Salir do Porto, close by and farther away

 


midden onderin Salir do Porto

Only 20 feet away there is a beautifull view at the ocean. Take the steps up to the "miradouro", and look around. If you want more, a 10 minutes-walk brings you up to the cliffs or down to the bay.

The ocean and its beaches

swimming-sailing-surfing-fishing-watching birds

Around the bay of São Martinho is a nice sandbeach and the water is save for children. If the waves of the bay are to small for you than go to the beach of Foz do Arelho. (8 km).  Real impressive,but dangerous is the sea at Salgado. (7 km)  Near Foz do Arelho, at the Bay of Òbidos is a sailschool and the ocean at the south side of this bay is perfect for surfing,  Bom Succeso (.. km) or Baleal (..km).  Here in Baleal you also can find equipmentshops for surfing.
For fishing there are many good spots at walking distance. A fishing permit is easy to obtain and costs only a few euro. There a also possibilities to go to sea with a small boat. Other boats can bring you to the caves of Salir or to the island of birds, Berlenga.

berlenga
  berlenga

walking-biking-riding

This part of the country is great for walking. For ideas look at our walking-page. Good maps are available. For bikers there our special routes, promoted by the councils of   Caldas da Rainha and of Alcobaça.  In the nearby village of Alfeizerõa (4 km) is a riding-school.

 

History and Culture


Battle of Aljubarotta, August 14th 1385

The word Estremadura, as this part of the country is called, derives from the latin words Extrema Durii, which means "ultimate border".  Here was, in the early Middle Ages, the border between the country of the Mores and the christian kingdom in the north. In the 12th century the christians reconquer the estremadura and huge parts of the land was given to the convents. In the 14th century this part of the land was also the scene of a important battle against the Spaniards.
You can find the traces of history all over this part of Portugal.

Places to visit


church of the monastery

 Alcobaça  (12 miles)
This city grew along the valleys of the rivers Alcoa and Baça, from which it derives its name. The city is dominated by its the Church and Monastery of Santa Maria, one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country. In the church are the tombs of King Peter I and his murdered mistress Inês de Castro. Over the centuries this monastery had an important role on Portuguese culture

batalha
unfinished chapels

 Batalha  (17 miles)
The monastery was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians in the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, fulfilling a promise of King D. João I. It is one of the best and original examples of Late Gothic architecture in Portugal, intermingled with the Manueline style. It amazes the onlooker with its profusion of gables, spires, pinnacles and buttressest

vaas
Vase of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro

Caldas da Rainha  (8 miles)
The city’s name means “Queen’s Hot Springs. The city was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor, who established a hospital at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. There are numerous museums in the city, mostly related to ceramics and sculpture.

bibliotheek
Library of the Coimbra University

Coimbra  (60 miles)
The city of Coimbra is famous for its monuments, churches, libraries, museums, parks, nightlife, healthcare and shopping facilities, but above all for its intense cultural life, centered on the University of Coimbra one of the oldest Universities in Europe.

poort
Main gate of Óbidos

Óbidos (12 miles)
The town of Óbidos is located on a hill and is still encircled by a fortified wall. The well-preserved mediaeval look of its streets, squares, walls and its massive castle have turned the picturesque village into a preferred tourist attraction in Portugal.

grot
Cave of saint Antonius

Porto de Mos (40 km)
Small town at the foot of the Candeeiros Mountains. It is dominated by the old castle with the "green towers". In this region Portugal´s most famous caves are found. In the nearby "Serra the Eira" the dinosaur museum with its fossilized footprints is worth visiting.

drying fish
drying fish on the beach of Nazaré

Nazaré  (8 miles)
This fishersmen´s town with its long sandy beaches is to be known for its traditional costumes. The wifes, who still are to be seen, worn the traditional headscarf and embroidered aprons over seven flannel skirts in different colours. In the upper town the Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré is a rich baroque building, with splendid dutch tiles on its interior.

palacio
palácio nacional da pena

Sintra (50 miles)
The Sintra Mountain Range, is one of the largest parks in the Lisbon area. Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th c.) with a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the summer residence of the kings of Portugal Palácio Nacional de Sintra (largely 15th/16th c.), in the town itself.

 

And still more .....


Fátima, much visited by pilgrims, the location where three children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1917.
Tomar, picturesque town founded as head-quarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal in the 12th century.
Peniche, seaside town with wonderfull fishrestaurants and an impressive rocky coast.
Mafra, with its sumptuous Royal Palace built in the baroque style.
Conimbriga, one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal, with its city walls, mosaic floors and foundations of many houses largely intact

And don´t forget Lisbon.
Easy to reach by car, train of bus.

belem
tower of Belèm, Lisbon

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