Location: Penacova
Top Things to do in Penacova
What to do and see in Penacova, Portugal: The Best Places and Tips
Penacova (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɨnɐˈkɔvɐ] or [pe-]) is a town and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 15,251, in an area of 216.73 km².
Restaurants in Penacova
1. Monastery of Lorvao
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By Joontns - Lisbon
Lorvão monastery is a lost gem. It has an amazing history dating back probably to the VI century. Today it offers an imposing church, a beautiful choir and very interesting works of art. The monastery has a person that takes care of the monument, touring you through the monument and opening all those doors that are closed from public eyes. He is extremely acknowledgeable about the history of the monument and the tour costs just 1.5€. This monument needs help to set the museum and become a centre of development for an area that is quite poor. Far from the eyes and the routes of tourists it offers a genuine and different experience and is not that far from Coimbra. In front of the monastery, there is a sweet shop offering the old conventual recipes. I did not tried them.
2. Praia Fluvial de Vimieiro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By StIvesMaid - St Ives, United Kingdom
Although out of season when we visited, this was bathed in Sunshine and the water was clear and inviting. We visit here every year. The restaurant is great too.
3. Biblioteca Joanina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 423 reviews
Reviewed By John P - Stockton-on-Tees, United Kingdom
This is an absolute must see if you are anywhere near the university. Such a shame that cameras cannot be used (probably due to the numbties who do not know how turn off the flashing their camera/phone)
4. Palace of Bussaco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 163 reviews
Reviewed By shimipor - Jacksonville, Alabama
So much was written about that Hotel. Mostly good things.
We, two couples spent one night at the hotel.
The hotel is located in a forest not far way from highways.
We enjoyed the time there: Atmosphere was unique and good. Service was great and meals were delicious.
Rooms were clean but small, tiny TV.
We definitely recommend on it.
5. Miradouro De Penacova
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By Amazon122s - Santa Comba Dao, Portugal
Miradouro de Penacova.
Point of view in Penacova. From this point you have a nice view over a piece of the Mondego river, who passes in Penacova and Coimbra.
The location of this point of view behind the “Palecette Hotel***” in Penacova.
How to reach it: coming from Coimbra, just follow the IP3 in the direction of Viseu. Get out of the IP3 by the “first” or “second” exit for Penacova, the first one is a more scenic one, and has as bonus the “kiln Ovens” about half the track on the right hand side, worth a quick stop!
Continue until the roundabout, turn again on your right and uphill, until the second and small roundabout with a “water Wheel” in the middle, turn left and continue uphill.
Then turn left in the second narrow street on your left, just before you get on the “City Hall”. After the traffic light continue to the right and after the “Post office” it is getting real narrow, just a normal car passes, but you are close to the point. When you arrive in front of the hotel, continue to the right and after 100 meters you have the point of view, have a nice day.
By making an “Anagram” of Penacova: Pe = feet / na = in / cova = grave, so literaly translated, when you are in Penacova, you are with one feet in the grave, have a nice look.
Ps. by taking the second exit, follow the instructions from the roundabout, turn left and right!
6. Fado ao Centro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Fado ao Centro is a Cultural Association of Fado from Coimbra, opened from Monday to Sunday (10am to 7pm). Located in the historical center of Coimbra (Rua Quebra Costas),the entrance to the photo exhibition about Coimbras University tradition & informations are for free. Also have Fado shows everyday, with a recreation of a Live Serenade, that everyone can experience for a small amount of money! A magical space with a unique atmosphere were you can find the most genuine and traditional Fado from Coimbra everyday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Only the best musicians of the city play in Fado ao Centro and they are selected according to the highest standards of this 160 year old tradition. Even if you can't witness the concert, don't miss the oportunity to visit our space and get to know a little bit more about Fado from Coimbra. There are always musicians playing and rehearsing so you can change experiences and learn more about the Portuguese Guitar and this unique musical tradition. Bewtween 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. we have the "Afternoon Rehearsals" with our regular musicians. You can always pass by, watch them play and anyone that want's to bring their own instrument is also welcome to join! At 6:00 p.m. we start our daily 50 minute long concert of Fado from Coimbra. If you are interested in attending our concert, we strongly advise you to make a reservation in order to ensure your seat. We don't serve any kind of food, so we are totally committed to the concert itself, enabling a genuine atmosphere and unique cultural and musical experience in Coimbra! Following the work that has been held by this Cultural Association, you'll find different exclusive editions of books, CDs and DVDs related to Fado from Coimbra. Fado ao Centro(R) is, undoubtedly, a place to visit in Coimbra!
