Spring break getaways in Portugal

Spring has arrived, along with the beauty of the flowers and the trees blooming! Days are longer and the temperatures raised as well, which makes it a perfect excuse to do a Spring break getaway!

If you want to discover more of Portugal and enjoy the Spring weather below are my suggestions. Start packing your bag!

Visit a historical village

Monsanto, the most Portuguese village of Portugal

Monsanto (Castelo Branco district) is one of the 12 historical villages of Portugal, together with Almeida, Belmonte, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Novo, Castelo Rodrigo, Idanha-a-Venha, Linhares da Beira, Marialva, Piódão, Sortelha e Trancoso. I have been in almost all of the historical villages and I can tell you that Monsanto is one of my favourite ones! Monsanto is known as the most Portuguese village of Portugal! If you wondering why I can tell you that in 1938 there was a competition and Monsanto won!

Travel in time in Penha Garcia

Not far from Monsanto is Penha Garcia. Altuought it’s not included in the Historical Villages of Portugal network, it’s worth to discover! Here you can go back in time millions of years and see fossisls of different types of marine life that existed here 480 million years ago! Last but not least you can go for a swim in fonte do Pego river beach!

Discover the Jewish heritate in Belmonte

Belmonte is the birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brazil in 1500. An important Jewish community setled in Belmonte, which dates back to the 12th century Spanish and Portuguese Jews who kept their faith alive through the practice of Crypto-Judaism.

Get lost in the in the vastness of Lagos do Sabor, Bragança

Have you heard about Lagos do Sabor? This is a breathtaking area in Trás os Montes, covering 70km of lakes which are connected between them. It was due to the construction of the Baixo Sabor dam in 2016 that the lakes were born!

See the almond trees blossoming in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo

The best time to visit Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo is when the almond trees are blossoming. Not only you can visit a historical village, but also see the beautiful colors of the almond trees flowers.

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Discover a Schist village

There are 27 villages that make up the network of schist villages located in central Portugal between Castelo Branco and Coimbra.

Discovering the schist villages is finding peaceful corners in the middle of nature, talking to its inhabitants who tell us their history and passing through breathtaking places.