Praia da Luz, Portugal | Portugal Special Report

Most people know Sintra from a tourist perspective and associate it with misty green hills and palaces… While that view isn’t completely wrong, the truth is that there’s more to Sintra than meets the eye.

Sintra is not only a historical town but also a municipality. This means several parishes and a substantial variety of housing options, from commuter towns to villages to luxury properties.

Sintra sits somewhere between a busy town and a quiet village. This balancing act is part of its charm and reflects its evolution across the centuries. Discover all that Sintra has to offer in this Portugal Special Report.

If you’re considering Portugal for retirement… but Lisbon and Porto seem too big… and you can’t picture yourself in a tiny village… Then Coimbra, one of the most important cities in Central Portugal, might be the spot for you.

Coimbra is one of Portugal’s most ancient cities. It’s famous for its university, which is one of the oldest in the world. The university and its students create a natural buzz, and the city has its own monuments and cultural traits, including exhibitions, concerts, and other entertainment.

Coimbra has a lot going on, but at the same time, it has a relaxed pace of life. Get to know this underrated Portuguese city in this Portugal Special Report.

At an ancient crossroads in the hills of the eastern Algarve, the town of São Brás de Alportel has a rare claim to fame in inland Portugal: its population is steadily growing. It has bucked the trend of depopulation, which has taken out many of the Algarve’s smaller villages.

São Brás is an inland municipality of some 11,000 people. A palpable sense of community, astute political leadership, and some key practical considerations have set it on a winning path. Today, its population has a growing international flair.

São Brás is not a prime Algarve beauty spot, but it has a small, scenic old quarter with a church and narrow, cobbled streets, plus it’s only 15 minutes to the sea. Discover São Brás’ little gems in this Portugal Special Report.