliest and certainly the busiest. Well worth a visit.
But there`s also Aveiro -with its` centre-piece canals- Braga, Guimares, and many others such as Penafiel - in the latter case, featuring an Autumn `chestnuts and strong liquor` fair!
In the South of the region is the sizable metropolis of Leiria (“Lay-ree-ah”). A visit here will be rewarded by a large and vibrant town centre, a castle, yet another eye-catching soccer stadium, and a Shopping Centre, to name but a few attractions. As always, despite the bustle, the town is relaxed, clean and tidy AND has an historic and charming central Youth Hostel.
Alternatively there is also a castle, along with some very good restaurants (a question of timing your ETAs!) in Pombal. Very much a local market-town it doubles as a hub within the sizable district, so it has one of pretty well everything.
As before, futher `out` is a whole range of special-interest and historic towns - or seaside resorts if you care to transit the westerly hop to the Atlantic!
Consider Batalha, Fatima, Alcobaca, Caldas de Reinha, Peniche, Nazare, Obidos etc., etc. There will be something both new to you and spectacular.
East is inland, ultimately for the Spanish border. The further you head into the backbone of this Central region get ready for much less habitation, hills, even mountains, and trees, hectares and hectares of pine forest!
Amongst the interesting towns `off piste` are Penela, small but picturesque, and built around a rocky outcrop, topped out with a sight-salving castle -from the ramparts of which the panoramic views are both extensive and impressive. Adjoining buildings are now converted to council offices etc., and the town itself spreads out below.
The more direct route, though, East is through Condeixa (-a-Novo, often omitted), itself a fairly typical, fairly featureless, but definitely improving town about 25miles NorthEast of Lourical, just about as far South as the Romans ever moved here en masse and the reference point for the active excavation site of CONIMBRIGA, open to visitors and described in any decent guide book. Fascinating mosaics and the remains of a Governor’s Palace, but in truth worthy of and needing a sizeable investment of time to be appreciated.
Either way, further on lies Miranda do Corvo, a beautiful, tranquil market town, combining old-world charm with modern buildings and (apparent) efficiency, certainly in terms of facilities. The river transiting as a canal feature holds the smallish centre together. Close-by is Lousa an early Brit settling hole (and like Miranda, a dormitory town for Coimbra, 30Km away).
The drive between Lousa and Coimbra is itself one of the most magnificent of lazy valley drives in the area. A description would be meaningless, try it!
The main alternative route back from up country (Lousa) involves transitting the Serra de Lousa and visiting Figuera dos Vinhos and/or Castanha de Pera –where a sizable and Butlinesque river beach is the showpiece feature.
As mentioned, the West is dominated by the Atlantic and an assortment of fishing and summer-seaside beaches and variously-sized resorts. We should include Figuera de Foz in this section. Commonly known simply as “Foz”, this is the locals` equivalent of Blackpool. As with practically the entire coastline, Foz features a marvellously long and wide beach, and for the month of August positively heaves with humanity, mostly though not exclusively Portuguese. Throughout the rest of the year - same facilities, but largely devoid of people, bar weekends in the better weather.
Once again, the basic attraction after the beach and beach facilities would normally be the second-to-none (locally) selection of shops & goods, beginning with the Municipal Market: close beside which a visitor could hardly fail to be impressed the `Sporting` Club Restaurant, the marina, space, the beach, and the main road bridge towering over the Mondego river. Prevailing Westerly winds, yes, but with five or six miles of strand, pretty well deserted except for as above, who cares? The explanation to the riddle is presumably that, at 100-odd miles from either Porto or Lisbon airports, Foz is only really on the tourist trail for Portuguese – and it has to compete with numerous smaller, but equally spacious developed seashores on either side.
Being anywhere close to Foz makes it eminently sensible to divert via Montemor(-o-Velho) – raising the term `castle` to a whole new level. A Zoo, and an Olympic rowing course are also in the vicinity! In point of fact, regardless of whether the rivers themselves still exist, a major feature of the locality is the preponderance of wide valley and river (flood) plains – presumably because of the nature of the soil and the regular torrents of rain-tides, but upon which considerable quantities of rice are produced!
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