Most people think about Portugal as a land of sunny beaches and tourism. But there's só much more. The Portuguese inlands are unique in Europe, there are many rivers and lakes, green forests and fields and even the highest mountains of Portugal where you can go skiiing in the winter.
The main cities are:
Coimbra
Aveiro
Leiria
Viseu
Castelo Branco
Covilhã
Figueira da Foz
Guarda
Tomar
Fátima
These cities have everything, from little boutiques to hospitals and universities. Coimbra is the largest of all, it has a rich history and a very old beautiful centre. Aveiro is close to the coast, Covilhã is on the eastern slopes of the Serra Estrelas (the highest mountains of Portugal) and Fátima is known all over the world for it's sanctuary where yearly pilgrims and millions of tourists go.
All around the Beiras are smaller regions with their own unique products like honey, lovely wine, chourizos (typically Portuguese sausages) and world famous cheeses. The Beira Baixa is the agricultural heart with products like cherries, almonds, corn and rye, cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes etc. The Beira Alta is known for it's beautiful sceneries, the highest mountains with many river beaches and products like cheeses that can differ from village to village. Beira litoral is probably the most urban province with universities and industry situated near the coast.
The Serra da Estrelas have a unique ecosystem like wild sheep, goats and wolves. The "Serra da Estrela dog" is a rare breed from this region well known for it's ability to heard a flock of sheep, they are big, like Saint Bernards. And the Serra da Estrela is known around the world for it's typical and prize-winning cheeses.
