Everything you need to get to, around and from Portugal
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Everything you need to get to, around and from Portugal
The absolutely indispensable guide for occasional visitors and serious travellers alike!
Everything you need to know about Real Portugal: places, maps, food, culture, history and traditions ...
656pp and 71 maps plus a 24pp full-colour introduction
Well worth GBP 14.99 RRP but you can buy it cheaper! Just click here
Everything you need to get to, around and from Portugal
Click on the image to navigate the Porto map at Google.
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Azoia, Vila Cha Apartment for 4-6, family pool
Chamosinhos, Amorim Villa for 8, private pool
Jardim da Praia, Averomar Beach house for 6
Praia, Vila Cha Cottage for 4
Rosetta, Vila Cha Beach house for 4
Click on the image to Navigate the Minho at Google.
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Augustinho, Anha Villa for 4, private pool
Barge, Venade Villa for 8, private pool
Bouca, Outeiro Villa for 4, private pool
Cristina, Afife Cottage for 2, private pool
Cruz Nova, Afife Villa for 8, private pool
Estrela, Vila Praia de Ancora Apartments for 2-4
Matos, Carvoeiro Villa for 6, private pool
Madalena, Carvoeiro Cottage for 2
Parque do Rio, Ofir Hotel with 36 rooms
Pedreira, Afife Villa for 8, private pool
Sao Joao, Santa Marta Villa for 10, private pool
Click on the image to navigate the Aveiro map at Google
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Mata, Ovar Villa for 6, private pool
Quinta da Lagoa, Mira Hotel with 130 rooms, pool and lagoon
Caminha: Gateway to the Minho valley
Caminha is the first in a chain of historic fortified towns running west to east along the Portuguese bank of the river Minho, which forms the border with Spain. Once a major port, it's now a quiet spot with plenty to see and a good base for exploring the Minho hinterland.
Continue reading "About Caminha" »
Barge, Venade (villa for 8, private pool)
Fabulous hideaway you would just love to own, about 1km from Venade village and 5km from historic Caminha. Set in a peaceful valley amidst lush countryside, it looks across forested hillsides rolling down to river Minho with sandy beaches at Moledo about 10 minutes' drive.
This lovely old Minho house built on 2 floors dates from around 1890 and has been lovingly renovated to provide a supremely comfortable home with many rare and precious features. Mature gardens with lawns, fruit trees, covered eating area and 12x6m pool (depth 0.8-1.8m) with steps. A relocated and restored granary provides both pool shower and WC and via ladder and trapdoor a summer bedroom with twin beds for guests to fool around in, but also treated as extra beds for 2 adults for larger parties.
Continue reading "Caminha Properties to Rent - Barge" »
Click on the map to Navigate Portugal on Google.
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Going up the Douro River (Rio Douro) into the northern interior of Portugal and on into the Transmontana area you enter the Trás-os-Montes.
In the Cima Corgo, Quinta do Bom Retiro has 62 hectares of 25 year old vines.
This region produces various wines from the somewhat coarse and very alcoholic to light sparkling and semi-sweet. Well known labels include Tavedo, Tres Bagos, Quinta dos Bons Ares and Valle Pradinhos.
Quinta dos Bons Ares, has 20 hectares of vines at an altitude of 600 m. The white Viozhino grape dominates, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot and Touriga Nacional are also grown.
Click on the image to Navigate the Obidos Lagoon at Google.
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Arelho, Foz do Arelho
Villa Apartment for 2-4 adults + 2 children, shared pool
Paula, Nadadouro Apartment for 2 adults. private pool.
The Ribatejo Wine Route has four different itineraries, in distinct Ribatejo categories.
Gothic Treasure, beautiful cellars in Azambuja, Cartaxo, Golegã and Santarém – the Gothic Capital.
Bulls and Horses, with producers of wine, bulls and horses. The bullfighting and the Reserva Natural do Estuário do Tejo (Natural Reserve of the Estuary of the Tagus).
By the Tagus, along the river with a largest diversity of cellars to visit in a landscape distinguished by vineyards.
Manueline Treasures – Templar Castles, cellars and cultural heritage. One of the most important regions of the birth of the Portuguese nation.
Central Portugal and Silver Coast Holidays
In the 9th century BC the Phoenicians introduced the production of wine to Iberia. In 1980 the Algarve wine region (Lagoa, Lagos, Portimão, and Tavira) was finally demarcated.
In Algarve - white, red, and liqueurous castas are are authorized in the demarcated region.
Lagos is a wine producing region famous for its moscatel wine, and also for a strong alcoholic spirit. "Medronho" is perhaps one of the most famous local brews made from distilled medronho berries.
Originally created in back room stills, Medronho is now a commercial product chiefly in Silves and Monchique. The aguardente de medronho is made with berries from "The Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.)" which is an evergreen shrub shown above. (the fruit sometimes called arbutus-berry, looks a little like strawberries).
