Head off on a journey with us, up and down the country, to discover some of the strangest place names in Portugal.


Covide

This village gained notoriety during the Covid-19 pandemic, as was to be expected. The similarity of the sound of both words, in Portuguese, turned the eyes of the country to this very small place located in the north of Portugal in the Braga district. With only 270 inhabitants, this is a very traditional village, which in no way was linked to the pandemic.


Carro Queimado

Located in Vila Real district, there is the village of Carro Queimado, a name that can be translated from Portuguese to “Burnt Car” in English. While the name may be interesting, its meaning has nothing to do with anything literal. Surrounded by amazing landscapes and rolling hills, people can only expect to enjoy a peaceful time in this village and cars can be parked up without fear!


Pouca Farinha

A typical Portuguese village from the North of the country, the name of this town may invoke the lack of flour. Once again, this is a peaceful place and there are no records of a lack of bread or flour here.


Mal Lavado

Mal Lavado is located in Alentejo, very close to the Atlantic Ocean. The translation of this village means “badly washed”. While people come to take a picture with the village name sign they stay to enjoy the amazing landscapes of Costa Vicentina.


Cabeça Gorda

Contrary to its name, the people of Cabeça Gorda do not have a “fat head”. With more than a thousand inhabitants, Cabeça Gorda is the village with the most young people in Beja’s municipality and is the perfect place to enjoy some time with the locals.


Picha

Located in the district of Leira, this town has a name that can embarrass or make people laugh, as it has sexual connotations. However, the name of the town nothing has to do with any male body part. The city has already been the target of a Portuguese song by the singer Rosinha, simply because of its name. However, the origins of the name are far less naughty and stem from when there were a lot of pine trees that would drop resin which would be collected in what was known as a picha – hence the name.


Venda das Raparigas

“Girls’ Sale”, is certainly a criminal activity but here in Alcobaça, right next to IC2, it is simply the name of a place in Portugal. The town is home to only a few houses which line the main road. It is said that three girls used to work in the old supermarket on the road, selling to passing traffic and this is most likely the reason for the name.


Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos