Exploring Portugal, Coimbra

It was a little ambitious, with the few days we had in Lisbon, to travel as far as Coimbra and Porto … but wanting to see as much of the country as possible, we did it.

Arco de Almedina

Our first day trip to the north was to the college town of Coimbra. We arrived by train at Station B on the outskirts of town. From there it is necessary to take a shuttle train to the more central Station A, just a few minutes walk to the lower city center.

Beginning at the Largo da Portagem square, a short stroll takes you down Rua de Ferreira Borges, the the main pedestrian street lined with shops and cafés. Along the way and to the right, steps lead through the ancient Arco de Almedina, part of the old town wall, to the upper town, cathedral and university.

Reminiscent of Lisbon’s cathedral, the old Coimbra cathedral is worth a look inside. The serene, pretty cloister, the oldest Gothic cloister in Portugal, is also worth a visit.

Coimbra University's Library

Coimbra is home to Portugal’s oldest and most prestigious university, and the university is the main attraction in town. The grounds are open to the public and provide a nice view over the town, but tickets are needed to tour the buildings. We did not have time for a tour but would have liked to have been able to see the Baroque library, which is supposed to be quite grand inside.

Further along, past the university, is the botanical garden. Established in 1772 on land previously owned by Benedictine monks, the garden was originally used to grow and provide medicinal plants for medical studies at the university.

San Sebastian Aqueduct

Adjacent to the garden stands the San Sebastian Aqueduct, built over what was once a Roman aqueduct. The superb structure is an unexpected site as it seems to roar down the road as if it owned the place. You can just imagine it transporting all important water to town back in the day.

Nearby is a nice view looking down toward the graceful Santa Clara Bridge as it spans the Mondego River.

View Santa Clara Bridge and the Mondego River

Speaking of the river, along its bank, near the town center, sits the Dr. Manuel Braga park. The park sprawls from the Santa Clara Bridge to the Pedro and Inês pedestrian bridge. It is a pleasant place to roam and perhaps stop for a bite to eat or a cool drink. River cruises are available April to September. They weren’t running while we were there in October, but it would be a nice way to spend a lazy, pleasurable hour.

Coimbra is a nice historical town in Portugal’s heartland. It is an agreeable place to visit, but I can’t say it was a favorite of ours. It was very quiet, especially considering we were there on a Friday. Many of the nicer restaurants were either empty or closed at lunch time. Perhaps we missed something, but we just didn’t find it near as enjoyable as the other places we visited on this trip.