Portugal Visitor Guide

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Apresentacao Aveiro

Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Apresentação, Aveiro

The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Apresentação in Aveiro is a pretty church in the historic center of the city.

History

The original church dates back to the early 17th century. It was begun in 1606 and completed ten years later in 1616. It is thought the church was built over a chapel originally dedicated to São Gonçalo (Gundisalvus of Amarante).

However, much of the present church including the azulejos tiles on the front of the building date from the 18th century.

Outside the church stands a statue of John the Evangelist.

Interior

The interior is noted for its magnificent gilded woodwork especially on its two altarpieces, one dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Apresentação and the other to Jesus the Saviour.

On the side walls are two more gilded shrines, one to Senhora da Luz ('Our Lady of Light') and the other to the Cruz do Senhor do Bendito ('The Cross of the Lord of the Blessed').

One statue of note is a Gothic alabaster Virgin made in Nottingham, England.

Access - Getting There

Largo da Apresentação, 3800-270 Aveiro

The main festival of the church is on February 2 and is dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Apresentação (Our Lady of the Presentation).

A church of the same name stands in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Other places of Aveiro include the Aveiro Congress Center, housed in a former ceramics factory, the Fabrica de Ceramica de Jeronymo Periera Campos and the superb Museu de Aveiro.

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Mercado Municipal de Lagos

Mercado Municipal de Lagos

The Mercado Municipal de Lagos (Lagos Municipal Market) in Lagos is situated right on the waterfront close to the Centro de Ciencia Viva Lagos.

Lagos Municipal Market

The historic building, which dates from 1924 is a fun place to shop for local produce and to soak up an authentic Algarve atmosphere.

The fish market is on the ground floor and opens very early in the morning. The market also sells local fruit and vegetables, cheese, honey, meat, wine, and olive oil.

Many of the stallholders speak good English and can help you with your purchases. There's a small cafe/bar on the premises, too.

The building's south wall is covered with tile panels by the artist Xana.

Interior of the Mercado Municipal with the staircase leading to the upper floors and the Ciencia Viva Lagos with tile panels by Xana

Access - Getting There

Avenida dos Descobrimentos
8600-668 Lagos
Tel: 282 767 330

Hours: daily from 7 am - 2 pm.

The building is on three floors with pedestrian access to the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos from the top floor.

Lagos Municipal Market

Portugal's Beaches Reopen Today

Portugal's Beaches Reopen Today

Portugal has a long Atlantic coastline stretching from Viana do Castelo in the north near the Spanish border to Vila Real de Santo Antonio on the Algarve in the south of the country.

Portugal's beaches draw hundreds of thousands of people each year but have been recently closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, today, Saturday, June 6, Portugal's beaches will reopen - but with certain social distancing and other conditions in place.

Some of these regulations are:

A physical distance of 1.5 meters between people (who are not part of the same group) must be maintained

There should be a 2 - 3 meter spacing between parasols.

Sports activities with two or more people such as beach volleyball and soccer are prohibited except nautical activities, such as surf lessons and similar sports.

Parking is prohibited outside parks and orderly parking areas.

In bars and restaurants, there must be regular cleaning of spaces (minimum: four daily cleanings).

For beach sellers, there is the mandatory use of a mask and visor.

To emphasize the point Minister of Environment, Pedro Matos Fernandes was on one of the beaches on the Costa da Caparica, south of Lisbon, where he appealed to the common sense of holidaymakers in complying with the established rules.

The minister added that the much maligned Info Praia app should be fully functional from today.

Info Praia App

Museu das Termas Romanas de Chaves

Museu das Termas Romanas de Chaves

The Museu das Termas Romanas de Chaves in Chaves in northern Portugal will be when or if it finally opens, a museum dedicated to what is thought to be the remains of the largest Roman baths on the Iberian Peninsula. The medicinal Roman spa can be compared in importance and size with those in Bath in England and Vichy in France.

The nearly 2,000-year-old complex was discovered in 2006 during the construction work for an underground car park.

Excavations have revealed a large main pool, a secondary pool, and a complex system of pipes for transporting the waters and for drainage.

The baths are thought to have been destroyed during an earthquake and lost to history until the 21st century. Chaves was founded by the Romans as Aquae Flaviae in AD78 and the 140 meter-long Ponte Trajano (Trajan Bridge) dates from the reign of Emperor Trajan in the early second century AD.

