Some of the country's most impressive architecture, historical and religious sites can be found in this region, in the center of Portugal.

On the coastline, nearly empty beaches mix with quaint fishing towns and villages, of which Nazaré is one of the finest examples; inland, fertile country stretches along the banks of rivers like the Tagus, producing livestock and crops from grapes to fruit and rice.

Coimbra, the birthplace of six kings and the seat of the country's oldest university, fascinates with its historical associations, and nearby you can visit the largest escavate Roman site in Portugal, Conímbriga.

Further north, the city of Aveiro, once a great seaport, still carries the charm of its canals and lagoon, known as "the ria".

Not far from Lisbon, the ancient city of Leiria, with its fortified castle built early in the 12th century, is a good base from which to visit the great abbeys of Batalha and Alcobaça and the well known shrine of Fátima.

Regional food in all this area is richly varied: from the eel stew of Aveiro to roasted sucking pig near Coimbra, and an immensity of seafood dishes along the coast.