Category: Central Portugal

Latada Coimbra is one of Portugal’s wildest university traditions: black capes, tin cans, satire, fado and a history stretching back to the 1870s.

Home > Central Portugal Central Portugal · Take the slower road Central Portugal ItineraryMake room for more than the highlights Flexible routes for 3, 5, 7 or 10 days, connecting Coimbra with Roman ruins, schist villages, forest walks and the Atlantic coast. Start in CoimbraInto the mountainsHead for the coast By Carter Lowry · Portugal […]

Home > Central Portugal Central Portugal · Beyond the city Day Trips from CoimbraCastles, villages & a different kind of day out Roman ruins, mountain villages and Atlantic beaches. Choose the escape that fits your time, then work out how to get there. Roman historyMountain villagesA day at the coast By Carter Lowry · Portugal […]

Central Portugal · Firsthand Guide Coimbra Travel Guide What to see, where to stay, how to get around, what to eat, and how to experience Portugal’s former capital without rushing through it. Medieval streets, black academic capes, centuries-old university traditions and the Mondego River—all from the perspective of someone who actually lives in Coimbra. By […]

Home > Central Portugal Central Portugal · About 30 minutes from Coimbra Penela Castle Portugal: History, Medieval Festival and Visitor Guide I have returned to this hilltop fortress several times. The view from the valley first pulled me toward it; the history, atmosphere, and medieval fair kept giving me reasons to come back. Why Penela […]

By Carter | Originally published March 5, 2024 | Updated July 2026 The Buracas do Casmilo are one of the most unusual day trips from Coimbra, Portugal. Hidden in the limestone hills of the Serra de Sicó, this quiet valley contains enormous openings left behind by a collapsed cave system. Short walking routes let visitors […]