Portugal rental cottages blog

A Perfect Silver Coast Beach

There are so many reasons why you should choose the Silver Coast as your summer holiday destination this year. Holidays in Portugal have always been a good choice due to great weather, glorious beaches and excellent value for money, but there are so many more reasons why you should book a Silver Coast holiday this year – and here are just a few of them . . .

Portugal is a gentle, friendly country on the Iberian Peninsular that enjoys a peaceful laid back way of life in a warm sunny climate. The Portuguese are proud of their marvellous history, which includes days of glory when explorers such as Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama made daring voyages to discover and claim a vast empire for the King of Portugal.

Historic towns and villages are a notable feature of the Silver Coast from castles and majestic architectural buildings to rustic windmills and quaint, cobbled fishing villages. Portugal is also home to a number of beautifully preserved castles, and several World Heritage Sites – two on the Silver Coast.

The Silver Coast is blessed with picturesque rolling countryside and a stunning coastline that stretches for miles featuring countless long sandy beaches and pretty bays and lagoons.

When you add to all of that the award winning golf courses, affordable bars and restaurants, huge range of water sports and budget flights from the UK in less than 2½ hours, the Silver Coast really does seem to be the obvious choice for year round holidays in Portugal.

Choose your favourite Portugal holiday villa from the great selection available on the Silver Coast from Portugal Holiday Rentals.

A Fantastic Budget Restaurant on the Silver Coast

Tucked away down a little cobbled street in an historic town on the Silver Coast is a charming family run restaurant that is full to capacity every lunchtime and evening. This typical Portuguese restaurant is a thriving business that offers well cooked food at very reasonable prices and is just one of a number of good quality, budget restaurants that can be found right here on the Silver Coast.

We ate our fill from the daily ‘Prato do Dia’ (plate of the day) lunch menu which today was a choice of Pork Alentejana (a traditional Portuguese dish of diced pork cooked together with clams and fried potatoes) or Fillets of Dourada ( sea bass) served with mashed potatoes and salad. The generous main course was followed by a choice of delicious home made puddings and washed down with a jug of very acceptable house wine. Not bad for €6.50 a head.

When you book a self catering villa or apartment in Portugal with us here at Portugal Holiday Rentals it doesn’t mean you have to actually cater for yourself throughout your holiday, at these prices you could happily eat out everyday and still keep within your holiday budget.

Having said that, if you choose a Portugal holiday villa or apartment from the great selection we have available, you will find a fully equipped kitchen at your disposal – just in case you fancy a change . . .

The Romantic Town of Obidos, Silver Coast, Portugal

If you are looking for an original idea for a Valentine’s gift this year why not book a romantic holiday in Portugal for you and your sweetheart? Holidays in Portugal are an affordable way to enjoy some relaxing, quality time together in a beautiful country famous for its sunshine and glorious beaches.

The medieval walled town of Obidos on the Silver Coast is an ideal place to spend your romantic holiday in Portugal. The town is famous for being presented to Queen Isabel by King Dinis as a wedding present way back in 1282, a tradition that continued with successive royal couples until the 19^th century.

A stroll through the picturesque cobbled streets of Obidos is enough to make anyone feel romantic, with pretty white washed cottages and tiny hidden bars and cafes where the owners will welcome you in and treat you like royalty.

Choose a gorgeous Portugal holiday villa from the wide selection available from us here at Portugal Holiday Rentals and you will be in your partner’s good books at least until next Valentine’s Day – happy memories last a lifetime, unlike a rose that will fade before you know it . . .

Chourico in Portugal

Holidays in Portugal invariably include a great deal of eating and drinking. Portuguese cuisine is not exactly renowned throughout the world, but it is always a pleasant surprise when you arrive. One of the most delicious foods regularly available in Portugal is Chourico, a smoky dried sausage that is eaten throughout the country.

Chouricos are a national passion and enthusiastically consumed throughout Portugal in a variety of ways. The smoky flavoursome sausage makes a wonderful addition to a main course or barbecue or can simply be eaten sliced as a starter or a snack – but however you choose to eat your Chourico, it will be a delicious treat and a real taste of Portugal.

Ask anyone in Portugal where the best Chourico is made and they will all have a different answer. Many, of course will insist that there are none finer than those made by their Grandmother, using her secret recipe, others are happy to buy from their local butchers – yes, we still have butcher’s shops in Portugal, the supermarkets haven’t taken over yet!

During your holidays in Portugal you will find opportunities to try a genuine Portuguese Chourico – either in a café or restaurant, or perhaps you should buy one from the local market and enjoy it by the pool of your Portugal holiday villa.