Reviewed By John I - Taipei, Taiwan
Our family of 4 (with two teenagers) caught the show on Christmas Eve. Am a huge fan of Brazilian music and wanted to sample a different kind of Portuguese language music. While I don't see myself becoming a Fado aficionado, this was a great show. The musicians were very tight (the Portuguese guitar is super sexy) and the show was a nice mix of music and history. That they described everything both in Portuguese and English was key for us. At an hour, was the right length for our finicky teenagers.
7. O Pioneiro do Mondego
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By JFRG - Dundee, United Kingdom
Although it took a little figuring out where to meet up for our kayak trip this was an excellent half day activity for two adults and two kids, safe but entertaining well organised and well hosted by the two young Belgian guides
8. Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 510 reviews
Reviewed By MarKno - Koksijde, Belgium
The museum Machado de Castro is enlisted on the Unesco World Heritage list and covers about 20 centuries. We had only a few hours to discover it but its extensive reach makes it impossible to properly digest everything.
You start underground in the mind blowing Roman cryptoporticus. These two layer galleries are remarkably intact/restored. The cryptoporticus supported the above ground Roman buildings (Forum). Coming above ground you can visit the archaeological collection which comprises elements excavated from the cryptoporticus but also from other parts of the country.
After that we jump a few centuries and can admire collections of sculptures, paintings, textiles, precious metals and ceramics from medieval times onwards to basically the 18th century.
Also to be seen are the remains of a medieval cloister and church.
The museum offers a buffet type of restaurant at very democratic prices. For the less valid people elevators are foreseen to help them going through the many levels of the building.
I would recommend you take a full day to visit and take a lunch at the museum.
9. Praia do Reconquinho
Overall Ratings
4 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Amazon122s - Santa Comba Dao, Portugal
The praia fluvial or “River Beach” is located on the border of the Mondego River on the “Rua dos Barqueiros – Vila Nova 3360-204” which is just in front of the village of Penacova, in the centre of Portugal at about 25 km away from Coimbra when you are following the river. And also next to the camp site of Penacova. Real nice location surrounded by a green area, there is a bar who “Only is open in summer” and closed during wintertime, the beach has all the services of need at a normal beach. We lived for several years in the Penacova region.
10. Biblioteca Joanina - Universidade de Coimbra
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Jegsy - Osaka Prefecture, Japan
I'm not sure why this has been separated from the Science Museum and the remaining university sites, as it is part of the combined ticket for which you are charged admission; there is no way in which to visit the library in isolation, though you can choose a cheaper ticket that excludes the library. When you purchase this combined ticket, you are allotted a slot to visit the library in a small group, and also given another time slot to visit the Science Museum.
Immediately after purchasing my ticket, I wished I hadn't. I wasn't fond of this site being a tourist attraction, as it's right in the middle of a functioning university, so you have tourists in big groups wandering about the place gawping at students, who clearly don't appreciate the intrusion. Who can blame them?
The library tour itself has three stages or maybe four, as the first part was standing outside in the rain with a group of people waiting to be let in by a surly member of staff. All the staff are surly, and I can't say I blame them either. The first stage involves an uninteresting perusal of the academic prison, less interesting than it sounds, as it wasn't full up with sweaty palmed professors, but empty cells, of which I've seen not dissimilar on Airbnb. Still, everyone got their photos.
Up a flight of stairs for stage 2, which is an interesting display of works by the great symbolist poet Camilo Pessanha. This appeared to displease many of the group I was with, as they didn't come here to inspect actual books and read about writers in a library of all places. Nevertheless, there was still the essential selfies and photos being taken and impatience shown towards those daring to show interest in the displays.
With much of the group getting impatient to get to the main event, a second surly guide informed us individually that there we had 10 minutes in the library, but there were to be no pictures taken. She could've stopped there and it would've made my day without even seeing the library, but my joy was not shared with my snap happy cohort who were much distressed by this invasion of touristic civil liberties.
The library itself is indeed special decoratively, but rather small, and, if you've seen the Bodeleian, a little underwhelming in terms of the volume of books and grandeur (presumably as it's no longer a working library and merely a tourist trap). Pleasant enough, and entertaining to watch the frustration of the photo sanctions, which of course were eventually surreptitiously broken.
The rest of the ticket includes access to the chapel, where you can stand behind tourists taking photos and chatting loudly, and the several other rooms in the main building, where you can repeat the exercise. I was baffled by the conflicting directions regarding the Science Museum and gave it a pass.
Overall, as previously mentioned, I'm not fond of working/study environments being tourist sites, and felt uncomfortable throughout, but presumably, just as Oxbridge swells its abundant coffers with tourist cash, Coimbra does much the same regardless of the feelings of students and staff. As you may note from the graffiti dotted about the city, it's not gone unnoticed, and is not welcomed by some, and given some of the pushy shovy must get a photo at all costs behaviour I saw, I felt ashamed to be complicit.
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