Instead of taking the almost 3-hour train ride from Lisbon to Porto, I chose to go by car service with stops in Obidos, Coimbra, and Aveiro/Costa Nova.
Óbidos
First stop out of Lisbon is Óbidos, meaning “walled city”, which is one of Portugal’s best preserved medieval walled towns. Óbidos is also known as the “Wedding Present Town” when King Dinis gave his new Queen Isabel the town as a wedding gift. From then, Portuguese queens controlled the town until 1834. It is a small town where one can walk across in 10 minutes or so.
Óbidos
Porta da Vila Gateway
Óbidos Town Walls
Óbidos Town Walls
Óbidos Town Walls
Óbidos
Rua Direita is the main street of Óbidos since the 14th century connecting the town gate to the castle.
Igreja de Santa Maria
Igreja de Santa Maria
Óbidos
Óbidos Castle
Óbidos Castle
Church of St. James and the St. James Bookstore. The church was completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1755 and rebuilt in 1772. It is now the St. James Bookstore.
Óbidos
Coimbra
A couple of hours north of LIsbon is the historic city of Coimbra, once the capital of Portugal. Coimbra is Portugal’s original university city and often known as the Oxford of Portgual. There are many historic monuments, churches, and museums here that chronicle the city’s past. Especially well known is the UNESCO Univeristy of Coimbra, one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1290. The baroque library, Biblioteca Joanina, of the univerisity is said to be an architectural masterpiece. Similar to most Portuguese cities, Coimbra old town is made up of a maze of narrow cobblestone streets, divided into the lower part (Baixa) near the river and the upper part (Alta) around the University. Historicallly, only the rich could afford to live within the protective walls of the Alta. Even today, the Baixa still remains a poorer section. Coimbra offers a unique blend of academic grandeur and intimate old-town feel.
Coimbra from Santa Clara Bridge
Coimbra from Santa Clara Bridge
Santa Clara Bridge that spans the Mondego River offers one of the best panoramic views of Coimbra. From the bridge, you can capture the entire hillside city rising from the waterfront to the university at the top.
Coimbra from Santa Clara Bridge
Coimbra from Santa Clara Bridge
Coimbra
Coimbra
The University of Coimbra is situated at the highest point of Coimbra, on the site of a former royal palace. The highlight of the University is the baroque Biblioteca Joanina or King João’s Library (no photography allowed) built in the early 18th century. Other than using oak wood for the bookshelves to keep insects away, there are 2 colonies of bats living in the building, eating insects, and hence protecting the books.
The Patio das Escolas (University Square) is the heart of the university.
The Patio das Escolas (University Square) is the heart of the university. The iconic clock tower (Torre da Universidade) rises from one end, and the Via Latina colonnade runs along the side.
The Chapel of São Miguel on the University Campus is a small but richly decorated chapel with stunning azulejos and a baroque organ.
The Chapel of São Miguel on the University Campus is a small but richly decorated chapel with stunning azulejos and a baroque organ.
The Royal Palace (Paço das Escolas) is made up of the former palace buildings, including the Sala dos Capelos (Great Hall), feature ornate painted ceilings and azulejo tile panels.
The Royal Palace (Paço das Escolas) is made up of the former palace buildings, including the Sala dos Capelos (Great Hall), feature ornate painted ceilings and azulejo tile panels.
Less than an hour’s drive to the south of Porto is the coastal town of Aveiro. Aveiro was founded for its commercial shipping and salt production. It is a favorite getaway for the Portuguese locals especially in the summer when they flock to the nearby beaches. Aveiro has been nicknamed the “Venice of Portugal” because of its maze of canals. Instead of having gondolas like in Venice, Aveiro has its own version of gondola-like boats called moliceiros. Moliceiros are boats traditionally used for gathering seaweed that was used as crop fertilizer, but today these colorfully painted boats are mainly used for carting tourists around.
Aveiro
Moliceiros boats in Aveiro
Moliceiros boats in Aveiro
Moliceiros boats in Aveiro
Aveiro
Aveiro
Aveiro
There are two beach towns close to Aveiro, Barra and Costa Nova, which are favored by the locals to enjoy sunbathing, water sports, or eating fresh seafood. Costa Nova is the more popular one with a beachside strip of picturesque rainbow-striped fisherman cottages. These dollhouse-like cottages were once used to store fishing gear and some have now been converted to cute accommodations. It has become an iconic Instagram spot especially on the lagoon side just north of the fishing harbor on Avenida José Estevão.
Rainbow-striped cottages of Costa Nova
Rainbow-striped cottages of Costa Nova
Rainbow-striped cottages of Costa Nova
Rainbow-striped cottages of Costa Nova
Rainbow-striped cottages of Costa Nova
If you are not in a rush, this is a great way to travel from Lisbon to Porto. There are other interesting towns which I plan to visit the next time I take the road between these two cities. The next few posts will be on Porto and the Douro Valley. Stay tuned!
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