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Coimbra district |
Eat and sleep
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Personal notes
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Other opinions
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My favorites:
*** Not to be missed: Coimbra ** Very interesting Conimbriga Piódão Aldeias de Xisto * Interesting: Figueira da Foz Lousã With time: Arganil, Avô, Coja |
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Famous for the dramatic roads across the forests that are the highlights of Portuguese rally, this remote city gathers some of the most preserved natural landscapes (now severely damaged by the fires in 2017).
Hard to reach because of the difficult winding roads, it is not a common destination for those who don't appreciate car racing. I´m one of those... |
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S. Pedro chapel
The oldest monument in Arganil is this small chapel, located at the north entrance of town. It was built in the 13th century, and it was designed for the funerary chapel of the owners, which would not happen (they were buried in Santarém). The interior remains undressed, reason why the visit (only possible asking the key to the keeper) has a reduced interest. The most curious is its construction in loose stones, with local origin, only using masonry in the arches and wedges. |
Coimbra
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The capital of romance, Coimbra has much to show to the visitors. The library of the University is something not to be missed, and, if your visit coincides with any student event, then, be prepared... life is a feast! Standing halfway between Lisbon and Porto, it is common to make Coimbra an overnight stop. |
Coja
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I was taken to Coja by some friends, in a trip across the central area of Portugal.
I must confess that I had passed there more than a dozen times without stopping. Not anymore. Coja became a perfect place for a break in any kind of trips in the area, and, next time, I know what to search for, and where. |
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Historic beach This is the most popular beach in central Portugal, but i must confess that all my several visits took hours or minutes. Why? Because for bathing we have better south of it, and the other reasons that took me there were circunstancial. |
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Views of the beach A very wide stripe of sand, lined with a few hotels, and a casino to forget the cold water. It's cosmopolitan, but I must confess that it never attracted me too much, and I never entered the water there, however, the views from Cabo Mondego are awesome. |
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The pillory Sign of authority in the middle ages, pillories are a common monument in most Portuguese small cities. Figueira da Foz is no exception, and the pillory stands in evidence. |
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Lousã is a small town in central Portugal, with a natural beauty, but out of the main tourist circuits, being a good destination to the seekers of nature.
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Arouce Castle This small castle, with lots of history since the 11th century, was ruined by a legend that said there were treasures hidden on it. Declared a national monument in 1910, it as been object of several recuperation, becoming, today, an interesting visit, in forested and cool hills. |
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Piedade Chapel Located close to the castle, this small chapel is the result of a recuperation, done in the 19th century, of a very old ruin. |
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Almost natural pool A simple and smart device in a river by the castle was used to make an artificial pool, in a natural environment, with a natural look. We found it open and empty, but got an idea how pleasant it may become in the hot summer days. |
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Alameda Carlos Reis Inside town, we saw a park with some facilities and a small luna park, but our goal was the castle and didn't stop. |
Piódão
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Piódão is so remote and hard to reach that its visit demands, at least four hours from Coimbra. However, it is so beautiful that, if you have the needed time, a car, and guts to face the narrow winding roads, you should consider the visit. Piódão is a lost gem, something tight to the past, preserved by and for tourism. A Must see, indeed! |
Talasnal (Aldeias de Xisto - Shale villages)
A wide project s helping the recuperation of 28 isolated villages in the remote center of Portugal. Spread in wonderful landscape, the reconstruction respects traditional architecture, and the sometimes terrific access is being modernized. For being one of the most beautiful, more advanced in recuperation and easy to access, Talasnal is, maybe the number one of those villages.
Useful information is published in Aldeias do Xisto (unfortunately only in Portuguese)
Useful information is published in Aldeias do Xisto (unfortunately only in Portuguese)