12 Unforgettable Experiences in Portugal's Best-Kept Secret Region (That Will Make Your Instagram Followers Jealous)

Have you ever had that feeling where you're scrolling through the same old tourist hotspots on social media thinking, "There's got to be somewhere amazing that isn't overrun with influencers doing awkward poses"? Well, grab your comfiest walking shoes and prepare your taste buds for a party, because I'm about to let you in on Europe's best-kept secret: the Centre of Portugal.

While everyone else is squeezing into those tiny Lisbon trams or photobombing each other in Porto, I found myself wandering through medieval universities, hanging with cape-wearing students, and eating so much incredible food that I had to secretly unbutton my pants under restaurant tables. True story. Experiences in Portugal.

Why the Centre of Portugal Should Be Your Next European Adventure

Let me paint you a picture: ancient stone universities perched on hilltops, forests that look like they're straight out of a fairy tale, and food so fresh and delicious you'll catch yourself making inappropriate noises in public restaurants. All this with about half the tourists you'd find in Portugal's more famous spots.

As my Portuguese guide told me while I was huffing and puffing up my 500th stone staircase of the day, "The Centre of Portugal is like that mysterious middle child who's actually the coolest one in the family, but doesn't feel the need to show off about it." I would have laughed if I weren't trying to remember how to breathe.

Coimbra: Where Students Still Rock Medieval Capes (Not Kidding)

My journey began in Coimbra, a city whose name I butchered approximately 47 times before getting it right (it's "Qweem-bra," by the way). Imagine a place where Harry Potter vibes meet actual, legitimate history – we're talking one of the world's oldest universities (founded in 1290!) where students still wear those dramatic black capes and perform melancholy music about unrequited love.

The university sits at the highest point in the city, because apparently medieval scholars weren't fans of escalators. After climbing what felt like a million stairs, my thighs burning in protest, I was rewarded with a view so stunning it made me temporarily forget about the new relationship I'd developed with gravity.

The University Tour: Bats, Books, and Bad Behavior

"Wait, did you say there are actual bats living in the library?" I asked our guide, convinced I'd misheard.

"Yes, they come out at night and eat the insects that would otherwise damage the books," she replied, completely unfazed, as if having flying mammals as librarians was the most normal thing in the world.

This is the Joanine Library, folks – a baroque masterpiece housing 60,000 ancient books and a colony of bats that work the night shift. The books are so valuable and delicate that visitors are only allowed inside for ten minutes because apparently our mere mortal breath is enough to damage them. (My breath after climbing those stairs? Definitely damaging.)

And then there's the Academic Prison, where students who broke curfew were once locked up. Let's just say today's college detention policies seem pretty chill by comparison.

Where to Stay: No Bats, Just Boutique Luxury

After a day of exploration, I checked into the Sapientia Boutique Hotel, the only hotel within the university district and decidedly bat-free. My room was dedicated to avant-garde poet Mário de Sá Carneiro, which made me feel intellectually superior despite the fact that I'd never heard of him before (don't tell anyone).

The hotel hosts a daily wine hour at 6pm, timed with the university's clock tower bells. Because nothing says "cultural immersion" like drinking local wine every time you hear bells, am I right?

The Real Student Life: República Bota-Abaixo

While American fraternities are known for their red cups and questionable decision-making, Coimbra's student houses, called Repúblicas, are hubs of political activism, community living, and impressive wall murals. I visited

República Bota-Abaixo, greeted by skull-and-crossbones markings and colorful political graffiti that would make any Instagram backdrop hunter swoon.

Inside, our host Sofia showed us around what felt like a living museum of student activism. The walls were plastered with memorabilia from Portugal's revolutionary past, including tributes to José "Zeca" Afonso, the musical hero of Portugal's Carnation Revolution. It was like stepping into a time capsule where the 1960s counterculture never ended – except with better WiFi.

Fado: Where Men in Capes Sing About Their Feelings

At 6pm in Coimbra, it's not Netflix and chill – it's Fado and feels. We hurried to Fado ao Centro, a performance house where former university students dress in those dramatic black capes and sing heart-wrenching melodies that make you emotional even if you don't understand a word of Portuguese.

Fun fact: In Coimbra, only men perform Fado. I wanted to ask if this was some ancient tradition or just because men needed a formal outlet for their emotions back in the day, but I was too busy pretending I wasn't tearing up during the performance.

The concert ended with a glass of Port, which I suspect is Portugal's way of making sure you're too warm and fuzzy to remember how many stairs you still have to climb to get back to your hotel.

Forget Your Diet Plans: Coimbra's Food Scene

If you've been saving your calories for a special occasion, this is it. Coimbra's medieval lower town is a maze of narrow streets lined with cafés and shops selling everything from giant chocolate slabs to olives in more varieties than I knew existed.

We dined at Fangas Maior, where I discovered petiscoes – Portugal's answer to tapas – and promptly decided that sharing food is my love language. Olives infused with garlic and chili, roasted chestnuts with caramelized onion, melt-in-your-mouth cod on chickpea puree... I was making mental notes to recreate these dishes at home before remembering that my cooking skills peak at slightly-burnt toast.

The dessert – requeijão cheese with fresh pumpkin jam and almonds – was so good I briefly considered proposing marriage to the chef. Legal complications aside, it seemed like the appropriate response at the time.

The Centre of Portugal: Experiences in Portugal Worth Every Stair

As I stumbled back to my hotel that night, pleasantly full and slightly wine-flushed, I realized that the Centre of Portugal has everything a traveler could want: history rich enough to make a history buff swoon, nature beautiful enough to fill your phone's camera roll, and food good enough to make you consider moving permanently.

Sure, my calves were screaming from all the stairs, and I'd probably gained five pounds in cheese and pastries alone, but some experiences are worth the physical sacrifice. The Centre of Portugal is definitely one of them.

So while the masses crowd into Lisbon and Porto, do yourself a favor and head to the heart of Portugal. Just make sure to pack stretchy pants and comfortable shoes. You can thank me later.

P.S. If someone asks you to climb another staircase after your fifth pastéis de nata of the day, it's perfectly acceptable to suggest taking the scenic route (aka the long way around with no stairs). Trust me on this one.