Small Town Series: Portugal
Good Morning!
Here is another installment of the Small Town series. Today's country is Portugal. All of these small towns have 50,000 inhabitants or less. I will be covering 7 different towns in today's post. I have included as much as I can about each small town.
Population numbers come from worldpopulationreview.com
Guimaraes- 40,604 inhabitants
Guimarães is a city in northern Portugal. It’s known for well-preserved medieval buildings like the hilltop, 10th-century Guimarães Castle, with its sweeping city views. The restored Dukes of Bragança Palace, built in the style of a French chateau, has a museum showcasing furniture, tapestries and weapons. Between the palace and the castle is the Romanesque São Miguel do Castelo Church, built in the 13th century.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Guimaraes
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/guimaraes
Sintra- 26,193 inhabitants
Sintra is a resort town in the foothills of Portugal’s Sintra Mountains, near the capital, Lisbon. A longtime royal sanctuary, its forested terrain is studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces. The Moorish- and Manueline-style Sintra National Palace is distinguished by dramatic twin chimneys and elaborate tilework. The hilltop 19th-century Pena National Palace is known for a whimsical design and sweeping views.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sintra
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/lisbon/sintra
Tavira- 15,133 inhabitants
Tavira is a small city on Portugal’s Algarve coast. It straddles the Gilão River, which reaches the sea through the inlets and lagoons of Ria Formosa Natural Park. Tavira Island has a long, sandy beach, plus salt pans that attract flamingos, spoonbills and other wading birds. In the center, medieval Tavira Castle has city views. The Santa María do Castelo Church houses the tombs of 7 knights killed by the Moors.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/the-algarve/tavira
Valbom- 15,133 inhabitants
Valbom is a city and a former civil parish in the municipality of Gondomar, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Gondomar, Valbom e Jovim.
Rio Maior- 12,064 inhabitants
Rio Maior is a municipality in the Santarém District in Portugal. The present mayor is Isaura Morais of the Social Democratic Party, the first woman to be elected mayor in the municipality. The municipal holiday is November 6.
Fatima- 11,798 inhabitants
Fátima is a central Portuguese town that's home to the Sanctuary of Fátima, a Catholic pilgrimage site. The Capelinha das Aparições marks the spot where the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared in 1917. Other sacred sites include the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, with its golden angels, and the modern church of Igreja da Santíssima Trindade. The Museu de Arte Sacra e Etnologia exhibits religious artifacts.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/fatima
https://www.britannica.com/place/Fatima
Lousã- 11,445 inhabitants
Lousã is a municipality in the district of Coimbra, in the central part of Portugal.
Vinhais- 9,066 inhabitants
Vinhais is a municipality in the district of Bragança, northern Portugal. The present mayor is Américo Afonso Pereira, elected by the Socialist Party. The municipal holiday is May 20.
Óbidos- 3,100 inhabitants
Óbidos is a town and a municipality in Oeste region.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/central-portugal/obidos
Monsaraz- 782 inhabitants
Monsaraz is a civil parish of the municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz, on the right margin of the Guadiana River in the Portuguese Alentejo region, near its border with Spain.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/monsaraz
Bonus Beautiful Town
Aveiro- 54,162 inhabitants
Aveiro is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It is the second most populous city in the Centro Region of Portugal (after Coimbra). Along with the neighbouring city of Ílhavo, Aveiro is part of an urban agglomeration that includes 120,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most important populated regions by density in the North Region, and primary centre of the Intermunicipal Community of Aveiro and Baixo Vouga. Administratively, the president of the municipal government is José Ribau Esteves, elected by coalition between the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Social Centre, who governs the ten civil parishes.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/aveiro
Hope you enjoyed today's post. We have come to the end of the Small Town Series, what country was your favorite? Have an awesome day :)
