The second largest city in Portugal – Porto – has always been a historic mercantile city and till today, is a busy industrial and commercial centre. Located in the north, Porto is not too far from Lisbon – only two and a half hours by train – and yet theRead More
Read more
Throughout my 4-day visit to Lisbon last year, I stayed with a friend in a suburb called Odivelas which was a twenty-minute commute by metro to the city centre. I didn’t spend time researching on where to stay, and so, I have no personal recommendations or reviews on accommodations inRead More
Read more
Catholics around the world have heard about Fátima in Portugal as it is one of the major pilgrimage centres in Europe, after Lourdes in France. Fátima is a small non-descript town of 8,000 people but the town swells with millions of devotees arriving for the annual pilgrimage seasons of 12-13Read More
Read more
Sintra is a picturesque town on the foothills of Serra de Sintra and is known for its medieval palaces and whimsical castles which were homes to Portugal’s monarchs and are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. Sintra is a popular destination for day-trippers from Lisbon as its distance is only 25kmRead More
Read more
When it comes to choosing the right hotel accommodation, it is a matter of three things: affordability, facilities and location. Luxury hotels might be out of reach for some of us which then leaves us with boutique and budget hotels or hostels. Boutique hotels are springing up like mushrooms inRead More
Read more
Halfway between Lisbon and Porto in the central region of Portugal is a medieval city called Coimbra. Perched on a hill overlooking the Mondego River, Coimbra (pronounced as kweembra) flourished under Moorish rule for over 300 years until the Christians ousted them in the 11th century. Coimbra was the medievalRead More
Read more
Portugal has never been viewed as an exciting European holiday destination until recently. Previously overshadowed by major players of European tourism such as France, Germany and Italy, Portugal – or rather its capital city, Lisbon – has had been a short detour for most tourists travelling in Spain. But LisbonRead More
Read more