new york times portugal travel

You walk down a long pathway toward the vast expanse of the Atlantic. That is why I was glad we had ended up staying a bit farther south near Melides, a simple town of about 1,500 residents, four or so restaurants, a church and a few small stores and a supermarket. An endless canopy of green formed by umbrella pines tall trees whose branches are umbrella-shaped, so when the trees are huddled together they create a pine blanket in the sky. But it is the setting itself that is unrivaled. In search of a better life, millions of Portuguese emigrated to the countrys former colonies and richer countries in Europe. Porto at sunset, with the cathedral at left and the Dom Lus I bridge at right. The land there, which once belonged to the King of Portugal, has been owned since the 1950s by the Espirito Santo family (Portugals equivalent of the Rockefellers), who, starting in the 1990s, began inviting some of their friends to the area, including Princess Caroline and Prince Albert of Monaco. The rooms off the stairs are home to an exhibit documenting the history of the 18th-century towers inhabitants and architects; the adjacent church (included in the admission fee) is also worth a look. After dawn, I would take a hike on the cliffs, some 200-feet high, overlooking the ocean you can imagine the view. Simplest is the vast network of so-called fishermens trails that stretch for 280 miles inland and along the Atlantic called Rota Vicentina. Let me try. Eventually, the companies were forced to delay their plans and produce a detailed environmental impact report for their projects. When I read about the regions U.N. designation, I realized there was something special about my familys roots that I wasnt aware of, a perspective that my work as a photographer could give me the privilege of exploring in depth which I did over many trips until the coronavirus pandemic hit. The Centro Comercial Bombarda doesnt open until noon, but this collection of small shops and restaurants on the gallery-thronged Rua da Bombarda is heaven for shoppers looking for boutiques crammed with goods from homegrown designers. Melides is in the midst of a transformation as a wave of super affluent Europeans artists, bankers, actors and sports stars have discovered this extraordinarily beautiful spot, which happens to sit in the middle of a 40-mile stretch of nearly untouched Atlantic Ocean beaches, and at the edge of hundreds of square miles of cork oak fields, vineyards and rice fields. Mr. Gomess close friend Paulo Pires would be among those most affected if the mining plans proceed, since its processing site would be built a little more than a quarter mile from his property. Southwest of the city center, the pretty riverfront Belm district is defined by its landmarks: the Manueline-style Jernimos Monastery, the 16th-century Belm Tower and, since 2016, the futuristic facade of MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology. Elias Coelho, at left, serves homemade bread to his family and neighbors after they spent the morning slaughtering pigs outside his home in Vilarinho Seco. As one of Portugals rock star chefs, Jos Avillez is a household name. One of Portos newest multipurpose spaces, Armazm is a (barely) converted warehouse just off the river, west of Ribeira. Run by the knowledgeable and friendly Marco Ferreira and Clia Lino, Porto in a Bottle specializes in port from small producers. NYTimes.com no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Lunch for two, around 30 euros. These formations, around five million years old, reach 130 feet into the sky, sitting atop a carpet of wild yellow choro das praias flowers. A view of Lisbon from the Arco da Rua Augusta. Explore street view, find things to do in Porto and sign in to your Google account to save your map. Maria Emilia da Silva kneads dough to bake bread for her family at the villages community oven in Covas do Barroso. Well, we are the ones who chose to stay and raise our families here. The Barroso mountains, with the village of Espertina in the distance. Snapshots of Daily Life in a Remote Region of Portugal, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/travel/barroso-portugal-agriculture.html. Housing a cafe-bar, gallery and shops selling everything from vintage furniture to artwork to colorful clothes and handbags by the Portuguese design brand Mexxca, this space has something for everyone. Garrafeira AMS is a dimly lit wine shop with a few simple tables and a menu of carefully selected Portuguese wines sold by the glass (you can also pull a bottle from the shelves and drink it there). Forget Lisbon as the budget capital of Europe. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/travel/36-hours-in-lisbon.html. Please upgrade your browser. The countrys Alentejo region has the last unspoiled stretch of Atlantic coast in all of southern Europe, with 40 miles of nearly untouched beaches. We also stopped by Grandola, the county seat, where there is an enormous and very traditional farmers market the second Monday of each month. (It looks laid back, but it was also recently featured in Architectural Digest.). We spent an afternoon at a large organic farm, Herdade Aberta Nova, that welcomes visitors (including families with young children) to its compound, which includes a vast collection of peacocks, pigs, horses, donkeys, chickens, goats and other farm animals. The result is a historic building thats Instagram-worthy inside and out. Soon the village was full of life, with neighbors greeting each other in their muddy boots and wet clothes, taking time for a chat before heading home to sit around the fire, have dinner and end another hard day of work. Be sure to explore the hauntingly atmospheric 14th-century Gothic cloister (3 euros), with its exquisite stonework and decorative azulejos. Pair