Must-see attractions in Estremadura & Ribatejo

  • The Unfinished Chapels - Capelas Imperfeitas of the Batalha Monastery. Portugal. UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    The extraordinary monastery of Batalha was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota (fought just south of here). Most of the monument was…

  • Aerial view of Alcobaca Monastery in Alcobaca, Portugal

    Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    One of Iberia's great monasteries utterly dominates the town of Alcobaça. Hiding behind the imposing baroque facade lies a high, austere, monkish church …

  • Gardens and exterior of the Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo), UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tomar, Ribatejo, Portugal, Europe

    Convento de Cristo

    Tomar

    Wrapped in splendour and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries, and largely bankrolled the Age of…

  • Santuário de Fátima

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    It's difficult to believe that a century ago, this was rocky pastureland outside an insignificant village. This vast complex is now one of Catholicism's…

  • Bombarral, Municipality of Obidos, Portugal

    Bacalhôa Buddha Eden

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    What have the Taliban got to do with a rural winery 12km south of Óbidos? Well, when they blew up the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001, the…

  • Muro de Óbidos

    Óbidos

    Óbidos' dramatic, fully intact Moorish wall imposingly surrounds the historical centre of town and stretches in a completed loop of 1560m, all of which…

  • Aqueduto de Pegões

    Tomar

    This astonishing aqueduct, striding towards the monastery from the northwest, was built between 1593 and 1613 to supply water to thirsty monks. Its 180…

  • Baleal

    Peniche

    About 5km to the northeast of Peniche is this scenic island-village, connected to the mainland village of Casais do Baleal by a narrow causeway (note: it…

  • Headland

    Peniche

    While in Peniche, make sure you do the 8km circuit of the whole headland (walking is hot going, however, as much of it is on the road). At Cabo Carvoeiro,…

  • Miradouro do Sítio

    Nazaré

    As you exit the funicular at the top of Promontório do Sítio, make a quick left and walk 50m to the Sitío viewpoint – an outstanding aerial view of Nazaré…

  • Museu da Renda de Bilros

    Peniche

    For those interested in the Peniche tradition of bobbin lace, this museum, inaugurated in 2016, offers an interesting glimpse into this traditional…

  • Promontório do Sítio

    Nazaré

    Until the 18th century the sea covered the present-day site of Nazaré; locals lived at this clifftop area 110m above the beach. Today this tourist-filled…

  • Centro de Diálogo Intercultural de Leiria

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    The gorgeously restored 18th century Igreja da Misericórdia was built in late-Mannerist style on the plot of land where an even older cathedral dating to…

  • Castelo de Leiria

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Inside the castle walls is a peaceful garden, overgrown with tall trees, and the ruined but lovely Gothic Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Penha, originally…

  • Museu Luso-Hebraico Abraham Zacuto

    Tomar

    On a charming cobbled lane in the old town, you’ll find the country’s best-preserved medieval synagogue. Built between 1430 and 1460, it was used for only…

  • Grutas da Moeda

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    These underground caves, 2km northwest of Fátima, are part of the surrounding limestone massif. They were discovered in 1971 when two hunters chased a fox…

  • Fortaleza de Peniche

    Peniche

    Dominating the south of the peninsula, Peniche’s imposing 16th-century fortress was used in the 20th century as one of dictator Salazar’s infamous jails…

  • Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré

    Nazaré

    The 17th-century, baroque Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, decorated with attractive Dutch azulejos, is on the Promontório do Sítio and holds the much…

  • Museu de Leiria

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Opened in November 2015, this lovely museum celebrates Leiria and its region. Housed in the former Santo Agostinho Convent, the exhibits span everything…

  • Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes

    Tomar

    These bucolic 39-hectare gardens – linked to the Convento de Cristo – were founded by the Order of Christ and once served as a contemplative space and…

  • Museo do Vinho

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Built at the end of the 19th century and occupying the former cellar of Jose Eduardo Raposo de Magalhães, this museum is an important part of Portugal's…

  • Castelo de Óbidos

    Óbidos

    You can walk around the unprotected muro (wall) for uplifting views over the town and surrounding countryside. The walls date from Moorish times (later…

  • Museu do Moinho de Papel

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Located by the river and near the new Museu de Leiria (and part of the admission price), the Moinho do Papel was Portugal's first paper mill to be moved…

  • Farol da Nazaré

    Nazaré

    This picturesque lighthouse (famous for its backdrop when surfers hit the high seas) sits at Sāo Miguel Arcanjo fort and is a lovely place to visit,…

  • Igreja de São João Baptista

    Tomar

    The old town’s most striking church faces Praça da República, itself an eye-catching ensemble of 17th-century buildings alive with the echo of cooing…

  • Grutas de Mira de Aire

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Portugal’s largest cave system, 14km southeast of Porto de Mós, is very commercial and old-fashioned, although the caves themselves are impressive. The 45…

  • Fórnea

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Don't miss stunning Fórnea, Europe's largest natural amphitheatre (around 1km in diameter) in the middle of the limestone park. You can enter from two…

  • Castelo de Porto de Mós

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    The green-towered castle was originally a Moorish stronghold. Conquered definitively in 1148 by Dom Afonso Henriques, it was largely rebuilt in 1450 and…

  • Igreja de Santa Maria

    Óbidos

    The town’s elegant main church, near the northern end of Rua Direita, stands out for its interior, with a wonderful painted ceiling and walls done up in…

  • Estrada Romana

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    About 15 minutes northeast of Porto de Mós by car (and signed from near the castle), a section of ancient Roman road has been converted into a walking…

  • Pharmácia Leonardo Paiva

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Opposite Leiria's cathedral stands the wonderfully tiled Pharmácia Leonardo Paiva – the beautiful azulejos depict Hippocrates, Galen and Socrates…

  • Museu dos Fósforos

    Tomar

    This museum, reached via the lovely courtyard of the Convento de São Francisco, contains Europe’s largest collection of matchboxes. Amassed by local …

  • M|i|mo

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    Just below the castle, this likeable museum focuses on the history of the moving image, with a fine collection of cine cameras and temporary exhibitions…

  • Museu Municipal

    Óbidos

    Located in an 18th-century manor house just next to Igreja de Santa Maria, the town’s museum houses a small collection of paintings spanning several…

  • Porta da Vila

    Óbidos

    The main gate of Óbidos' historic centre bears the King João IV-ordered inscription, 'A Virgem Nossa Senhora foi concebida sem pecado original' ('The…

  • Museu Raúl da Bernarda

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    This tiny place celebrates Raúl da Bernarda, the oldest ceramics factory in Alcobaça and one which had particular influence on Portuguese tableware design…

  • Museu de Cera de Fátima

    Estremadura & Ribatejo

    It's not exactly Madame Tussauds, but this private museum gives a blow-by-blow, starry-eyed and rather static account of the story of Fátima and the…

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