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Coimbra, our city

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For those who have never been to Coimbra, for those who are planning to come (again), for those who live here and would like to learn more about it, and even for those who don't give the matter some thought - this is a guide for everyone.

For everyone who gets excited by a rich historical past, intense academic experiences, breathtaking architecture, pastry religiousness, science that creates and destroys, and even, stories of love and longing. These are 27 good reasons to enjoy the best of Coimbra.

1 - University
The University of Coimbra is the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe, and this year it is celebrating the 725 th anniversary of its foundation, in 1290, by the king D. Dinis. After a period moving between Coimbra and Lisbon, the University was finally established in Coimbra by D. João III, in 1537. This institution had a major contribute to the creation and development of the Portuguese language, therefore it was recently classified as UNESCO World Heritage, along with the Uptown ("Alta") and Sofia ("Rua da Sofia").

At Paço das Escolas, you can visit places like Sala dos Capelos, Sala do Exame Privado and Sala das Armas, the Tower and its bell (called "Cabra"), and the Academic Prison. It is, however, not possible to visit the Chapel of S. Miguel, which is being submitted to recovery works.

2 - Joanine Library

Coimbra has one of the most beautiful libraries in the world - the Joanine Library. Built in 1717 to replace the old degraded House of the Library, the Joanine - which was supposed to be initially only a room - became a whole building, courtesy and patronage of the king D. João V. In fact, the library took the name of this king ("João" - "Joanine"). The library was constructed over an ancient prison, along with the Minerva stairway. It depicts incredible painted ceilings, tropical woods and gilded wood décor - quite to the taste of the Portuguese Baroque.

The books' storage conditions are carefully maintained by thick walls of 2,11 meters, woods that absorb moisture, and bats that feed on book insects during the night.

At the present moment, the library has a collection of 60.000 books, including gems like one first edition of the "Os Lusíadas" (written by the poet Luís de Camões) and a Hebrew Bible (one of the twenty existing copies in the world). To visit the Joanine Library is to experience a true delight for our senses, in addition to everything that we can see, it smells of books like in no other place.

3 - Wall

In ancient times, Coimbra had a roughly rounded Wall which was probably erected in the roman period. This Wall was alternated by doors and defensive towers throughout its length. Even though it didn't come down to us today, there are still traces of it, which help us to imagine how it used to be.

The most well-known trace is the Tower and Door of Almedina, the main point of entrance in the Wall, and just before, the Door of Barbacã, that strengthened the defense of the first one. There is also the Tower of Contenda, which served as a basis for the construction of the Palace Sobre-Ripas; the Tower of the Ameal Prior, also known as Tower of Anto - since the famous poet António Nobre lived there - and which today hosts the Centre of the Fado and Guitar of Coimbra; and the Tower of Belcouce, embedded by the old building of the Civil Governement. Recently, the City Hall recovered a part of the Wall (at Couraça de Lisboa) which is lit up at night to remember us about our history.

4 - Sé Velha (Old Cathedral)
The Old Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Coimbra, is considered to be one of the Portuguese Romanesque gems, and the most well-preserved. It was ordered by the king D. Afonso Henriques to Mestre Roberto, in the beginning of the 12 th century. Embed on the hill, the cathedral has an austere and defensive attitude, as if it would fall upon us, a sign of the period when it was built: the Christian Reconquer.

The Mozarabic D. Sesnando Davides, Count of Coimbra, is buried right here at the cathedral. He was in charge of the defense of the southern Mondego territory during the Christian Reconquer.

Apart from the Romanesque, the Old Cathedral depicts also renaissance elements, like the Especiosa Door, a work by the famous sculptor João de Ruão, a member of the Art School of Coimbra.

5 - Sé Nova (New Cathedral)

This catedral started to be built in 1598, in the old "Colégio dos Jesuítas" or "Colégio das Onze Mil Virgens", controlled by the Society of Jesus, which was expelled from Portugal in 1759 by the Marquis of Pombal. Giving continuity to his university modernization plan, the Marquis demanded the Museum of Natural History to be set up here. The Church then received the Canons of the Old Cathedral, and took the name of "New Cathedral". It is located at Largo da Feira ("Fair"), named after the "students' free fair", which was the center of the academic life. It was also here that the Queima das Fitas used to be celebrated. Nowadays, the students still do the "Queima do Grelo" ritual here, before the Queima das Fitas' parade, and it's in the New Cathedral's Church that happens the ceremony known as "Benção das Pastas".
6 - Science
Coimbra offers a few scientific sites that we can visit, either alone or with family. One of them is the Museum of Science, located in the renovated "Laboratório Chímico" building, constructed by the Marquis of Pombal. The Museum depicts scientific collections that belong to the University, interactive experiences, and permanent exhibitions like "Secrets of Light and Matter".