The following designations for spirit drinks in the European Union are listed for the Algarve.
Aguardente do Algarve
Bagaceira do Algarve
Medronheira do Algarve
A bottle of Licor Beirão
Licor Beirao is a Portuguese liqueur. Beirao is Portuguese for "from Beira", a former administrative region.
Its recipe is a secret. The producer, J. Carranca Redondo, Lda., only states it is made from a double distillation of seeds and herbs from all over the world, including Malaysia, Brazil and Thailand.
The liqueur was produced in the 19th century as a medicinal product for stomach aches by a pharmacy in Lousã. In the late 19th century alcoholic beverages were no longer qualified as medicinal but the liqueur was kept in production in a small factory owned by the son-in-law of the original producer.
Info from Wikipedia
Touriga leaf
Touriga Nacional is a variety of red wine grape, considered by many to be Portugal's finest. Despite the notoriously low yields from its small grapes, it plays a big part in the blends used for the best ports, and is increasingly being used for table wine in the Douro and Dao.
Touriga Nacional provides structure and body to wine, with high tannins and concentrated flavours of black fruit. Jancis Robinson has compared its relationship with Touriga Francesa to the partnership between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the former providing structure, the latter filling out the bouquet.
Info from Wikipedia.
Ripening Aragonez/Tempranillo grapes
This grape plays a role in the production of wines in two regions of Portugal, central Alentejo and Douro. In Alentejo Central it is known as Aragonez and used in red table wine blends of variable quality, while in the Douro it is known as Tinta Roriz and mainly used in blends to make port wine.
Tempranillo is a grape native to northern Spain and widely cultivated as far south as La Mancha. The two major regions that grow Tempranillo are Rioja in North Central Spain and Ribera del Duero, which lies a little further to the south. Substantial quantities are also grown in the Penedès, Navarra and Valdepeñas regions.
Info from Wikipedia
Quinta Verde - just north of Sintra
Colares sand wine - Info from Wikipedia
Colares is type of wine produced in sandy soils outside Lisbon between the foothills of Sintra and Roca Cape. Because of Lisbon's urban sprawl, the lands available for vineyards became so small, that the demands has always been higher than the production, making it one of the most expensive Portuguese wines. The Colares sand wine tastes has a soft blend of nuts and red fruits. Preferred temperature for consumption is 18 degrees Celsius for red wines and 12 for white wines.
Here is an excellent Map of the area from Google Maps.
© 2008 Google - Imagery © 2008 Digital Globe, Cnes/Spot Image, -
Map data © 2008 Tele Atlas AND - Terms of Use
Arelho, Foz do Arelho
Apartment for 2-4 adults + 2 children, shared pool
Estremadura has a long history in national viticulture. This region’s vine area is made up of traditional grape varieties and the most famous international ones. Estremadura’s diversity of relief and microclimates enables the region to produce a great variety of wines.
Formerly known as West, Estremadura is located north west of Lisbon, occupying an area of about 40 km. The climate is mild due to Atlantic influence. Summers are fresh and winters soft, though colder in areas farther from the sea.
Although the region has good potential for the production of quality wines, about fifteen years ago it was essentially known for producing large quantities of low quality wine. Since then, the vines and wineries have been restructured. One of the restructuring steps involved planting new grape varieties, chosen according to quality, not quantity. Today, Estremadura’s wines are known for their good quality/price ratio
The region focused on the growing of the noblest Portuguese and foreign grape varieties. In 1993, a new type of wine was created: the Vinho Regional da Estremadura (free translation: Estremadura Regional Wine). This new type of wine encouraged producers to study the potential of the different grape varieties and, currently, most wines produced in Estremadura are regional (the law for DOC wines is very restrictive on the use of grape varieties).
Estremadura is made up of nine Denominations of Origin: Colares, Carcavelos and Bucelas (in the south, near Lisbon), Alenquer, Arruda, Torres Vedras, Lourinha and Obidos (in the centre of the region) and Encostas d’Aire (in the north, close to the Beiras region).
Extract from Infovini Copyright © 2008 Infovini
"Bottled at Origin" printed on a Spanish QWpsr cork
Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (often abbreviated to QWpsr or simply "quality wines") is an EU-sponsored classification regulating and defining the status of "quality wines" according to production method, management and geographical location.
This article continues below with DOC / Appellation / PDO....
Continue reading "DOC Appellation and Quality in Portugal" »
The Estate of Valdoeiro, located in the rural area of Vacariça, Mealhada county, is one of the most beautiful and well planned agricultural properties of the Bairrada AOC region.
Bairrada wine, is produced in the Região Demarcada da Bairrada. The name "Bairrada" is from "barros" (clay) due to the clay soils of the region. Although the region was classified in 1979, it is an ancient vineyard region. The vines exposure to the sun, favours the further maturity of the grapes. The Baga casta is intensely used in the wines of the region.
Photos from Caves Messias
Info from Wikipedia:
