Travel Guides - Portugal

Loulé: The Market Where Craftspeople Refuse to Disappear

On Rua da Barbacã, five coppersmiths still hammer copper by hand. At the Casa da Empreita, Maria Odete Rocha has been weaving palm since age seven. Loulé's 1908 Municipal Market anchors a craft tradition that refuses to become a museum piece.

Pedro Sousa · 13 Apr 2026 · Loulé

Guide

Vila Viçosa: Five Day Trips Worth Extending Your Stay

Vila Viçosa is the perfect base for exploring central Alentejo. From Borba 10 minutes away to Portalegre an hour north, these five day trips cover marble quarries, centuries-old markets, UNESCO fortresses, and the region's most underrated mountain range.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Vila Viçosa

Guide

Vila Viçosa: Where to Stay to Match Your Style

Vila Viçosa has three distinct zones to stay in: the monumental center by the Ducal Palace, the medieval Castle hill, and the outskirts with marble hotels and rural estates. Each offers a different version of the Alentejo, and the choice completely changes the experience.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Vila Viçosa

Guide

Five Day Trips from Vila Viçosa Worth the Drive

From Borba to Monsaraz, Estremoz to Elvas: five day trips from Vila Viçosa that show the best of inland Alentejo. With transport tips, markets and wine.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Vila Viçosa

Guide

Vila Viçosa Has No Beach. That's the Point.

Vila Viçosa has no beach, and that's exactly why it's the perfect summer destination. Less than 30 minutes away, the Alqueva's river beaches offer warm water, Blue Flag quality, and almost nobody around. While the Algarve suffocates, inland Alentejo breathes.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Vila Viçosa

Guide

Vila Viçosa: A Festival Calendar Worth Planning Around

Vila Viçosa packs a festival calendar that runs from convent pastry fairs in January to 150-year-old bull runs in September, with Renaissance reenactments and independence ceremonies at the exact palace where it all happened. Here's when to go and what to expect.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Vila Viçosa

Guide

Peso da Régua in May: Vines, River, No Crowds

May is the Douro's secret month: vines bursting green, estates without queues, and restaurants with open tables. Peso da Régua offers everything a beach can't: green terraces, wine by the glass for €3, and the quiet of a valley that hasn't woken up for summer yet.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Peso da Régua

Guide

Arcos de Valdevez: A Romanesque Architecture Route Worth the Drive

Arcos de Valdevez has five Romanesque monuments scattered across villages where two cars can barely pass. From Ermelo to Távora, a route for those who prefer 12th-century capitals to tourist queues.

Pedro Sousa · 12 Apr 2026 · Arcos de Valdevez

Guide

Ribeira Brava with Kids: The No-Nonsense Guide

Ribeira Brava has no water parks or bouncy castles. It has a beach with free pools, a museum kids won't hate, and black scabbard fish with fried banana. Sometimes, that's all a family needs.

Pedro Sousa · 11 Apr 2026 · Ribeira Brava

Guide

Ribeira Brava: What Stays After the Tour Buses Leave

Most visitors pass through Ribeira Brava in forty-five minutes flat. But this is one of Madeira's oldest settlements, home to a church with Brussels-exhibited art, a distillery turned ethnographic museum, and the best glass of poncha on the island just ten minutes up the road.

Pedro Sousa · 11 Apr 2026 · Ribeira Brava

Guide

Ribeira Brava: Where the Locals Actually Eat

In Ribeira Brava, a full lunch with espetada, milho frito, and poncha costs half what you'd pay in Funchal. This guide covers where the locals actually eat, from the municipal market to the seafront.

Pedro Sousa · 11 Apr 2026 · Ribeira Brava

Guide

Costa Vicentina in May: Beja's Coast Before the Crowds

In May, the Costa Vicentina is still green, the beaches are nearly empty, and the restaurants haven't doubled their prices yet. It's the best window of the year to walk the Rota Vicentina, eat grilled fish without queues, and discover Beja's coastline at your own pace.

Pedro Sousa · 11 Apr 2026 · Beja

Guides to discover Portugal

Keep exploring

Loulé: The Market Where Craftspeople Refuse to Disappear

Vila Viçosa: Five Day Trips Worth Extending Your Stay

Vila Viçosa: Where to Stay to Match Your Style

Five Day Trips from Vila Viçosa Worth the Drive

Vila Viçosa Has No Beach. That's the Point.

Vila Viçosa: A Festival Calendar Worth Planning Around

Peso da Régua in May: Vines, River, No Crowds

Arcos de Valdevez: A Romanesque Architecture Route Worth the Drive

Ribeira Brava with Kids: The No-Nonsense Guide

Ribeira Brava: What Stays After the Tour Buses Leave

Ribeira Brava: Where the Locals Actually Eat

Costa Vicentina in May: Beja's Coast Before the Crowds