Also integrated in the Museum are the Galleries of Zoology, Mineralogy and Botanic, and the Physics Unit, both located at the Colégio das Onze Mil Virgens (mentioned in the previous section). It is worth emphasizing that the Physics Unit recently received the classification of "European Historic Site of Physics", awarded by the European Physical Society. It then became the only place in Portugal with this prize, and the second one in the Iberian Peninsula.

The "Exploratório Rómulo - Centro Ciência Viva", located at Parque Verde, is a further place dedicated to science, and especially to a younger audience. It recently inaugurated a Foucault Pendulum at the Physics Department of the University of Coimbra, which makes it possible to realize the movement of the Earth around its own axis.

It is also in Coimbra that is located the first observatory of the country and the only one specialized in the investigation of the solar system - the Astronomic Observatory of the University of Coimbra. It was initially built during the reforms carried by the Marquis of Pombal, it was later transferred to another building at Pátio das Escolas, until 1951. After this, it was demolished for the construction of the university city. For this reason, the Observatory was transferred to "Alto de Santa Clara", on the left bank of the Mondego river, where it currently stands.
7 - Machado de Castro National Museum
The Machado de Castro National Museum opened to the public in 1913 and owes its name to the sculptor from Coimbra - Machado de Castro - one of the most remarkable of his area in the 18 th century. It was recently requalified and enhanced, in a project led by the highly regarded Portuguese architect Gonçalo Byrne, and which won him the international prize Piranesi Prix de Rome.

The Museum is a modern and dynamic place, in harmony with the historical city centre. From the wide collection of the museum, we highlight the roman cryptoportico of the 1at century, a labyrinthine and enlightened path through the bedrocks of the forum of the ancient city of Aeminium; the "Last Super" exhibition by Hodart, held in a room with an intimate setting where the psychological features of the characters are emphasized; and the magnificent Treasurer Chapel, by João de Ruão, part of the dissolved São Domingos Church, from Rua da Sofia.

8 - Uptown
The Uptown of Coimbra evolved from the epicenters of the Castle (nowadays extinct) and the Old Cathedral, and it was situated inside the (imaginary) borders of the Wall. However, during the dictatorship of Estado Novo [free translation: New State], between the 1940s and the 1970s, the Uptown area in Coimbra endured a rupture of the urban tissue. More than 200 buildings were destroyed to allow the construction of an exclusive university area, with the influence of a modern and avant-garde architectural style, typical of fascist dictatorships. This event surely set the dominance of the University over the city of Coimbra.

It is worth visiting the Uptown streets, included in the classification of UNESCO World Heritage, and to contemplate the modern style of the faculty area, the typical students' houses ("Repúblicas") and the academic spirit in every corner.

9 - Quebra-Costas
"Quebra-Costas" (free translation: "Backbreaker") is the name given to the street that connects the Almedina Arch with the Old Cathedral. Historically, it was the main route for goods' transportation and for people that came from the Downtown/Mondego River to the Uptown. Nowadays, the old bumpy path was softened by the construction of stairs. The buildings in this area have been carefully restored, while respecting the traditional frontage style (a task carried by the Historical Centre Department, which is located nearby, at the Almedina Arch). The Quebra-Costas encloses two important statues: the "Tricana of Coimbra", a praise to the women of the city ("tricana" is the name given to the typical women of Coimbra), and the monument that pays tribute to the Fado and Guitar of Coimbra.
10 - Downtown
The Downtown has always been a place of trade, transport and bustle. Evidence of this can be seen in the streets' names that contain the ancient job that characterized them: Rua das Azeiteiras (women that produced olive oil), Rua dos Esteireiros (men that were dedicated to wickerwork), Rua das Padeiras (baker women), among others.

The main city market was also located in the Downtown, in the so-called "Praça do Comércio" (Trade Square). This square was the place of, not only regular fairs like the "Onion's Fair", but also for the Royal Hospital, the butcheries, the registry office, the pillory, and occasionally, the "autos-de-fé" (acts of faith). In addition to being the city's commercial and social center, the Square was also a religious site, as it is surrounded by two important ancient churches that we can still visit today: S. Tiago and S. Bartolomeu. Parallel to the Trade Square, there's Rua Visconde da Luz and Rua Ferreira Borges, which together form the traditional and refined trade. Despite the abandonment and degradation of the downtown, it is worth to wander in its labyrinthine streets that still keep the memory of the old downtown's life.

11 - Monastery of Santa Cruz
The Monastery of Santa Cruz is a National Pantheon since 2003. Here are the tombs of the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, and his son, D. Sancho I. It was actually the first one that ordered the monastery, in 1132. Inside, we can visit the Chapter Room, the Silence Cloister, and a Baroque organ with 3000 tubes. On the back of the monastery there was the Mango Cloister, whose fountain is still visible in the Mango Garden (Jardim da Manga). In previous times, most of the city of Coimbra and surrounding area belonged to the monks of Santa Cruz: from Rua Sá da Bandeira to Jardim da Sereia, and from Rua da Sofia to Av. Fernão de Magalhães. The properties of Santa Cruz were immense.

It was also in this monastery that Fernando Martins de Bulhões studied, before departing to Africa, and then Italy, where he became famous as Saint Anthony of Padua.

12 - Sofia Street
The Sofia, or "Wisdom", Street was projected in the 16 th century to receive the elites of knowledge - these were the early days of the University of Coimbra, before it was transferred to the Uptown.

In total, there were 27 "colégios" in Sofia Street, but only 7 of which came to us today: Colégio de S. Tomás de Aquino (today Palace of Justice and Court of Appeal of Coimbra), Colégio de S. Pedro (nowadays converted into a rehabilitation clinic), Colégio de Nossa Senhora da Graça (that hosts the 25 th April Documentation Centre), Colégio de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Colégio do Espírito Santo and Colégio de S. Boaventura. This list is also comprised by the Colégio de S. Miguel e de Todos-os-Santos, which will be addressed in the next section.
13 - Patio of the Inquisition
The Patio of the Inquisition was constructed by the Jewish community to host the "College of Arts", in the building of the ancient Colégio de S. Miguel e de Todos-os-Santos. (It is worth pointing out that Coimbra had one of the most important Jewish communities of the country, which had a major contribute to the evolution of science and arts).

Later on, this building was occupied by the Portuguese Inquisition and transformed into a prison. The prisoners were transported from this place to the Mondego riverbank, including the Jews who refused to convert to Christianity, through the streets of the Downtown.

Nowadays, the artistic city centre is consistently located here. Institutions like Teatro da Cerca de S. Bernardo and Escola da Noite (theatre and theatre school), and the Centre of Visual Arts live at the Patio.
14 - Monasteries of Santa Clara
On the left bank of the Mondego we can find both religious houses - the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha and the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova - famous for their connection to the Holy Queen Elizabeth, for the production of confectionery (one of its famous creations is the Santa Clara's Pastries), and for the "Abadessadas", the afternoons of serenades that the university students offered to the nuns in exchange for sweets.

The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha was founded by D. Mor Dias in the 13 th century, and later, it became administrated by the Holy Queen Elizabeth of Aragon, who decided to build the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova in 1649, after repeated river floods in the first one. The original tomb of the queen, chosen by herself, is still maintained here.
15 - Portugal dos Pequenitos
might say that the educational and recreational park "Portugal dos Pequenitos" (free translation: "Portugal of the Little Ones") is an apparent park for children. It appears to be intended for this target audience, due to the monuments' scale and decoration, but the complexity of the history and architecture lessons are beyond the reach of the little folks. The park may be experienced by the kids, but only the parents and grandparents can understand it.
In this visionary work conceived by Bissaya Barreto (obstetrician and philanthropist), we are confronted with the portuguese culture, tradition and colonial heritage, represented in miniature. And this year it celebrates 75 years!
16 - Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra is another work by the Marquis of Pombal, dated from 1772. It's the largest botanical garden in Portugal, and encloses one of the largest collections of world plants in the country. The Alameda das Tílias, the Recanto Tropical, and the Grande and Victoria Greenhouses are some of the most special places of the garden. This is a contemplative and romantic place, and dynamic and energetic at the same time. It is opened to the community and offers guided tours, yoga sessions, extremes sports and more. Soon the garden will have direct connection to the Downtown, next to Parque Verde, creating a closer relationship to the city.

17 - Quinta das Lágrimas
The Quinta das Lágrimas, which hosts a 4-star hotel and a golf academy, was the scene of the tragic love story between D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro - the most famous lovers of Portugal.

The Fonte dos Amores (Love Fountain) is a very romantic place, the favourite spot for lovers. In Fonte das Lágrimas (Tears' Fountain) flow the tears and blood of Inês, murdered in this place - a story supported by a reddish algae on the bottom of the fountain.
The gardens of the Quinta das Lágrimas are rich in species from all over the world, like sequoias, Himalayan cedars, Ficus macrophylla, bamboos, among others. The expansion and diversity of the gardens was possible due to the fact that its creator, Miguel Osório de Castro, was friends with the Director of the Botanical Garden. This last one even received doubled seeds - one to the Botanical Garden and another to the Quinta das Lágrimas.

More recently, the Quinta das Lágrimas gained a natural amphitheatre with a fantastic acoustics - the Colina de Camões Amphiteatre.

18 - Penedo da Saudade
This "garden with a view" is closely related to the previous section, as people say that it was the place where D. Pedro used to come to mourn the death of D. Inês - and it was exactly him who gave the name of "Penedo da Saudade" (free translation: "Rock of Longing"). Nowadays it is still the favourite place for lovers, as it is a contemplative and placid place, and because it offers a spectacular view over the city and the Mondego. This feeling of "love longing" merges with the "academic longing" - both related to the city.

In the "courses' room" and in the "poets' retreat" we can read plates containing verses of alumni and writers, giving the garden an even more introspective environment.
19 - Parks and Gardens
Aside from the Botanical Garden and the Quinta das Lágrimas, there are a few more parks and gardens in Coimbra which draw our attention. The Parque Verde (Green Park) or Parque Dr. Manuel Braga, located on the riverbank, is the point of departure of the "Basófias", the boat that travels the river. Here we can also find the Pavilhão Centro de Portugal, designed by the renowned Portuguese architects Souto de Moura and Siza Vieira for the Expo 2000 in Hannover. There are also the Water Museum and the Pedro & Inês Footbridge, which links both shores (up to Quinta das Lágrimas).
Also in the urban area there is the Baroque Jardim da Sereia (Mermaid Garden), next to Praça da República, which used to be property of the Monastery of Santa Cruz.
Outside of the city, there is the National Forest of Vale de Canas, that once belonged to the royal family, and that hosts the tallest tree of the country - an eucalypt of 72m of circa 100 years old - and two endemic species - the "Lagartixa-de-cauda-comprida" and the Iberian Frog.
Along with Vale de Canas, the National Forest of Choupal is the lung of the city. It was planted to control the Mondego's floods, and contains diverse flora (poplar, bamboo, laurel tree, eucalyptus and beech). The Choupal is quite sought-after by athletes, as it displays a maintenance circuit and soon it will gain a cycling track.
Last of all, the Natural Reserve of Paúl de Arzila, located far from the city centre. It's a small paradise that only a few know and a shelter for migratory species.

20 - Conimbriga
Located 15km far from Coimbra, Conimbriga is the most well-preserved Roman archaeological site in Portugal and one of the ten best and less well-known ancient ruins in the world, according to The Guardian (Wow!).
The Romans might have established themselves here in 138 B.C., during the period of government of the Emperor Augustus, and stayed until the ruthless Suevi invasion in the 5th century. They built a city over time with all the necessary infrastructures: residential buildings, hot springs, swimming pool, forum, wall, cemetery, and a basilica. The manor houses like the House of Fountains, the House of Cantaber or the House of the Swastika, draw our attention with mosaics with various motifs: geometrical, mythological (as the famous Minotaur in Labyrinth), or daily-life scenes. In the impressive House of Fountains there's a wonderful peristyle with garden and, with a 0,50€ coin, it's possible to make it come alive with a set of 500 working fountains that keep the original hydraulic structure.
21 - Villages
Not too far from Coimbra, there are several villages worth a road trip, even a troubled one. In common, these villages keep their traditions, gastronomy and crafts from ancient times. Their nested houses - made of shale, quartzite and slate - as well as their narrow and winding streets, configure a whole fitted into the mountain - an architecture that mirrors the community philosophy underlying this way of living.

Scattered all over the Açor and Lousã Mountains, surrounded by nature in pure condition, these small cosmos have a very particular mystique. Don't hold back and take a break from the city in one of the villages of the Açor Mountain (e.g. Piódão, Fajão, Benfeita) or in Lousã Mountain (e.g. Talasnal, Candal, Cerdeira).

22 - Beaches

Aside from the countless river beaches located all over the region (e.g. Piódão River Beach, Peneda/Pego Escuro, Côja, Olhos de Fervença, Torres do Mondego), there are five or six beaches bathed by the Atlantic ocean with vast golden sands, less than 30 minutes away from Coimbra.

Figueira da Foz is one of them. Known by its importance as a port town (the regional products used to be transported from here, and during the French Invasions, the Wellington troops disembarked in Figueira), and by the casino that attracted the finest bourgeoisie, Figueira da Foz holds some of the most popular beaches: Buarcos, Gala, Claridade, Costa de Lavos e Cabedelo.
Heading north through the coastline, we reach Quiaios, Tocha and Mira Beaches - fishermen lands, where you can expect to taste excellent fish and seafood.

23 - Gastronomy
In terms of gastronomy, Coimbra absorbs the influence of the Beiras region: a mix of products from the River, the Mountain and the Sea. The list of typical dishes includes chanfana (goat stew), roasted piglet from Bairrada (traditional of the region of Bairrada, district of Aveiro, but very close to Coimbra), Lamprey Rice, Sardines on Tiles with potatoes roasted on the sand (typical dish from Tocha Beach), fried eels, Duck Rice, Peixinhos do Rio (River small fishes), Roasted Kid, Rabbit and Partridge, Negalhos and Wedding Soup.

We also highlight other products that are always present at the regional table: sausages (e.g. chouriço, blood sausage, tripe and payola from Arganil), Rabaçal Cheese PDO, Lousa Mountain Honey PDO, Carolino Rice from the Low Mondego GPI (the basis for the regional Sweet Rice), marine salt and salt flower from Figueira da Foz, Beirão Liquor, Shit Liquor from Cantanhede, and the wines from demarcated regions - Dão, Terras de Sicó and Bairrada.

But make sure you save some room for dessert, as Coimbra suggests Sweet Rice and a wide selection of convent sweets. These come from the various religious houses in the district, that once produced sweets in order to make better use of the egg yolks surplus (the egg whites were used to iron the habits and religious textiles), while using the abundant sugar brought from Brazil. Santa Clara's Pastries, Nuns' Bellies, Ançã's Cake, Arrufada, Blancmange, and Tentúgal Pastries, are some of the most famous sweets. Did we whet your appetite?
24 - Crafts
Generally, the "know how" tends to disappear with time, but there are craft activities and products that characterize the region of Coimbra and that are still very present in our collective memory.

One of those activities is the production of Coimbra's Faience, a kind of ceramics with glazed tin that traditionally employed monochrome cobalt blue, but also yellows, greens and ochres. It was this art that for many years elevated the name of Coimbra around the world.

But there are other equally important handcraft examples in the region: goldsmithery (from Cantanhede), weaving (from Almalaguês), ironmongery, and production of funnels and toothpicks (from Penacova), wooden spoons (from Arganil and Oliveira do Hospital), fans of albatross' feathers (from Tocha), fishing art and basketry.
25 - Academic tradition
Coimbra has a strong academic tradition, thus being often called the "City of Students". The presence of the university in the city allowed for the construction of dynamics and idiosyncrasies that rooted in the college community, and make the academic years an intense and remarkable experience.

One of the pillars of this tradition is the Associação Académica de Coimbra (AAC), the oldest academic association of the country, established in 1887. The AAC is comprised by cultural and sporting departments, a radio station (Rádio Universidade de Coimbra - RUC), and autonomous bodies, like the football team (known as the "Briosa")."Dura Praxis Sed Praxis" ("the praxis is hard, but it's the praxis").
The university students follow the "Praxe", a code of traditions and practices followed by the students, and it's characterized by the latin term
A part of this tradition is the "Tuna", an academic musical group. There are more than ten "Tunas" with different styles and origins, and they are quite popular among students and locals.

The two main academic celebrations are the "Festa das Latas e Imposição de Insígnias" and "Queima das Fitas". The first used to be celebrated in May, in the end of the academic year. Instead, the "Latada" is nowadays celebrated in October and welcomes the new students ("caloiros") that arrive in the city. In old times, each faculty had its own parade, but nowadays they gather in the same parade.
In May, there's the Queima das Fitas, the farewell of the academic year. By then, there's the Monumental Serenade on the stairway of the Old Cathedral, and the Parade of Queima, where the students march in floats and the finalists wear top hats and canes.
26 - Fado
The Fado, Balada or Canção de Coimbra represents the music of the city and students, a quite different style from the Fado of Lisbon. The Fado from Coimbra was born in the college community, receiving influences from the places where the students came from.

The Fado is mainly sung by men wearing traditional academic clothing, accompanied by the Guitar of Coimbra. It is especially in the context of serenades that the Fado becomes important, addressing topics like love, longing and the academic life. It was also used as a song against the government during the dictatorship of Estado Novo. The leading singers of Fado were Adriano Correia de Oliveira, José Afonso, Luís Goes, António de Portugal and Edmundo Bettencourt.

