The Azores islands are one of Portugal's best kept secrets. The archipelago is located about a third of the way to America's east coast and stretches over around 600 kilometres. I shot this footage on the largest island, São Miguel, which is where you'll find incredible landscapes as well as the capital, Ponta Delgada. Of all the places I've ever visited, this island has to be one of my favourites. I hope this video helps show why.
Driving Portugal's east: Serra da Estrela and Serra de São Mamede
In Portugal's east are the natural park regions of Serra da Estrela and Serra de São Mamede, complete with mountains, valleys, lakes, waterfalls, quaint villages, and, when the cooler months set in, thick blankets of snow.
On board The Presidential in Portugal's Douro Valley
I had the privilege of joining the first edition of The Presidential’s gourmet train experience for 2017, where Michelin star dining meets Portuguese heritage. Read my blog post about The Presidential.
Song Deep by Australian muso Isabella Loong of sydneyandstreet
Here are some short video clips I've shot on my phone so you can explore Portugal with me. I'm also a lover of Instagram stories, so make sure you follow me on Instagram for live video updates.
The local (i.e. giant seagull) tour of Porto's Ribeira precinct
Don't mess with Portugal's seagulls or they might eat you. #featheredgiants (pigeons included for scale)
Lisbon's Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT)
The MAAT was completed in March 2017 and is located next to the Tejo Power Station (which is also worth a look) in Belém, Lisbon.
Surf Interpretation Centre, Ericeira
In 2016 a high-tech surf interpretation centre was opened in Ericeira, home of Europe's only World Surfing Reserve. Definitely worth checking out if you visit Ericeira (which you should, as it's a groovy little town).
Ericeira's fishing industry
While life’s a bit of a beach in Ericeira (it’s a world surfing reserve after all), the town also sustains a small fishing industry. The fact there’s no harbour makes things slightly more challenging for local fisherman when compared to some of Portugal’s other seaside villages, but they still reel in some stellar seafood (refer to the posts on my Facebook page and you’ll see what I mean).
Here’s a short clip showing the coastal grit of Ericeira as the boats come in from early morning fishing expeditions. I can only imagine how seasick I’d get on one of those rickety things on the high seas.
Churrasqueira: the Portuguese grill
A typical style of no-frills eatery in Portugal is the churrasqueira, where it's all about the grilled meat. Here are some deliciously juicy finger-lickin' chickens (or 'chooks' as we'd say in Australia) at Frangasqueira Nacional in Lisbon. (Just make sure you front up to this place early to beat the line down the street.)
Fresh seafood in Matosinhos, Porto
The Portuguese eat seafood by the truckload and one of the best places to enjoy the haul of the day is in Matosinhos, Porto. Here's a clip showing salt-crusted sea bass (robalo) and an assortment of Portugal's finest sea creatures at Restaurante Os Lusíadas.