Central Portugal Resort Description
Central Portugal and its Silver Coast stretches from Castelo de Paiva in the north to Arruda dos Vinhos in the south. With the country's largest motorway (the A1) crossing it from north to south, one can’t help but admire this region on your way from Lisbon to Oporto. On your way you’ll want to stop off at one of the many quaint fishing towns and villages of which Nazaré is one of the finest examples. A stunning beach combined with the towns traditional character of fishermen houses and steep cliffs over a bright blue sea, have made this town a popular holiday resort.
Near Nazaré lies the beautiful beach of São Martinho do Porto which is a favourite holiday destination for families. Not far from Lisbon, the ancient city of Leiria, previously a summer retreat for the Portuguese Royal family is a good base from which to visit the great abbeys of Batalha and Alcobaça and the well known shrine of Fátima. Finally reaching coast from Nazare, the town of Figueira da Foz has vast beaches and a famous casino. Almost directly inland from Figueira da Foz, Coimbra remains one of the most important towns in the region as the ancient capital of Portugal and home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Returning to the coast further north, the city of Aveiro was once a great sea port and is known for the charms of its canals.
If you’re visiting Nazaré, it is a gastronomical paradise with fish cooked fresh in many different ways, from caldeirada à Nazarena (a rich stew with several types of fish) to grilled sardines, rock-bass and turbot and delicious lobsters, prawns and spider-crabs. Popular "caldeirada" but you can also enjoy the eel "caldeirada" of Aveiro. If meat dishes are more to your liking, the grilled pork kebab from Barraida and the kid "chanfana" from Coimbra are choice to accompany the local wines including the sparkling Bairrada wines, the buçaco wines and the wines from Cantanhede and Rio Maior.
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