There are many places where we can listen to Fado in the city centre at night, and if you're lucky, you might find a group of students performing a serenade.
27 - Faith
Coimbra breathes religion, not only due to the existence of two religions that influenced the local society (Christianity and Judaism), but also because of the many religious houses spread over the district, and the three personalities that stood out and became icons of faith: Fernando Martins de Bulhões, known as Saint Anthony of Padua, Elizabeth of Aragon, the Holy Queen, and also the Sister Lúcia, one of the Three Little Shepherds of Fátima. All of them, at some point in their lives, had a link to Coimbra, and their presence and influence is still evident nowadays.

The Holy Queen is the patroness of Coimbra and, every year, the city celebrates her soul, with a beautiful night procession every two years. In July 2016, on the occasion of the 500 years of the Queen's beatification, her tomb will be opened and her hand exposed to the believer's veneration.
The Ways of Saint James of Compostela are closely related to the Holy Queen, as she walked them for several times. Every year, around 1000 pilgrims cross the county of Coimbra towards Santiago de Compostela. There are orientation points throughout the county, including in the city centre (there are bronze plates on the floor with the symbol of Saint James - the scallop).

Sister Lúcia lived in enclosure for 55 years in the Carmelo de Santa Teresa, where today we can find a Museum dedicated to her, with some of her belongings and the reconstitution of her cell. On the outer part of the convent, there's also memorial in her honour.

Saint Anthony of Padua came from Lisbon to continue his studies at the Santa Cruz Monastery (as previously mentioned), and eventually he decided to join the friars of the Hermitage of Santo Antão dos Olivais (today Santo António dos Olivais Church), where he took the vows of the Order of St. Francis.

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ON Coimbra - 27 reasons to visit Coimbra

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For those who have never been to Coimbra, for those who are planning to come (again), for those who live here and would like to learn more about it, and even for those who don't give the matter some thought - this is a guide for everyone.

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Still unknown for many surfers around the globe, Figueira da Foz is nevertheless paving its way as a sunny, welcoming and very affordable surf destination.

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During Summer time, smaller boards are appropriate for surfing waves, sometimes smaller and softer. During winter days, bigger boards are an essential condition for surfing more powerful waves or even guns for surfing giant waves.

And with so many possibilities, you can also find Soul Surfers Sessions that offer a mini surf trip concept. You can reach the best surf spot in the morning or the best waves away from the crowd. These adventures under the motto of surf values and roots.
With surf schools and surf houses along the coastline, discover the best surf spots!

Still unknown for many surfers around the globe, Figueira da Foz is nevertheless paving its way as a sunny, welcoming and very affordable surf destination. Did you know that Figueira da Foz is famous for its mile-long hand breaks? And now you can watch it online on the prestigious Surfline portal! Cool or what?

This long (up to several 100 metres) high quality right point break is mostly more of a carving wave, but there are some steep tubular sections. Actually, there are at least 3 point breaks that can connect with the right swell and form a really long wave. Buarcos

The Buarcos wave is considered Europe's longest right point break.
This is one of Europe's widest beaches with easy waves.

Cabedelo
The jetty generates fast hollow waves, the beachbreak too, but not as consistent. It only takes around 10 minutes to get to Buarcos from Cabedelo.

Figueira da Foz does have great waves, including an unbelievable mile-long right hand break. There are even Aussie and Californian surfers that travel across the world to ride it! Just like worldwide surf legend Kelly Slater said: "Surf is a mafia. Once you're in, you're in"!

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Figueira da Foz: Europe's best right! * Centro de Portugal

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During Summer time, smaller boards are appropriate for surfing waves, sometimes smaller and softer. During winter days, bigger boards are an essential condition for surfing more powerful waves or even guns for surfing giant waves. And with so many possibilities, you can also find Soul Surfers Sessions that offer a mini surf trip concept.

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Portugal is a southern European country on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Its oceanside location influences many aspects of its culture – salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, the Algarve's beaches are a major tourist destination and much of the nation’s architecture dates to the 1500s-1800s, when Portugal had a maritime empire.

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Tentúgal, its conventual cakes and distintive churches

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Tentúgal, its conventual cakes and distintive churches

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Tentúgal, a village near Coimbra is well known in Portugal for its old and unique conventual cakes

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"You're going to see magic this morning," Olga Cavaleiro, co-owner of O Afonso Pastelaria, promises as she leads me and my companions to a large empty room behind her café and bakery. This is where the impossibly thin pastry for pastéis de Tentúgal (Tentúgal pastries) is made. The dough is made just from water and flour so fine you could mistake it for talcum powder.

