Portugal by motorhome: North to South

Porto was a port and trading city, the country's name deriving from the Roman settlement Portus Cale. From the 17th century, the port wine trade with England shaped the city; many wineries still carry British names today. In the 18th century, Baroque master builder Nicolau Nasoni designed the Torre dos Clérigos, which became its landmark.The residents jokingly call themselves Tripeiros, tripe-eaters, after the dish Tripas à moda do Porto. The biggest festival is the Night of São João from June 23rd to 24th, when the city celebrates until morning, playfully taps heads with plastic hammers, and a fireworks display lights up the Douro at midnight. You'll find modern architecture in Rem Koolhaas' Casa da Música and in buildings by Álvaro Siza, such as the museum in Serralves.

For centuries, Aveiro thrived on salt, fishing, and seaweed. In the 16th century, the connection to the sea silted up, and the city lost its importance. Only an artificial canal to the Atlantic in the early 19th century brought back prosperity. The Art Nouveau buildings date from the affluent period around 1900.The Moliceiros were working boats used for gathering seaweed, or Moliço, which served as fertilizer. Their painted bows often depict humorous scenes. The Ovos Moles, sweet egg yolk cream in a wafer shell, originated from monastery recipes and are a protected specialty.

According to legend, in 1182, the Virgin Mary saved the knight Dom Fuas Roupinho, whose horse stopped in the fog at the Sítio cliff. From this, the pilgrimage site with the Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré emerged.Nazaré was long a fishing village where boats were pulled directly from the beach into the sea. Some elderly women still wear traditional skirts with multiple layers, and fish is dried on racks in the sun on the beach. The waves of Praia do Norte gained international fame starting in 2011 when surfer Garrett McNamara rode a record-breaking wave there.

From Olisipo to the EarthquakePhoenicians, Romans, and Moors shaped the city before Afonso Henriques conquered it in 1147. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Lisbon became the centre of a maritime empire; the Manueline style with its ropes, shells, and armillary spheres in stone is visible at the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower. The earthquake of 1 November 1755 destroyed large parts of the city. The Marquês de Pombal subsequently had the Baixa rebuilt in a grid pattern.Fado, Azulejos, and Santos PopularesFado, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2011, originated in Alfama and Mouraria and is still sung today in small Casas de Fado. Painted tiles adorn churches, train stations, and residential buildings. In June, the city celebrates the Santos Populares, culminating in the night of 13 June in honour of Saint Anthony with grilled sardines in the alleys.

For a long time, this region was a secluded estate primarily cultivating rice. Characterized by low white houses and traditional thatched-roof fishing huts, a style now embraced by many new holiday homes. The menu features fish, seafood, and rice dishes like Arroz de Peixe.

Once a small fishing village, the town gained a fortress against pirate attacks around 1600, now the Forte de São Clemente. Restaurants prioritize fish and seafood; coastal staples are Ameijoas and fish stew. Since the Rota Vicentina's construction, hikers visit the region even outside summer.

Under Henry the Navigator, Lagos was an important port for the Portuguese voyages of discovery. From 1444, enslaved Africans were sold here, now remembered by the Museum in the Mercado de Escravos. The 1755 earthquake destroyed large parts of the city. In restaurants, fish and seafood dominate, complemented by almond and fig sweets from the Algarve.