As the own term indicates, the Central Region of Portugal is situated in the heart of the country, right in the central part of it. This is a quite extensive region with such different features and ways of living in its territory, bordering in the northern side with the North Region, in the eastern side with Spain, in the southern side both with Alentejo’s and Lisboa Region and in the western part with the Atlantic Ocean.

The Central Region is a wide, extensive region, quite rich in history and heritage, home to such welcoming people, right in the heart of Portugal, with so much to tell and show.
This is a land of variety of landscape, where big and developed cities share traditions, testimonies and legacies along with small rural villages where time surely seems to have stopped; a place where the deep blue ocean of the Atlantic coast contrasts with the greenish inland mountains; the ocean as a communication and trading way, and the mountain side as a defensive stronghold with accesses difficulty.

The preservation and perpetuation of ancient traditions and costumes is a common element throughout the Region, either in the big developed cities like Coimbra, Leiria or Viseu, or on the small rural villages, with tiny schist constructions, lost somewhere on the mountain side, or even the small villages covered with white snow, in the gorgeous Serra da Estrela Mountain Range.

This landscape diversity is reflected in the rich Gastronomy of the Region, graciously combining the knowledge of ancient generations with the best flavor at the table. On the Coast line fresh sea food and shellfish are the stars at the table, along with the quality of the meat and cattle from the inner mountain ranges that possesses great climate, vegetation and pasture lands in order to produce amazing sausages and smoked-ham, cheese, honey and famous Wines.