We don hair nets and plastic shoe covers before entering, taking care not to step on the low platform covered with white sheets that takes up most of the floor space. The baker, Rosa, greets us with a shy smile before showing us how she transforms the pastry dough from a thick disc to a see-through sheet.

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Magical pastry dough

First, Rosa checks the consistency of the dough before placing it on the floor. Now the magic begins. She lifts the edges of the circle of dough, gently stretching it to create a large bubble of air which wobbles for a moment before settling. The nuns who discovered this elastic quality of their dough thought it was a miracle. Even though she knows it's actually due to the gluten and the level of humidity in the local area, Olga tells us, "I think it is a miracle because it is magic."

Rosa leaves the dough to rest for a short while before repeating the process several times. By the final stretch, the bubble billows and ripples like a wave with each pull and the dough is so thin that holes start to appear. Rosa is prepared for this and grabs a white cloth from her shoulder to throw over the gaps. She knows what she's doing having trained for two years to become an expert in this stage of the process. Despite her experience, the success of each batch of pastry can vary according to the weather, the flour and her sensitivity to the dough.

As Rosa kneels to slice and collect sheets of pastry in a tray, Olga places her hand under a piece that's as transparent as tracing paper. With such delicate material, getting the consistency of the filling right is crucial. If it's too sloppy, the cake will be ruined.

Maria do Carmo learned how to make pastéis de Tentúgal at the age of 12 and has been doing it for a living for 40 years. Downstairs in the main bakery, we watch as she shreds and layers sheets of pastry to create a base. She then spoons in the filling and deftly rolls it all into a parcel which she glazes with melted butter using a feather.

If you don't have time to watch the complete video, you can see the billowing effect at 1:30.

Cakes with history

As with many of Portugal's cakes, the recipe for Tentúgal pastries originated in the local convent. To begin with, the nuns made them purely for their own consumption and for special guests. When religious orders were abolished in Portugal in 1834, the nuns began selling their pastries to support themselves.

Fortunately, the recipe was passed on before the last of Tentúgal's nuns died in 1898 and maintained by a local family until the 1950s. At that time, all the young girls in the village were taught how to make pastéis de Tentúgal at the local primary school. The recipe is now protected and controlled by the Confraria da Doçaria Conventual de Tentúgal (Guild of Conventual Confectionary of Tentúgal). These cakes are now one of Tentugal's primary sources of income and employment, not to mention pride.

The best cake in Tentúgal?

With so much special attention, you'd expect something remarkable from a pastel de Tentúgal. Like most things, they are best served fresh and are usually served with a light sprinkling of sugar. The paper-thin pastry is crisp and the egg yolk cream inside is sweet and moist. I'd tried one at a café in Coimbra a few months before visiting O Afonso and been unimpressed. As Olga points out, there are many imitations but only in Tentúgal are they made with the care and attention to detail that is required. The real deal is indeed much tastier but it's still not my favourite Tentúgal cake.

O Afonso bakery also produces queijadas (cheesecakes) and the unique espigas (ears of corn). Queijadas are nothing like the cheesecakes you're probably familiar with. They come in a thin pastry case filled with a sponge made from cottage cheese, flour, sugar and eggs and, being less sweet, are my personal favourites. Espigas are made in a special mould to create the effect of corn kernels and are also not too sweet and rather lovely.

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Olga's mother founded O Afonso in 1956, although for some reason she named it after her husband. The bright and modern café area was recently restyled by Olga's husband, Pedro Perreira, making it a pleasant place to drink one of their range of herbal teas while munching on delicious cakes. They sell a range of gourmet food products and have also opened a similar establishment in Coimbra. For addresses and more information, visit their Facebook Page. You can also buy their pastéis de Tentúgal at certain Continente supermarkets including Coimbra and at Lisbon airport.

Tentúgal's convent and churches

O Afonso is also one of the places to come if you want to arrange to visit the convent or any of the churches in Tentúgal. Olga is one of the keyholders and is passionate about sharing and preserving her village's heritage. Alternatively, you can ask at the town hall ( Câmara).

The convent itself was stripped of many of its most attractive architectural features long ago although some altarpieces and stone sculptures remain. The nuns lived here in seclusion and you can still see plenty of evidence of this: the grated tower at the top of the building; the convent wheel which they used for selling cakes; windows with grilles; separate seating behind the main nave of the church and a window at the side of the altar through which they received communion. The convent side of the window is austere while the public façade is beautifully decorated.