with wine from the Douro Valley (wine and small plates for two, around 20 euros). From its stunning Beaux-Arts station to its cool bars serving Portos signature drink, this charming city combines the best of old and new. After dinner, swing by Pub Lisboeta in the increasingly lively Prncipe Real district. Four families in Vilarinho Seco pool their labor and equipment to plant potatoes in early spring, a common practice in the Barroso. In an impressive show of reverse colonization, Brazil has taken over a magnificent mansion in Prncipe Real. Order the house gin garnished with orange and cloves. Mile after mile after mile you can walk, uninterrupted. The Graa Convent has a tiled chapel and Baroque cloister that opened to the public for the first time after recent restorations. Many of those migrants were from Trs os Montes. Order a porto tnico white port and tonic and head to the roof where dazzling views span the Tagus River and the 25 de Abril Bridge, a doppelgnger of the Golden Gate Bridge. The old canary-yellow trams still rattle along steep hills, and youll never pay more than a euro and change for a pastis de nata, the classic Portuguese pastry. I found myself drawn to the beach and not just for the traditional reasons. This week, Andr Vieira shares a collection of images from Portugal. Most visitors arrive by train, and its worth taking the time to examine the So Bento station. On the third floor is a hugely impressive collection of cameras from every decade, including some fabulous espionage cameras from the 60s, 70s and 80s that are disguised as rolls of sweets, cans of Pepsi and packets of Marlboros. Stroll over the bridge, with its exquisite views downriver, to the port warehouses that dot the opposite side. An ideal day in Porto combines both the grandeur of its history and its very up-to-the-minute cool. Here we make everything at home, he proudly explained, pouring wine into my glass. Residents of Vilarinho Seco sing and drink after a religious procession. The ham and sausages from the pigs will feed them throughout the year. Isolation has made the traditions here particularly rich and diverse. Fontainhas beach in the village of Melides, Portugal. The Ponte de Dom Lus I stretches from the Ribeira section of Porto over the River Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia. When I get back to London, I need a crash helmet.. Situated in the final home of the bespectacled author, the site is a treasure trove of Pessoas early 20th-century works most published posthumously including poems written under three well-developed heteronyms. With attractive Art Nouveau architecture and prime locations in plazas, parks and scenic overlooks throughout the city, these popular kiosks are natural gathering points from sunup to sundown. Start with a glass of Douro branco and paper-thin octopus carpaccio topped with cilantro, sweet potato chips and a drizzle of olive oil (13.50 euros). Yes, the seafood is still (relatively) cheap, as is the wine. A pristine stream courses through it, and seemingly every house has an orchard full of grapevines and persimmon trees. Routines here are as well-worn as the cobblestone streets. Thankfully, the GPS on my phone still worked, as I got lost once one morning on these unmarked trails. One of the defining features of the riverfront Belm district is the 16th-century Belm Tower. Then you climb down a precarious set of stairs built into the sandstone cliff, before you reach the beach. Grab a coffee and pastry at one of the citys myriad confeitarias and save room for an early lunch. This sprawling industrial space offers live music, two outdoor terraces and a much-photographed rooftop sculpture. Mealtime after a pig slaughter at the home of Paulo Pires in Covas do Barroso. Major port producers have their warehouses in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the south side of the River Douro, but youll get a more thorough grounding in the local tipple by delving into the wine shops on the Porto side. Many ancient Catholic traditions remain alive in the Barroso, sometimes incorporating customs from other peoples who roamed the region in the past, like the Celts and the Romans. Each of its five rooms is different, but all feature wooden floors and a modern aesthetic. Colorful Portuguese wares line the shelves at A Vida Portuguesa. We got as far south as Zambujeira do Mar, a coastal village near the bottom of the Alentejo region. Walk down the block to the most effortlessly cool bar in town. It seemed like a sleepy spot, but in early August is home to a massive music festival, the Meo Sudoeste, which draws crowds of backpackers, mostly from Portugal and Spain, who camp in tents next to the festival grounds. At the spacious Chiado locale, order a velvety flat white, take a seat amid the plants, put away the phone (theres no Wi-Fi) and savor your coffee. Mr. Pires is one of the few residents of Covas who raises sheep instead of cattle. The United Nations World Heritage list, which includes Evora, calls it the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the 1755 earthquake. This was the most tourist-intense part of our week, but well worth the detour. Andr Vieira is a photographer based in Portugal. Established in 2015, this specialty coffee purveyor operates two cafes that serve traditional shots as well as cold brews, pour-overs and frothy cappuccini. That explains why Louboutin is not only trying to build a boutique hotel in Melides. It didnt take long for him to invite me to his home, with a blazing fireplace in the kitchen and rows of sausages and smoked ham hanging from the ceiling above it. Join the local crowd sipping ginja, a traditional sour-cherry liqueur, at purple tables beside the restored quiosque in Praa das Flores, a small, leafy park with a central fountain that doubles as a watering hole for neighborhood cats. It was on the drive back to Lisbon we went directly to the airport to fly home that I was reminded how disconnected we had been. Its one of the nations most isolated areas, known for its harsh climate, rough terrain and stunning beauty. I was back again in the afternoon, with my wife and daughters, after the sun finally warmed the cool morning air. So Torpes beach along the Alentejo coast is popular with surfers. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Mr. Gomess wife, Aida, is the villages President of the Baldio, an elected official charged with overseeing and keeping official tabs on the use of the forest areas and water springs used collectively by residents. But today the Portuguese capital is better known for its red-hot culinary scene and fine cultural institutions, including a new world-class museum on the waterfront. I have been traveling all my life and I have not seen a place in Europe that is this untouched, Ms. Cinzano, who built a rustic, seaside home here, said in an interview. My family and I showed up here this summer, almost by accident. In the end, helpers are treated to a feast. There are, not surprisingly, all kinds of outdoor activities to choose from. Anyone can read what you share. Several of the beaches, including an area called Santo Andr, have natural lagoons, making its calm, shallow waters safe for young children. The landscape is extraordinary and verdant, even in the dry months, Mr. Martin said. Alentejo takes that to another level, Mr. Martin said. It was early in the morning and his helpers welders, paint mixers, frame builders were just arriving for another day of work, as we walked through his studio, with dozens of his paintings in various states of completion, including paper soaking in vats of red, yellow and green paints, and large abstract canvases with layers of oil paint and acrylic gel. A brightly trimmed house on the main street of Porto Covo, a fishing village known for its beaches. Its walkable center is crammed with cobbled streets and balconies adorned with flowerpots, and the citys love of food and design is apparent in concept stores and trendy restaurants offering innovative small plates. What distinguishes this homey taberna is its innovative, market-driven cuisine. The local butcher, with his daughter standing by his side, was selling roasted whole chickens and slabs of fresh-cut beef to customers who only had to look into the store and nod to put in their orders, much as it has been done in this tiny hillside village in rural Portugal for decades now. Most of the pastures where they graze are either collectively owned by the village or located on the areas wild mountainsides, much of which, he said, might be affected or destroyed by the mine. The title was a morale booster for residents, who benefited from the new status by highlighting the environmentally friendly way in which their products are made and promoting the region as a prime location for ecotourism. Cattle in the Barroso graze outside all through the year and are never given animal feed. It is a system based on self-sufficiency, where residents eat what they grow, bake their own bread (often in their villages ancient community oven), step on grapes from their orchards to make wine, and slaughter hogs to make sausages and ham which they smoke above their kitchens fireplace. Stop here for the alheira de caa, a sausage made with white meats like rabbit and chicken, and served with garlicky spinach. these suggestions on what to pack for the trip. But there is not a single hotel in town. The bilevel Ponte de Dom Lus I stretches from the Ribeira section of Porto over the River Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia. It doesnt seem to fall in the contemporary world that we are used to. The region faces other threats, too. Life here was very hard. There are no other children close to their age for them to play with, but most grown-ups seem to take the responsibility of looking after them as they freely roam around the village. The nine-year cycle of growing cork, Alentejos clock, is stubborn, slow moving, durable and just right. A delightful trend thats ramped up in Porto is petiscos, the Portuguese version of tapas. Anyone can read what you share. The coronavirus pandemic has largely spared the Barroso, which has benefited from its isolation. A short walk from the station are two establishments patronized by Portos sweets-loving citizens. Elias Coelho, at right, chats with a neighbors visiting relative (and her son) in the streets of Vilarinho Seco, as a group of cows arrive from the fields. After shopping, grab a drink and head to the deck chairs on the patio in the summer, or the picnic tables in front of the indoor fire in the winter. Wander along the riverbank, or go for the tour at Sandeman or Taylors, then hop on the telefrico (5 euros), which will carry you back to the bridge. Admission, 3 euros, or about $3.70. In 2019, residents of Covas were surprised by the news that a mining company was awarded a permit, given by the Portuguese government, to extract lithium in the mountains surrounding the village. The Alentejo area has long been known as one of the poorest and least populated parts of Western Europe, although its sandy soil is fertile. From its stunning Beaux-Arts station to its cool bars serving Portos signature drink, this charming city combines the best of old and new. One must-order dish is the transportive ceviche puro of white fish in lime juice with red onion, tigers milk and rich dollops of mashed sweet potato crowned with sweet-potato chips. In inclement weather, take cover at Cerveteca Lisboa, a quiet beer bar across the street pouring hard-to-find brews from Portuguese craft breweries, like Dois Corvos and Passarola Brewing.

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