Exploring the vicinity of Foz de Arelho
Within half an hour
Obidos – 12 km – 20 min drive
Once the traditional wedding present of the Portugese King to his Queen, the preserved medieval town of Óbidos is without doubt one of Portugal's most classic walled settlements. Walking the ramparts, visitors can enjoy views of windmills, vineyards and surrounding farmlands. In the residential area below, narrow cobblestone streets are lined with whitewashed houses sporting terracotta roofs. The shops are piled high with local handicrafts, while in spring the town is ablaze with geraniums, morning glories and bougainvillea. Be warned there are no safety rails along the ramparts if you have young children or are not very good with heights!
São Martinho do Porto - 20 min drive
The main resort along the coast between Foz do Arelho and Nazare. This is very much a tourist resort that provides many activities to keep you amused. Sailing, surfing, parapenting, hang-gliding, canoeing, mountain biking, walking, rock climbing and golf are all available here.
Caldas da Rainha – only 10 minutes drive or car or bus
Caldas is home to the’ queen’s hot springs’. It is a sprawling spa town with a picturesque square, daily market and many small shops. It owes its prosperity to thermal cures, fruit farming and ceramics.
Places of Interest around Lisbon
Lisbon is about an hour's drive south and is great for a day trip - a regular bus service is available from Caldas da Rainha and takes about 1 hr 20 mins. Just along from Lisbon centre by car or tram (No15) is the green and spacious waterfront suburb of Belem with its famous Monument to the Discoveries, Abbey of Jerónimos with the tomb of Vasco da Gama and cloisters (another World heritage site), museums, parks and gardens. Motorways from Lisbon give quick access to the fabulous coastal towns, Cascais and Estoril. These twin resorts are linked by an attractive promenade. Cosmopolitan Estoril is noted for its casino and golf course while the pretty resort of Cascais still has the feel of its fishing village past.
Sintra , noted as the former summer residence of the Kings of Portugal, lies just to the west of Lisbon, and has a stunning setting on the north slopes of the Serra mountains, among wooded ravines and fresh water springs. The Royal Palaces and gardens here are a must-see but its vicinity to Lisbon means that the resort is usually very busy. The town can easily be reached by public transport from Lisbon.
Slightly further afield
Fatima - About 90 minutes (at least) drive inland lies the small town of Fatima where in 1916 and 1917 a series of apparitions were seen by three young children that were to profoundly alter both their own lives and the atmosphere of the peasant village. With more than two million pilgrims a year, this is one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world today – the main esplanade area is twice the size of St Peter’s Square in Rome and can hold one million pilgrims at a time. The main pilgrimage days are May 13th and October 13th so avoid visiting on these two days if you wish to avoid these huge crowds.
Peniche and Berlenga Islands - Peniche – a 35 min drive – is a small, pleasant town and active fishing port set on a peninsula from where boats depart to Berlenga, a marine reserve classified by the Council of Europe as a 'Biosphere Reserve'. The archipelago consists of a large island, Berlenga Grande, and some small granite islands and rocks 7 miles from land. Crossings take approx 30 mins. The vast 16th century fortress in Peniche was once one of Portugal’s most notorious political jails under the Salazar regime but has now been turned in to a museum.
Coimbra a 2 hour drive to the north, is a vibrant and lively two-centre university city, with an old 12th century Upper Town on the hill above the new town.
Alcobaca to the north east is home to Portugal’s largest church, dating from 1153. Renowned as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the abbey and cloisters have been a World Heritage site since 1985.
Batalha’s abbey, another World heritage site, is considered the finest example of Manueline architecture, a form of highly-decorated Gothic, in Portugal. Inside the abbey the Founder’s Chapel contains the tombs of King João I and his wife Philippa of Lancaster (daughter of John of Gaunt) and also four of their sons including the most famous, Prince Henry Navigator, who is commemorated in the Monument to the Discoveries in Belem, Lisbon.
Nazare only an hour away, beside a glorious beach in a sweeping bay backed by steep cliffs, upon which lies the lovely old Sitio or city, this small fishing village still retains some of its traditional character and charm with local men and women still dressed in traditional fishing costume. Good seafood.
Mafra is a small town en route from Sintra / Lisbon, dwarfed by the massive early 18th century Baroque Palace and Monastery above it.
Santarem is the lively capital of the Ribatejo, not only a centre for bullfighting but many medieval buildings and a panoramic view of the Tagus.
Torres Vedras is a great place to stop off on the way to or from Lisbon – for ‘modern mall shopping’ as an alternative to relaxing on the beaches. Historically the town was noted for the lines of fortified defenses built by the Duke of Wellington to protect Lisbon from attack by Napoleon’s army in the Peninsular War although there are only a few remnants visible today.
Tomar – inland for about 2 hours, Tomar is a charming town with a neat grid of quaint narrow streets and shops. Dominating the town is the convent-fortress built in 1160 by the Order of the Knights Templars, originally founded in Jerusalem in 1119 to protect pilgrims en route to the Temple of Solomon during the Crusades. The Convent of Christ in the castle grounds is another World Heritage site – it is particularly noted for its ‘charola’ or round church built in the 12th century based on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the highly-decorated Manueline-style ornament on the windows and doorways.
TIPS for visiting historic buildings/sites in Portugal
they are normally free entry if you arrive before 2-00pm (check this time!) but this can also make them quite busy as well. Many sites are also closed on Mondays so make sure you know the current opening times before making a special journey.