Feb 25, 20222 min read

Bits of Portugal

Updated: Feb 26, 2022

As I was putting this design together, it struck me that it serves as a kind of pocket virtual tour around Portugal using the web-based version of Google Earth. Please find below links to the locations in Google Earth, as well as the original source photos and some tidbits.

Click here to trigger the view in the leftmost image, Praia Emil just west of Albufeira.

Skeleton found on cliff-top, Portugal Resident, 23rd May 2013. Before you get all true-crimey, this was an archeological discovery and apparently not too uncommon.

Tip of the hat here, as always, to the incredible Vitor Oliveira (aka, Portuguese_eyes), indefatigable photographer of all of Portugal who generously donates many thousands of photographs to the Commons via Flickr. His life mission is to visit and document every single municipality in the country, and I believe he is very close to achieving that goal.

I love this view taken somewhere around Lisbon. It's a very atypical shot of Lisbon, taken a bit down the coast away from the city proper, I would imagine. It definitely captures the essence of a Portuguese town almost anywhere in the country. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate it exactly using Google Earth, but this screen grab comes close:

The Alentejo Region of Portugal is too huge and complex an area for me to possibly provide a summary here. Added to that is the fact that I have neglected it in my research into the countryside of Portugal, something I need to rectify. I know that they are currently experiencing harsh drought conditions, as is almost all of the country to some degree: Drought affects almost all districts of Portugal, Portugal Resident, 24th January 2022.

Click below for all the cork oaks you could possibly need via Google Earth:

Castelo dos Mouros, Sintra - Castle of the Moors

If you ever manage to visit Sintra, the Castle of the Moors must reside near the top your list of places to visit, only potentially bumped out of the top spot by fog or poor weather. Nothing short of breathtaking on a clear day. Clicking on the leftmost image below will trigger that view in Google Earth, while the other three photos are mine.

The Douro River and accompanying section of valley running through northern Portugal are famous in equal measure for the quality of the wine produced there and the meticulous terracing that grows the grapes for that wine. It is a very beautiful landscape, photogenic as hell. For a relevant chuckle, please check out this blog post I wrote last year about the development of a design based on a bad pun.

Click on the screen grab below for Google Earth:

Ponte 25 de Abril, Lisbon - 25th of April Bridge

The 25th of April Bridge, renamed so for the date of the revolution, is the route one takes when heading south out of Lisbon. I've crossed it four times, and hope to do so again one day. Click the screen grab below to trigger that view in Google Earth. The following photos are ones I took in 2005.

Ponte de Dom Luís I, Porto - The Dom Luís I Bridge

Visiting Porto is a bucket-list destination for me. The most iconic landmark there is the visually captivating Dom Luis Bridge. I follow two photographers on Instagram who live in Porto, and their feeds are worth taking a look at: