MyPortugalHoliday.com
The best independent guide to Central Portugal
MyPortugalHoliday.com
The best independent guide to Central Portugal
About Phil Giddings: Your guide to authentic Portugal
Olá, I'm Phil. While many trips to Portugal focus on the big cities, this website is dedicated to the curious traveller—the one who wants to look beyond the headlines and discover the country’s hidden gems. Today, sharing this deeper knowledge of Portugal is my full-time profession.
My love affair with Portugal began in 2001, when my wife, Carla, first introduced me to her home country. She shared a local's perspective that ignited a passion for exploration. I soon realised that the most reliable travel information came from first-hand experience, not outdated guidebooks. In 2009, I launched my first website as a passion project, which has since grown into my full-time job. While my other sites focus on specific regions, I created MyPortugalHoliday.com to shine a light on the incredible places that often get overlooked.
For me, the real magic of Portugal is found on the road less travelled. It’s found on the wild Alentejo coast in towns like Vila Nova de Milfontes, where the Mira River meets the Atlantic, offering a rawer, more authentic beach experience than the crowded Algarve. It's in the unique landscape of Foz do Arelho on the Silver Coast, where children can play safely in the calm Óbidos Lagoon while powerful Atlantic waves crash on the other side of the sandbar. And it’s hidden deep in the country's heartland, in the ancient Schist Villages (Aldeias do Xisto), where you can feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
My approach is, and always has been, built on personal exploration. It means taking the scenic route, stopping in small towns not mentioned in mainstream guides, and finding that perfect local restaurant that only serves one dish of the day. Every guide on this site is the result of that passion for discovery.
I hope these guides inspire you to find your own hidden corner of this amazing country. Thank you for trusting me with your holiday plans.
For my full story and specific expertise on Lisbon, you can read my main profile here.
Discover more of central Portugal with our guides
About this guide: I'm Philip Giddings. I live in Graça, Lisbon, with my Portuguese wife Carla, whose family have been Lisboetas for generations. I've been visiting Portugal since 2001 and writing the independent guides at MyPortugalHoliday.com since 2011, which is now my full-time work. Central Portugal was where Carla and I did much of our early exploring together, and twenty-five years on we still return to the same towns every year: the beaches at Nazaré and Ericeira with family in summer, the walled streets of Óbidos, and the quieter spots inland that most itineraries skip. Carla's extended family are spread across the region, from an aunt near Évora to good friends in Tomar, which gives me firsthand insight and people to check things with on the ground.
This site has 157 guides covering Portugal, from Coimbra down to the southern Alentejo. It takes no payment from tourist boards, tour operators, or attractions for inclusion, and is funded by affiliate commissions on tour bookings, disclosed on every page that contains them. Every practical detail (ticket prices, opening hours, bus and train routes, time-slot policies) is checked against the official sources and verified in person on the trips I make through the region across the year. Read my full story here.
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