Picnic Areas in Portugal

A fun way to spend a sunny afternoon during your holidays in Portugal is to enjoy a picnic! Portugal is a great place for picnics with designated picnic areas – or Parques de Merendas – dotted throughout the countryside which are free for anyone to use.

The Silver Coast is a beautiful part of Portugal, an ideal choice for your summer holidays, and has some fabulous picnic areas for you to enjoy. Some Parques de Merendes will be a simple collection of wooden tables and benches – while others include running water, large barbecues and perhaps some swings and slides for the kids.

Some of the best picnic areas in Portugal are in and around Obidos. There is a simple one close to entrance to the medieval walled town and another bigger one around the back of the castle walls. This one has a great play area and fabulous views over the Silver Coast countryside.

Possibly my favourite picnic area in Portugal is beside the Obidos Lagoon, the huge barbecue there is a good place to make friends as people stand around prodding their steaks or fish and drinking cool beer in the sunshine while children run around playing happily in the shallow lagoon water.

Portugal Holiday Rentals have a wide selection of holiday villas and apartments for you to rent for your 2012 summer holiday, in all the best countryside or beach locations on the Silver Coast of Portugal.

Happy Holidays!

Our Village Festa on the Silver Coast, Portugal

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Looking for a holiday in the Real Portugal? Then look no further than the Silver Coast . . .

 Our village here on the Silver Coast held its annual festa this weekend – the Portuguese version of the village fete – and as usual there was an enthusiastic turnout with music, dancing, eating and drinking until late into the night. Most villages in Portugal hold a ‘festa’ every year giving villagers and visitors the opportunity to have fun and raise money for local causes at the same time.

 In keeping with Portuguese tradition the festa takes place over several days, each day opening with noisy fireworks to remind everyone to come along – and includes a programme of events that range from religious services to drinking and dancing into the small hours.

 The whole village is decorated with colourful lights, fresh flowers and bunting and stalls selling candyfloss, popcorn, sweets and balloons appear in the village square. A huge stage is erected ready for the live music that is played loudly and almost continually for the duration of the festa. The organisers also open a ‘pop up’ restaurant that serves freshly barbecued chicken and other Portuguese favourites – with a magnificent feast of traditional Cozido á Portuguesa for Sunday lunch.

Visitors are always welcomed at these charming local events so if you spot a village festa taking place during your holiday in Portugal don’t hesitate to join in!

Portugal Holiday Rentals have a great selection of holiday villas in quaint villages and seaside locations throughout the Silver Coast – perfect for your 2012 summer holiday in Portugal.

Delicious Cheese From Portugal

Some of the most delightful aspects of a holiday in Portugal are simple everyday things such as local food and drink. You probably know that Portugal produces great wines – but what about some Portuguese cheese to go with it?

The mouth watering range of cheeses available in Portugal includes everything from the pale and delicate fresh cheese (Queijo Fresco) to the strong flavoured hard cheese from São Jorge Island (Queijo da Ilha).

In Portugal, cheese is often served at the beginning of a meal along with a dish of olives and perhaps some sardine pate or smoky Chourico sausage – and of course it makes a delicious snack to accompany a glass of Portuguese wine, either in a bar on the seafront or on the terrace of your Portugal holiday villa.

The ubiquitous toasted ham and cheese sandwich is widely consumed throughout Portugal and served in almost every bar and café all day long. The sliced cheese that is traditionally used for these ‘Tostas Mistas’ goes by the exotic name of Queijo Flamengo, a mild pale cheese made from cow’s milk, however other varieties of cheese in Portugal can also made from either sheep’s or goat’s milk.

So, during your holiday in Portugal seek out a local cheese and try a little on a sunny afternoon washed down a glass or two of delicious local wine. Perfect . . .

Storks in Portugal

Driving out of the pretty seaside town of Sao Martinho do Porto this morning I noticed that our stork family have returned to their nest for the breeding season. Storks are a familiar sight on the Silver Coast at this time of year and are fascinating birds to watch as they go about their business.

Portugal has a diverse range of wildlife, and storks are definitely some of the most interesting. They are a common sight in certain regions of Portugal including the Silver Coast and can give an exotic feel to your holiday.

Storks are a protected species in Portugal and therefore it is illegal to destroy or even move their nests. If an occasion arises when a stork’s nest is in the way it is essential to give the birds a suitable alternative, and therefore not uncommon to see the enormous nests rebuilt on tall poles beside a busy new road or large building.

One of my favourite stork’s nests on the Silver Coast is perched high and precariously on top of the clock tower of an ancient church in a small village – a typical picturesque Silver Coast scene worthy of any postcard home from your holiday in Portugal.