Center of Portugal

From Figueira da Foz with Europe’s best right to the gigantic waves of Nazaré and the absolutely perfect tubular waves of Peniche, there is a sea of possibilities to surf on.

The delightful town of Óbidos, with white houses adorned with bougainvilleas and honeysuckle was captured from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1148. D. Dinis later presented it to his wife, Queen Santa Isabel. From then until 1883, the town of Óbidos and the surrounding land was always the property of the queens of Portugal.

Distinct architecture, a Templar castle, 15th century doors and churches, Baroque gardens and manor houses belonging to families with Historical roots. If you visit Castelo Branco, the capital of “Beira Baixa”, you will see all this in a place which combines tradition and novelty.

Serra da Estrela Natural Park is an exceptional place. It expands over 101 thousand hectares distributed across six municipalities and it was the first natural park to be created in Portugal, also holding the record for the largest protected area in the country.

Alcobaça lies in the valleys of the Rivers Alcoa and Baça, which according to some authors is the origin of its name. It has also been suggested that it was the Arabic name of the place which was split to name the two rivers.

Fátima is one of the most spectacular religious sanctuaries of the world, a place of tranquility and the meeting point of Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodoxs, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and agnostics from the four corners of the world. Discover the history of this enchanting place of confinement and inner peace, as well as its most iconic spots!

They can be very small dots in the world map, but it was thanks to them that the fate of a country was changed. Strategically placed next to the Spanish border, Portugal’s historical villages are the work result of many generations of Kings who were concerned about territorial defence and decided to populate and fortify the area.

The town of Batalha developed alongside the Monastery of Santa Maria de Vitória, constructed in 1386 to keep a vow by Portuguese King Dom João I to the Virgin Mary that he would build it if Portugal defeated Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota on 14th August 1385.

If “Coimbra is a lesson”, as the popular fado song says, Coimbra is firstly a lesson of Portuguese History.

Known as the “Portuguese Venice”, the city is quietly dominated by the Ria de Aveiro, described by Saramago as “a living body that connects the land to the sea like a huge heart.”

Occupied since the Castro era, the History of Viseu is closely connected with the History of Portugal.