The exterior of the museum was completed (though not without criticism by a percentage of the town's inhabitants) but the interior suffers from the problem of condensation generated by the still active thermal springs. Plans were drawn up to increase natural ventilation and use the hot water to heat the building in winter as the costs of the project and the delays mounted.

The Covid-19 pandemic also delayed proceedings but the museum is hoping to launch sometime in 2020 or maybe 2021. Watch this space.

Access - Getting There

Rua Longras 26, 5400-355 Chaves

A recommended place to stay in Chaves is the Petrus Hotel and to eat and drink visit the Adega Faustino.

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Restaurants on Estrada de Santa Eulalia Albufeira

Restaurants on Estrada de Santa Eulalia Albufeira

Estrada de Santa Eulalia in Albufeira just north of Praia Santa Eulália is lined with restaurants, hotels and also has a branch of the local tourist office (turismo).

Happy Sumo

There's a variety of eateries to choose from including traditional Portuguese cuisine to British and Irish comfort food, authentic Indian, Japanese (read Chinese imitation), halal at Rania's and Italian pizzerias.

For a British home from home try Little Britain for English breakfast, Sunday lunch, and even veggie options. There's lots of outdoor seating, too.

Little Britain

Sushi Hut seems to be no longer in business

For some excellent Italian pizza and pasta try Paulu's Pizzeria. They have a good value tourist menu in the early evening, recommended pizza as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Paulu's Pizzeria

Most "Japanese" restaurants in Portugal with a few notable exceptions are in fact Chinese restaurants masquerading as Japanese. So don't expect Land of the Rising Sun authenticity at Happy Sumo. That said, you can enjoy a cheap Asian fusion experience, and all you can eat sushi.

Fuji also falls into this category. It's Chinese, not Japanese. Again the food is what Europeans who have never been to either China or Japan consider East Asian and has good reviews for its Teppanyaki and sushi. There's a large concrete torii gate outside so you can't miss the place.

Fuji

When we were last on Estrada de Santa Eulalia we had Portuguese food at Zé do Peixe Assado. Excellent grilled sardines, boiled potatoes, tomato and onion salad, bread and a carafe of white wine. Bliss! All you can eat fish.

If you want to stay on the street try the recommended Muthu Oura Praia Hotel.

Muthu Oura Praia Hotel

Teatro Municipal de Bragança

Teatro Municipal de Bragança

The Teatro Municipal de Bragança is housed in a striking new building on the outskirts of Bragança close to the bus station.

The theater was inaugurated in 2004 and stages a variety of performances including drama, dance, concerts, and cinema. The cuboid, glass, and concrete building was designed by Portuguese architect Filipe Oliveira Dias to fit into a square of 1950's Estado Novo architecture.

Access - Getting There

Praça do Prof. Cavaleiro de Ferreira
5300-252 Bragança, Portugal
Tel: 273 302 740
www: facebook.com/teatromunicipalbraganca

Other cultural institutions in Bragança include the Military Museum within the town's castle and the Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança.

São Gonçalo de Lagos

São Gonçalo de Lagos

São Gonçalo de Lagos (1360-1422) lived in the 14th and 15th centuries and is an important religious figure in the town of his birth, Lagos in the Algarve. He is the patron saint of the city.

He spent most of his adult life as a monk in a monastery in Torres Vedras, ministering to the poor. He was beatified by Pope Pius VI in 1798.

A son of a fishing family in Lagos he is especially venerated by fisherfolk in the town.

A statue of the saint by locally-born artist Tolentino Abegoaria stands on the Avenida dos Descobrimentos near Lagos fort Castelo de Lagos. One of the gates to the Castelo de Lagos is called St. Gonçalo's Gate and the castle contains a shrine in the saint's honor. The Hospital São Gonçalo de Lagos is also named after him. It is 2 km west of the city center and has a 24 hour A&E.

Another famous statue in Lagos is that of Henry the Navigator.

Henry the Navigator

Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança

Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança

Edificio Sede

The Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança is split between two buildings - the Edifício Sede and Casa da Seda.

