The small city of Pombal is situated 50km southwest of Coimbra, halfway between Porto and Lisbon. The population is a mere 18,000, although there are 55,0000 people in the wider
Category: Portugal
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 6): Coimbra
Coimbra is a city of around 145,000 people, situated 125km south of Porto. A three-night stay there formed the second part of our trip to northern Portugal. Coimbra is Portugal’s
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 5): Foz do Douro
Foz is the district of Porto where the Douro flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It stretches northwards from the river mouth through an area that is notable for its lack
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 4): Vila Nova de Gaia
As previously mentioned, the urban area south of the Douro and opposite Porto is officially a separate city: Vila Nova de Gaia (“New Town of Gaia”), or simply Gaia. It’s
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 3): Porto
With a city population of 240,000 and a metropolitan area that is home to 1.7 million people, Porto is Portugal’s second city. Its ancient name, Portus Cale, may even be
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 2): The Douro Valley
Our second full day in northern Portugal was dedicated to another day trip. The Douro Valley is one of the world’s oldest winegrowing regions and is a UNESCO World Heritage
October 2020: Northern Portugal (Part 1): Arrival & Day Trip to Braga
Arrival Less than a week after getting back from Greece, it was nice to be off again, making hay while the sun was shining in this year of travel washout.