In one of the back rooms, you'll find some of the convent's most important treasures including a collection of terracotta sculptures by Machado de Castro, the man who Coimbra's national museum is named after.

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The two other churches in Tentúgal are worth visiting for their remarkable stone sculptures. Igreja da Misericórdia features a group of expressive mourners gathered around Jesus and a spectacularly detailed altarpiece carved from local stone.

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Olga saved the best for last, though. I was sceptical about her claim that we were about to see "the most beautiful church in Portugal" but I can see why she makes it. The altarpiece here is also stone but it's unusual for two reasons. Firstly, the striking blue and other bright colours and secondly because all of the significant figures are beautiful, well-dressed and happy-looking females. The saints gathered around the central figure of Our Lady of Mourão hold something to show what they are renowned for. Saint Agatha, for example, is holding breasts while Saint Luzia carries eyes. The other chapels in Igreja do Mourão are varied and unique, even surreal in one case.

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What's in a name?

Legend has it that Tentúgal got its name during a long ago battle with the Moors. A Mourão is a mighty and strong Moorish man and as the story goes, when it became apparent that the locals were losing the fight, the crowd began to yell " Tente igual do Mourão," ("Try the same as the Moor"). This got shortened to Tentúgal.

Whether the origins of its name are true or not, the village lies just off the road that connects Coimbra with the beach town of Figueira da Foz so you could combine a stop here with a day at the beach or a visit to the nearby castle of Montemor-o-Velho. ( Tentúgal on Google maps)

I'm grateful to Anita and Tom from Anita's Feast and to APTECE for enabling me to join the visit to Tentúgal. Anita and Tom will be sharing their experiences of eating their way around Portugal on their blog over the coming weeks.

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Tentúgal's Tempting Cakes and Distinctive Churches

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The secrets of Tentúgal's convent, churches and special cakes are revealed.

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8 miles far from Conímbriga, in Rabaçal, the pavements of the old Palace show the ancient influences of the Middle East!

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8 miles far from Conímbriga, in Rabaçal, the pavements of the old Palace show the ancient influences of the Middle East!

Many tesseras forming drawings in the mosaics: trees and flowers very similar to the other Roman pavements in the Villae of North Africa! Quite close, in Santiago da Guarda, we find the Tower of the Counts of Castelo Melhor, situated in the way that connected Tomar to Santiago da Compostela, crossing Rabaçal and Conímbriga, following then to Coimbra.

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8 miles far from Conímbriga, in Rabaçal, the pavements of the old Palace show the ancient influences of the Middle East! Many tesseras forming drawings in the mosaics: trees and flowers very similar to the other Roman pavements in the Villae of North Africa!

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Museum and Roman Villa of Rabaçal * Centro de Portugal

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Located 12 kilometres away from Conímbriga, this great Roman housing complex, established above the Rabaçal valley was discovered after several long archaeological campaigns in 1984.

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The best preserved Roman Ruins of Portugal

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Roman Ruins and Museum of Conímbriga * Centro de Portugal

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The streets and the houses with their perfumed and cool patios, the floors paved with polychromatic mosaics and the perfume coming from the baths make us imagine a pompous, almost "imperial", Conímbriga.

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Visit Lisbon, our capital, and taste it!

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São Pedro de Alcântara Observation Views

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Lisbon was the final stop of our European tour and we couldn't have chosen a better destination. The city immediately won us over with it's cheery pastel buildings, delicious fresh seafood, and it's unique mix of attractions. It also didn't hurt that we had clear blue skies the whole week we were there!

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Lisbon aerial view

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Lisbon aerial view - Lisboa vista do céu

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Lisbon is an illuminated city. The almost constant presence of sunshine and the River Tagus transforms the Portuguese capital into a mirror of a thousand colours - highlighting the city's unique architecture and beauty. There are so many things to see and do in Lisbon that visitors have access to a wide array of different experiences.

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Places to visit

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Cláudia Santos - Cláudia Santos posted a video to her... | Facebook

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Cláudia Santos posted a video to her timeline.

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The City of Coimbra has its own very special mystique, the result of a past full of important events and of the memories of the many thousands of Portuguese who, dispersed around the country or abroad, remember the carefree, easygoing, hopeful years spent here in their youth as students at the University.

Coimbra is a city full of history and worth visiting.
http://turismodecoimbra.pt/VisitCoimbra_video_oficial.mp4