3 villages that I love

Am I right in saying that we do like to be beside the sea side? Looking out my window, it’s a gloomy day – sun and sand sound just the thing! Then Ericeira may be for you – I know it’s not exactly an historical village but I just had to share it with you on the way to Óbidos and Sintra!

When I first saw it, years ago now, it was totally undiscovered. Today it is really well known for its surfing, water sports and sunbathing, but it is still as lovely as when I first saw it.

The town is not too far north of Lisbon – 50 kms northeast of the city to be exact. Ericeira was once just a small fishing village and this feeling still remains, although a fair number of tourists now visit, especially the surfers. It is perched on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic and the pretty narrow streets with whitewashed chapels and white houses edged in blue are a joy to wander around before heading to the sandy beaches. When we were here we gorged ourselves on very reasonably priced seafood – yum!

Moving down to Óbidos …this has got to be one of the most beautiful villages ever. If I had my way, I would buy a home nearby, perhaps outside the city walls – it really is so spectacular and atmospheric. Narrow cobbled streets, lined with whitewashed, bougainvillaea-draped houses, are surrounded by huge castle walls. I walked the walls right around the town, peeping into people’s lives as they went about their daily business – fascinating. Although not right on the sea, nearby is the large lagoon of Lagoa de Óbidos where you can swim, sunbathe or even hire windsurfing equipment.

And then finally Sintra. Sintra is a UNESCO world heritage site and it soon becomes clear why. This is a truly lovely town, only about 20 miles from Lisbon, with a plethora of castles to be visited and much to see and do. There are lovely green forested areas on the walk up to the castles above the town, which are cool and relaxing to stroll through in the summer months. Not only that, but Sintra is near the coast and many beautiful beaches lie only a short drive away. The best way to get there is to take the tram: all year round an old-fashioned eléctrico tram service ferries people from Sintra to various villages and beaches.

I’m not the only person from the UK to love the place: Lord Byron visited in the 18th century, writing that the town is "perhaps in every respect the most delightful in Europe," and calling it a "glorious Eden" in his epic poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. He helped to put the town on the tourist map and it became popular for those on the European ‘Grand Tour’. Today it is just as lovely.

I hope my wanderings have given you a few ideas as to where to at least visit as you look to buy that property you have been searching for – do let me know when you find it won’t you?

Until then, all best wishes,

Carol

The Overseas Guides Company
http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/

Historical villages in Portugal

If I was to buy a property in Portugal, be it for myself or as a rental option, my personal preference would be a house in one of the breathtakingly beautiful historical villages that dot the countryside. I have never seen such lovely towns, with such a wonderfully friendly and relaxing air, as I saw as I criss-crossed the country on my last visit. I think if I had to choose, top of my list would be Marvao, followed perhaps by the crusader influenced town of Tomar. But then there is Obidos and Sintra…and they are nearer the sea if I was considering renting the property out at all…not an easy choice!

What I thought I would do is discuss a few of these wonderful historical villages with you and, at the very least, you may like to plan your next holiday around them, take a look and perhaps make your choice that way.

Right: starting on the western side of the Serra da Estrela and in common with many of the fortified villages, the imposing towers of Linhares da Beira’s mighty castle can be seen from miles away. This was where the Lusitanians, the Iberian tribe from whom the Portuguese are descended, chose to live, followed by the Visigoths and later the Moors.

There is lots to see for visitors: be sure to visit the Igreja Matriz (parish church), which is of Romanesque origin. Inside there are three valuable paintings by the great Portuguese master Vasco Fernandes. And if it’s sport you are into, the altitude and climate make this historical village the ideal venue for paragliding too, with the Open Championship held here in August every year.

Another such village is that of Monsanto. In the second century BC the settlement is said to have resisted a Roman siege for seven years. This feat is still celebrated annually at the lovely Festival of the Crosses on May 3rd.

In the 12th century, D. Afonso Henriques gave the town (which had been captured from the Moors) to the Order of the Templars, whose Master in Portugal ordered the castle to be rebuilt. The village, which is spread over the hillside, boasts one of the loveliest landscapes in Portugal - those who feel energetic enough to make the climb up to the castle are rewarded with one of the most stunning views in the region.

However, perhaps the most important place in the village is Lucan’s Tower. Dating back to the 14th century, the tower is crowned with a silver cockerel, a trophy awarded to Monsanto in a competition in 1938 in which it was judged to be the most Portuguese village in Portugal – go figure!

Also crowned by a castle standing on a formidable rocky outcrop, the town of Sortelha preserves its medieval features in its rustic granite houses. Also the village castle used to be part of the important defensive line of frontier castles, mostly erected or rebuilt on ‘castro’ sites of the ancient Iberian civilisations.

The castle entrance is through a Gothic doorway, above which there is a balcony (Varanda de Pilatos) through which the medieval guards would hurl all kinds of missiles, such as boiling oil, at their attackers. I assure you that this is NOT the kind of welcome you can expect today! The charm of this village lies both in its medieval atmosphere and indeed its far friendlier welcome!

These are just a taste: I will continue my wanderings through some of the other villages of Portugal next week. In the meanwhile, have fun and please let me know if you are out there, just loving Portugal!

Carol Dunning
The Overseas Guides Company
Have you been to the main website yet? http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/