The Edificio Sede is a modern building that was built on the site of the old hydroelectric power station, which utilized the waters of the River Fervença to produce energy for the city from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1960s. The Casa da Seda is located in a restored building that was once a grain mill powered by the river and was also used for silk dyeing.

Casa da Seda

The Trás-os-Montes region in general and Bragança, in particular, were centers of silk production which is a major focus of the museum. There were once around 200 dye shops on the banks of the river that would discolor the river with their dyes.

Centro Ciência Viva de Bragança has lots of fun, hands-on exhibits, and audio-visuals that appeal to young children. Many of them on the subject of renewable energy, another subject covered in depth at the museum.

Many cities in Portugal have a Centro Ciência Viva (Live Science Center).

Lagos has a Centro Ciência Viva as does Guimarães, where the Ciência Centro Ciência Viva de Guimarães is housed in a former tannery.

Often housed in historic buildings, they are usually aimed at parties of school children but are a lot of fun for adults to visit, too.

Centro Ciência Viva also often focus on local industries, such as leather in the case of Guimarães and silk production and renewable energy as here in Bragança.

Access - Getting There

Casa da Seda: Rua dos Batoques
n.º 25, 5300-091 Bragança

Tel: 273 382 207
www: braganca.cienciaviva.pt

Hours

Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 6 pm;
Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays 11 am - 7 pm;
Closed on Monday (Last admission half an hour before closing).

The Center is closed to the public on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.

Adult - € 2.50
Student, Youth Card - € 1.50
Family ticket (2 adults + children) - € 5.00
Children (up to 6 years) - € 1.00
Teacher - 2,00 €
Senior (> 65) - € 1.50
Disabled citizen - € 1.00

The Teatro Municipal de Bragança is another city-run cultural institution in the town.

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Bolas de Berlim

Bolas de Berlim

Visitors to Portugal with a sweet tooth probably all know about Lisbon's Pastel de Nata most famously produced at Pasteis de Belem in the Belem district of the capital.

A Bola de Berlim goes great with coffee in the morning for that early sugar burst

Another favorite Portuguese pastry is Bola de Berlim - Portugal's super sweet take on the Berliner doughnut (Berliner Pfannkuchen).

The story goes that the recipe was brought to Portugal by Jews fleeing Hitler's Germany. However, the original red fruit filling (usually berries) was replaced with Portugal's own egg-based doce de ovos.

The dough is sliced horizontally, filled with doce de ovos, and sprinkled with fine sugar. Bolas de Berlim are on sale in most cafes and can even be found being hawked on Portugal's beaches.

Some of the best Bolas de Berlim are said to be found in and around Viana do Castelo. The one pictured is from Aveiro and was just great.

Related

Ovos Moles

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Ovos Moles de Aveiro

Ovos Moles de Aveiro

Ovos Moles de Aveiro is a local sweet from Aveiro. Ovos Moles ("soft eggs") is made of egg yolks and sugar.

The fillings are put inside rice paper in various shapes depending on the mould. In the above image, they are fish and shells, which is common due to the city's nautical heritage.

Local cafes, confectionary shops (pastelarias), and supermarkets in Aveiro will all stock Oves Moles.

History

Oves Moles were first made in various convents by nuns up until the dissolution of Portugal's religious orders in 1834. The nuns used egg whites to starch their habits and so as not to waste the yolks began making Oves Moles.

Production was continued by local women who had been educated in convents.

Oves Moles was the first Portuguese confectionery product to obtain Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) from the European Union in 2006.

A variation, ovos-moles pretos are made with a chocolate casing.

Oficina de Doce at 23 Rua de Joao Mendonca (Tel: 234 098 840) is a pastry shop where you can learn the secret of making Oves Moles. A tour includes a short film and a hands-on demonstration with tastings.

www: facebook.com/oficinadoce

Another great Portuguese pastry is Bolas de Berlim.

Hotels in Aveiro

Hotel Melia Ria

Veneza Hotel

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Supermarkets in Portugal

Supermarkets in Portugal

Supermarkets (supermercados) in Portugal are pretty similar to their counterparts in the rest of Europe. Indeed some of the chains are pan-European.

The largest supermarket chains include Continente, Intermarché (French-owned), Pingo Doce and Lidl (German-owned). Continente and Pingo Doce are the two largest Portuguese-owned supermarkets. Pingo Doce has over 400 stores across the country.

El Corte Inglés is a Spanish-owned department store that usually has a supermarket as part of its stores.

What to look out for?

Portuguese supermarkets stock a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, wine, beer, and of course, bacalhau, salted cod.

Opening hours are usually around 8 am to 8 pm, though some larger stores stay open later, especially in the summer.

Supermarkets on the Algarve may also stock a range of foods and drinks catering to a large number of French, German and British ex-pats. The Albufeira Retail Park just outside Albufeira even has a branch of the UK Iceland chain.

Most supermarkets in Portugal will also stock a range of foodstuffs suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Supermarket sign on the Algarve

Bacalhau on sale at a supermarket in Portugal

Many larger supermarkets tend to be out of town and people often drive there to shop. The crowded downtown areas of both Lisbon and Porto are still home to traditional shops and mini mercados (convenience stores), however.

The SPAR and Mini Preço (Express) chains bridge the gap of small supermarkets and convenience stores and can be found in the crowded areas of both Ribeira in Porto and Alfama in Lisbon.

Beer on sale at a supermarket in Portugal.

Supermarkets are a great place to stock up on cheap drinks

University of Minho (Universidade do Minho)

The University of Minho (Universidade do Minho)

The University of Minho (Universidade do Minho) is split between the cities of Braga and Guimarães in northern Portugal.

Campus of Azurém, in Guimarães

Campuses

There are 4 campuses; 3 in Braga and 1 in Guimarães. These are the Largo do Paço in Braga, the Campus of Gualtar, (Braga), the Convento dos Congregados, (Braga) and the Campus of Azurém, in Guimarães.

Campus of Azurém, in Guimarães

The university was founded in 1973 and has along 19,000 students, many of them studying on post-graduate courses.

Faculties include Architecture, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Psychology, Social Sciences and Economics and Management.

University of Minho (Universidade do Minho)

Access - Getting There

Largo do Paço
4704-553 Braga
Tel: 253 601 100; 253 601 109
www: uminho.pt

Bus 31 stops at the Guimarães campus.

José Maria da Fonseca Azeitão

José Maria da Fonseca, Azeitão

The José Maria de Fonseca table wine company in Azeitão near Setubal, south of Lisbon, dates from 1834.

The company is the oldest table wine company in Portugal.

Visitors can enjoy tours of the winery and tastings. The tours take in the house and garden as well as a visit to the cellar where huge vats of wine can be admired.

There is also a shop on the premises to purchase wine, cheese, and other local products. In summer there are tours from 10 am until noon and then from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

In winter the tours end at 4.30 pm. The house was once the family home of the Fonseca family and behind the house is the lovely garden complete with rare flowers and vines.

The outside of the Casa-Museu José Maria de Fonseca is decorated with some impressive azulejos and some large, black wine barrels marked with the company stamp.

Access - Getting There

Quinta da Bassaqueira - Estrada Nacional 10
2925-511 Vila Nogueira de Azeitao, Setubal
Tel: 351 212 197 500
www: facebook.com/josemariadafonseca

Azeitão is known not just for its excellent wines but also for its unusual runny cheese and some superb, historic fountains.

Ciencia Viva Lagos

Centro de Ciencia Viva Lagos

The Centro de Ciencia Viva Lagos is a fun science museum in Lagos on the Algarve aimed mainly at children.

The focus of the main exhibition ("From Astrolabe to GPS") is on Lagos' role as a major port in the Age of Discovery. The exhibition is hands-on and fun and incorporates robots, drones, and other high-tech items to appeal to young and old alike.

Communication was essential at sea and the exhibits feature astrolabes, ships' radios, and basic Morse code.

Other features about life at sea include ropes and knots, lighthouses and in the Boat Garden you can see model caravels in a tank.

Access - Getting There

Rua Dr. Faria e Silva 34
Lagos
Portugal 8600-734
Tel: 282 770 000
www: lagos.cienciaviva.pt

Hours: 10 am - 6 pm

Admission: the center is free for kids under six with a small charge for older children and adults.

The center also holds regular workshops and field trips.

Interior of the Mercado Municipal with the staircase leading to the upper floors and the Ciencia Viva Lagos with tile panels by Xana

Nearby

The museum is located in the old town of Lagos close to the Mercado Municipal. From the spacious square in front of the museum, there are great views over to Lagos marina.

Lagos Station on the Algarve Line is just 600 meters away.

Porto Sightseeing Buses

Porto Sightseeing Buses

A good way to see a lot of Porto in a short space of time is to take one of the city's open-top sightseeing buses. Another alternative is the smaller toy train that passes some of the city's main attractions.

The City Sightseeing tour on their distinctive double-decker red buses is a hop-on-hop-off tour valid for 1 or 2 days. Buses run daily from 9:15 am to 5.15 pm, every 30 minutes.

A double-decker tour bus is a great way to see the city.

The route takes in many of the city's main attractions including Porto Cathedral, Torre dos Clérigos, Palacio de Cristal, Vila Nova de Gaia, Massarelos, Casa da Música and Castelo do Queijo.

Porto Hop-On Hop-Off City Sightseeing Bus Tour

Another alternative is a ride of a Toy Train. These electric vehicles can be seen in many places throughout Portugal especially on the Algarve in Faro and Lagos, for example.

Hotels in Porto & Northern Portugal

Hotel Internacional

VIP Executive Entrecampos

Basic Braga By Axis

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Portugal Begins To Ease Its Coronavirus Lockdown

Portugal Begins To Ease Its Coronavirus Lockdown

From May 4 Portugal will begin to ease its lockdown imposed after the onset of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

A three-phase plan will see different sectors of the economy open every 15 days. In the first phase bookshops, hairdressers, car showrooms, and small shops will open.

Facemasks will have to be worn in certain public spaces.

So far, as of April 30th, Portugal has had 25,045 confirmed cases and 989 deaths. Figures much less deadly than in neighboring Spain.

The media reaction in Portugal has been wary. The Diario das Noticias reports that "The glass is half-full or half-empty, depending on what you want to see. The evolution in the number of cases is good: 1 to 2% per day. The rate of transmission (R0), in which each person only infects another (or even less, is 0.92%). This is remarkable as it guaranteed the response of the National Health Service (SNS). Still ... why didn't the government go further in April?

Announcements

The Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa) will start controlling passenger capacity at key stations, with possible support from the PSP, and will increase the supply of trains to guarantee a safe distance between users, the company has announced.

Portugal has exceeded a thousand deaths associated with Covid-19 writes Jornal de Notícias, according to the epidemiological bulletin released this Friday by the Directorate-General for Health. There are a total of 1007 deaths associated with the new coronavirus, which represents an increase of 18 deaths compared to Thursday (989). They are distributed geographically thus:

578 in the North
201 in the Center region
202 in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region
1 in Alentejo
13 in the Algarve and 12 in the Azores

Update 6/22/2020

An 8 pm curfew was reimposed in Lisbon to tackle a small upsurge in confirmed cases in 15 districts of the capital.

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Bust of Arthur Wellesley Porto

Bust of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, Porto

A bust of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, stands outside the Museu Nacional de Soares in Porto.

The building served as the HQ of the French army and later the Duke of Wellington during part of the Peninsular War (1807-1814).

Arthur Wellesley (1768-1852) was along with General William Beresford (1768-1854) the British commanders who helped to defend Portugal from the forces of Napoleon. In 1809 Wellesley retook the city of Porto from French forces in the so-called Second Battle of Porto, which involved a dramatic crossing of the Douro in small boats, aided by the local population.

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Cemitério Prado do Repouso Porto

Cemitério Prado do Repouso, Porto

The Cemitério Prado do Repouso was the first public cemetery in Porto established in 1839. The land previously belonged to the bishops of Porto. The São Victor church on the 10-hectare site became the cemetery chapel.

The cemetery is known for its large chapel-like tombs. The grounds also provide a home for various plants and trees including magnolia, camellia, and cypress.

Cemitério Prado do Repouso cemetery

Access - Getting There

Largo do Padre Baltazar Guedes
4300-059 Porto
Tel: 225379925

The nearest Porto Metro stations are Heroismo Station and Campo 24 de Agosto, which is close to a main long-distance bus station.

Also, close by are Porto's Military Museum and a number of hotels, for example, Eurostars Heroismo and Porto With Love Apartments.

Porto bus 400 stops at Heroismo Station and outside the gates of the cemetery as does bus 207.

Cemitério Prado do Repouso Porto