About Tabua

We came across Tabua quite by accident. It just happens to be where the estate agent Imobitabua have their offices.

We'd seen their property lists prior to our second property-hunting trip to Portugal in May this year. They seemed to have quite a selection of places available, and we had driven through the area before, so we decided to take a look. The house we chose was, if I recall correctly, the first they showed us.

Actually, the house is in the tiny village of Oliveira de Fazemao, a couple of kilometres away from Tabua. Tabua itself is not that remarkable; a small town, with some nice cafes and OK restaurants. But it certainly doesn't have the charm of some other nearby towns and villages with their cobbled streets and winding lanes. It's more businesslike than that, and seems to have good shops (including a reasonable supermarket), library, etc.

The area is very rural. Tabua is right on the edge of the Dao wine region, so there are grapes everywhere. Also olives. But it is also quite hilly so there seem to be few large farms. Nearby is the Mondego River which, as our Portuguese teacher keeps reminding us, is the only major river in the country that does not rise in Spain.