August is the month is which literally the whole country goes on holiday. And because we live in a seaside town which also happens to be one of the most fabulous place in the country, it means that everybody comes here for the holidays… August in Ericeira is to be avoided, as much as possible. So when the crowds descend upon our beaches with screaming children and pressure cookers full of garlicky bean stew for lunch, stinking up everything in a 30 meter radius, we head inland to the mountains and the rivers… less pressure cookers, more relaxation.

We camped in Coja and explored the Serra da Estrela, the tallest mountains in Portugal and the location of the only ski resort in the country. We unfortunately decided to drive through the mountains during a cross country bicycle race and couldn´t go as far as we wanted due to road closures but we´ll get there next time…