For travellers off the beaten Track

You might come to stay in a forgotten village, but that does not mean there is nothing to see and do.  Apart from the landscape in walking distance, inspiring day trips are warmly recommended. There are a wide variety of cultural and lifestyle attractions within 30 mins drive of Ponte d'Arte.  Please see Celia's Guidebook on Airbnb.

Ponte d'Arte can host both artists and their families.  The Guidebook details the best local secret tips for home-cooked Portuguese dining, chanfana (goat stew) Caipirinha (lime cocktail), pastries, and breathtaking scenery, as well as all the budget shopping you'll need to make the most of your stay.  

Apart from charming villages, nearby attractions include nature parks, hiking trails and adventure sports.  Nature enthusiasts will find hiking trails to waterfalls, mountains, forests, rock formations, and river beaches.  

In the surrounding villages, artists can enjoy walking tours of the azulejos (ceramic pattern tiles), art nouveau architecture, or 16th century windmills with breathtaking mountaintop views.  The university city of Coimbra is Portugal's intellectual centre, hosting the oldest library in Europe and archives that may be of interest to researchers.

A number of sights are worth a day trip.  These include the Manueline Gothic architecture and garden of the Bussaco Palace, and the religious Shrine of Fatima.  Archeological sites include a number of local neolithic stone burial mounds, the excavated ruins of the iron age town Citânia de Briteiros, and the Roman mosaics and museum at Conímbriga.

Apart from hiking, adventure sports in the area include trekking, paintball, mountain biking, quad bike and 4x4 tours.  For thrills, try mountaineering, canyoning, rock climbing, abseiling, or bridge jumping. Water lovers, try river paddling, canoeing, rafting, water hiking, fly fishing, kite surfing, wind surfing, and diving. Poiares local sports: Municipal Stadium (football), the Kartódromo (race track), or bowling alley.