Mealhada is a city of 20,000 people (2011) in Bairrada, an agro-viticulture zone of central Portugal.
Understand
Bairrada, situated between the urban centres of Agueda, Aveiro and Coimbra, stretches 40 km from north to south. The region mainly comprises vineyards and contains the municipalities of Anadia, Cantanhede, Mealhada and Oliveira do Bairro. From east to west the region runs from the base of the Caramulo and Bucaco mountains to the sands of the Atlantic.
The area of Bairrada is 108,000 ha. Vineyards occupy around 15,000 ha. In the 1970s, this corresponded to 37% of the volume of the total agricultural production in the central region.
Get in
By car
A1 motorway exit: Mealhada.
By train
Trains between Aveiro & Coimbra.
The principal stations in the area are: Linha do Norte: Pampilhosa, Mealhada, Mogofores, O.Bairro, Oia, Paraimo/Sangalhos, Curia, Aguim.
Linha da Beira Alta: Pampilhosa, Luso/Bussaco, Quinta do Valongo/Vacarica, Trezoi.
Ramal da Figueira/Cantanhede: Pampilhosa, Mala.
Get around
walk
See
- The Buçaco Palace (Portuguese: Palácio Hotel do Buçaco) is a luxury hotel in the Luso parish
- Cruz Alta, a dense wooded forest.
- Mealhada's City Park (Parque da Cidade de Mealhada).
Do
Central Mealhada/jardim/cafes.
Carnaval da Bairrada/Mealhada
Buy
Eat
- 1 Rei dos Leitões, Av. Restauração 17 (N1 road), ☏ 351 231 202 093. €40.
- 2 Restaurante Pedro dos Leitões, Rua Álvaro Pedro 1 (N1 road), ☏ 351 231 209 950. €40.
Drink
Regional spumantes (wines/vinho espumante da Bairrada).
Sleep
Budget
Splurge
- 1 Bussaco Palace Hotel, Mata do Buçaco, Luso, ☏ 351 231 937 970, ✉[email protected]. Doubles from €222.
Go next
Coimbra, a university town with several monuments, city museums, parks.
- Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal, a city with canals.
- Beaches: Mira, Figueira da Foz, Serras do Bucaco & Caramulo..
- The bucolic town of Luso, the villages of Bucaco (Bussaco Palace hotel), Forest/Mata do Bussaco, Cruz Alta.
Also: Curia (spa/garden and lagoon).
- Aveiro/Barra/Costa Nova/Ilhavo (Vista Alegre/ceramics)/Ria de Aveiro/Sao Jacinto peninsula.
- Coimbra, hub city, university & other monuments in the capital of central Portugal.
- Mira/Praia de Mira (beach).
- Agueda/Fermentelos (lagoon).
- Figueira da Foz, a panoramic city at the mouth of Mongedo; beach/Costa de Prata, casino.
- Porto, monumental city (cidade Invicta), capital of Norte.
- Viseu, historic city,museum.
- Penacova, a town by the Mondego river.
- Lousa, a lovely mountain town.
Plus:
- Pinhel, castle and Coa valley.
- Guarda, cathedral/Se and Serra da Estrela.
- Tomar, Templar city.
- Leiria, castle and Pinhal de Leiria(pinewood).
- Espinho, beach casino/Costa Verde.
| Routes through Mealhada |
| Porto ← Aveiro ← | N  S | → Coimbra |