Silver coast is pure gold: Discover Portugal's Silver Coast

Wanted: a short-haul, unspoiled holiday destination, combining guaranteed sunshine, stunning scenery, a majestic coastline, culture and history, and lovely locals who outnumber foreign tourists. It also needs to be as safe as it possibly could be in these troubled times, value for money and lend itself to a road trip with a night in a vibrant city at the start and finish. 

It was a big ask, we knew that, but oh boy – or “garoto” as they say in Portuguese – did we get lucky! Arriving in Porto, Portugal’s second city, at the start of our five-day road trip along the country’s Costa de Prata or Silver Coast, we knew we’d chosen the right place. 

Situated on the north bank of the Douro river and close to the ocean, Porto’s historic centre was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 – and little wonder. The panorama of the city from the cathedral, with its higgledy-piggledy medieval architecture and red-tiled roofs, reminded me of a page from a pop-up picture book.

It’s also the city where Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling lived for two years and it’s clear to see that Porto provided much inspiration for the boy wizard’s world. During our two-hour walking tour of the city, courtesy of our hotel, we visited the Livraria Lello bookshop.

Designed in Gothic Revival style and opened in 1906, it is Hogwarts brought to life, complete with swirly staircase. Be prepared for a wait, though – we had to queue to get in.

Later, we crossed the famous Meccano-like Maria Pia Bridge to the Gaia area of the city, where most of the port wineries, the city’s most famous export, are situated. What better way to spend an afternoon than by sampling a range of ports? 

The next morning, we picked up our hire car and started the road trip for real. First stop, driving south, was Aveiro, a charming town known as the “Venice of Portugal” thanks to its high-prowed boats, humpbacked bridges and small network of picturesque canals. 

We took a trip aboard a brightly-coloured moliceiro – the traditional seaweed-harvesting boat now converted to tourist use – but we were longing for beaches and had heard there were some beautiful ones near Aveiro. Time was short, so on the advice of a local we headed for Costa Nova and discovered a former fishing village on the coast, situated between an estuary and the shore.

The beach itself is an open stretch of “blue flag” pristine sand, sandwiched between undulating dunes and the clear, crashing waves of the Atlantic. We had a quick paddle before heading back to the village to marvel at the quaint candy-striped houses, formerly grain-stores, which overlook the ria (or salt-water river). 

That evening we made for the university city of Coimbra, some 76km inland. We had booked to stay at a Pousadas de Portugal, a uniquely Portuguese chain of hotels of historical or cultural significance, on the outskirts of the city.

The Pousada de Condeixa-Coimbra stands on what was once the 16th-century palace of the noble Almada family and Counts of Avranches. We channelled our inner aristocrats as we enjoyed the excellent hospitality, although happily not for too princely a sum – an excellent dinner, bed and breakfast cost around 200 euros for the two of us. 

The next day, we explored Coimbra itself. The medieval capital of Portugal for more than a hundred years, its university is now listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Its ancient buildings cling to the side of the hill that rises above the curves of the Mondego River, and the ornate buildings of the famous university are its crowning glory.

A couple of black-gowned students acted as tour guides before performing fado – Portuguese folk music with an urban twist. 

Next stop was Nazaré, the most famous fishing village on the Silver Coast. Named after the Biblical Nazareth in the 4th Century, it had possibly the most perfect beach we’d ever seen – a wide, curving ribbon of pale gold lapped by magnificent white-crested waves. Little wonder Nazaré has become something of a surfers’ paradise.

After a late lunch of seafood and chilled rosé at the beachside Restaurante Tipico Maria do Mar, we took the funicular up to the headland, looked out to sea and drank in one of the most stunning vistas on the Portuguese coastline. 

But our trip wasn’t quite at an end yet – the medieval town of Óbidos was next on our itinerary. We’d read it was one of the most picturesque in Portugal – and we weren’t disappointed. We discovered a well-preserved castle within the walls, and a maze of streets and white houses that were a delight to stroll around.

We lodged at the castle itself, another pousada, and officially one of the seven wonders of Portugal. It was, without doubt, the most romantic hotel in which we’d ever stayed, and sipping the famous Ginjinha de Óbidos – sour cherry brandy drunk from a small chocolate cup – on the balcony was a real pinch-me moment.

A flying visit to the hill town of Sintra with its ornate palaces, ancient ruins and decorative houses, which poet Byron described as “glorious Eden”, wasn’t nearly long enough. But sadly time was running out and Lisbon was beckoning. 

Our retro-style Airbnb in the funky Bairro Alto district of the capital was even better than we’d hoped and Christa, our host, couldn’t have been more helpful. We took one of the old-fashioned trams to the Antiga Confeitaria de Belem bakery where we sampled the famous Portuguese custard tarts known as Pastéis de Belém, baked to a secret 200-year-old recipe. 

Like the rest of our Portuguese adventure, it was heavenly.

WAY TO GO

EasyJet (easyjet.com) one-way flights from the UK to Porto start from £43, and to Lisbon from £30. Pousadas of Portugal (pousadasofportugal.com) offers accommodation with dinner for two at a historic Pousada from £115 per room, per night. A discounted rate is available for over 55s. Five days’ car hire with Sixt Car Rental (sixt.co.uk) costs from £135. 

Ten things you must do on Portugal’s Atlantic coast

1 Visit the Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, complete with Hogwarts staircase, before taking a tour of a port winery.

2 Take a coastal excursion on a brightly coloured moliceiro boat in Aveiro.

3 Stay overnight in a pousada, a chain of luxury, traditional and historical Portuguese hotels (pousadas.pt/uk).

4 Soak up the sounds of fado (traditional Portuguese folk music) in Coimbra.

5 Sample a Pastéis de Belém from the Antiga Confeitaria de Belém in Lisbon or order fresh fish from a beachside restaurant in Nazaré.

6 Watch surfers ruling the waves on Nazaré Beach.

7 Make like a local and hop on a tram in Lisbon.

8 Explore the forested, fairy-tale hill town of Sintra with its elegant pastel-hued villas and ancient castle.

9 Enjoy the view of the Silver Coast from Sitio.

10 Take a stroll past the traditional candy-striped Palheiros houses in Costa Nova.