Castelo Branco

Castelo Branco is a city of 56,000 people (2011) in central Portugal. All its points of interest can be visited in one day. It is also a good base for visiting the International Tagus Natural Park, the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, and Idanha-a-Nova.

Understand




Castelo Branco (kuhsh-TEH-loo BRUHN-koo, /kɐʃ.ˈtɛ.ɫu ˈbɾɐ̃.ku kɐʃ/) is the capital of the Castelo Branco District, which approximately corresponds to the former Beira Baixa province.

Climate
Castelo Branco has a hot-summer mediterranean climate. Its summers are among the hottest of Portugal, influenced by its inland position. Winters are mild with cool nights, but frosts are rare and never severe. Inland areas further south in the country have hotter temperature extremes, although averages are very similar. There is somewhat of a seasonal lag in summer since September is significantly warmer than May in spite of less daylight. Winter temperatures are more consistent with the daylight cycle, since temperatures drop sharply in autumn months.

By train
CP (Portuguese National Railways) offers various daily rail links between Lisbon and Beira Baixa. The Lisbon-Castelo Branco trip time is between 2:40 and 3:15 hours (depending upon class of train). In the Lisbon-Oriente train station there is also a rail link to the south of the country and in the Entroncamento station there is a rail link to the northern reaches, as well as international service to France and Spain. The train is safe, comfortable, and offers the best views of the Tagus River, including the Castle of Almourol and the Portas de Ródão.

By bus
The cheapest way to travel. Bus lines cover all of Portugal. See Rede Expressos.

Sleep




Go next

 * Castelo de Vide
 * Guarda
 * Marvão
 * Monsanto
 * Pinhel
 * Tomar