Investing in Property in Central Portugal
The central provinces include the three Beiras (beira means edge or river bank) - Beira Alta (higher), Beira Baixa (lower) and Beira Litoral (coastal).
Of these, Beira Litoral is home to a number of towns of great historical interest, including the beautiful city of Coimbra, Portugal 's equivalent of Britain's Oxford and Cambridge. With a population of around 80,000, it is one of the largest cities in Portugal (only Greater Lisbon and Greater Porto count over 1 million residents), and is well-known for its university, founded in the 13th century, and its cape-clad student singers of the doleful Fado song.
On the coast are various traditional fishing towns, whose fishermen sometimes still use oxen to pull their brightly coloured boats up the beach, and whose inhabitants still indulge in numerous rituals to accompany the blessing of those boats. The interior of the region is built predominantly from granite, with some amazingly rugged landscapes. There is some small-scale farming here. The Serra da Estrela divides Beira Alta from Beira Baixa.
Central Portugal Property Fact File
Region: Costa de Prata (Centro).
Provinces: the Beiras (Alta, Baixa and Litoral).
Main towns and cities: Aveiro, Coimbra, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Viseu, Figueira da Foz.
Types of property: distinctively striped beach houses, granite-built country properties, more modern town houses and flats.
Prices: rustic ruins in need of work from €25-30,000/ rural cottages from €45,000. Flats on the coast from €100.000 and larger villas at €300,000+.
Further Info: Regiao de Turismo do Centro, Largo da Portagem, 3000-337 Coimbra .
