Places of interest nearby
Alcobaça is a little charming town on the Silver Coast which has the distinction of being the site of one of Portugal's most famous historical buildings. The magnificent gothic abbey of Alcobaça is the country's largest church and a building so important it is one of the country’s seven Unesco World Heritage sites. The town of Alcobaça has around 15,000 inhabitants. There is also a strong crafts tradition which makes this is a good area for shopping for pottery & ceramics. In front of the monastery there are several café´s where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and some of the best local pastries !
Caldas da Rainha is famous for two things - the thermal springs and its ceramics which have inspired a tradition of art and culture. It is a busy market town with some charming areas - a beautiful and spacious park with towering plane trees and a tranquil boating lake; a vibrant and colourful daily fruit and vegetable market; and a shopping district lined with cafés and traditional family-owned shops.
Óbidos is a beautifully preserved fortified town. It has a magnificent castle at its highest point which is now used as a hotel. From the castle walls you will have a spectacular view over the countryside and over the town with its houses with terracotta roofs and small cobbled lanes. Óbidos is one of Portugal's architectural jewels and is a must-see destination for visitors to the Silver Coast. In the town you will find little craft shops, bars and restaurants. A wide range of local products are on offer - traditional ceramics, contemporary glass, wicker baskets, and handmade embroidery.
A speciality of Óbidos is Ginja, a cherry liquor typically served in a cup made of chocolate. Try it !
Caldas da Rainha is famous for two things - the thermal springs and its ceramics which have inspired a tradition of art and culture. It is a busy market town with some charming areas - a beautiful and spacious park with towering plane trees and a tranquil boating lake; a vibrant and colourful daily fruit and vegetable market; and a shopping district lined with cafés and traditional family-owned shops.
Óbidos is a beautifully preserved fortified town. It has a magnificent castle at its highest point which is now used as a hotel. From the castle walls you will have a spectacular view over the countryside and over the town with its houses with terracotta roofs and small cobbled lanes. Óbidos is one of Portugal's architectural jewels and is a must-see destination for visitors to the Silver Coast. In the town you will find little craft shops, bars and restaurants. A wide range of local products are on offer - traditional ceramics, contemporary glass, wicker baskets, and handmade embroidery.
A speciality of Óbidos is Ginja, a cherry liquor typically served in a cup made of chocolate. Try it !
Fatima is one of the most important catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Fatima's Sanctuary welcomes millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Fatima's fame is due to the Apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed by a miracle witnessed by 60,000 people known in the catholic world as "the day the sun danced".
The primary building at the shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, a gleaming Neoclassical church.
The other main stop for pilgrims to Fatima is the Chapel of Apparitions, an open-air chapel built on the site of the appearances.
There are also many museums to be visited.
In Batalha you can find the Mosteiro da Batalha, the monastery is the result of job accomplished by fifteen architects and thousands of masons, carpenters and other workers for one hundred and thirty one years. And it hasn’t been finished till nowadays. The Dominican Monastery was the super endowment from the King of Portugal Joao I to Virgin Mary who helped him to win the battle of Aljubarrota fought just five kilometres away from that place .
From the Cloister you may access the Capitulo room, where is the tomb of the Portuguese unknown soldier. The exit will be through the Afonso V Cloister (unfinished) and the dining room, used as a small museum. Beautiful to see are the unfinished chapels, where you look right up in the sky.
Tomar has much to offer its visitors. The city’s historic sites, tasty regional cookery, important architecture and pretty central park are all begging to be discovered, while beyond its boundaries lies the rural charm of the Ribatejo, with its lush green mountains, sparkling rivers and lakes and magnificently restored country houses. In the town you definitively need to visit the São João Baptista church and the impressive Templar Castle
Close by there is the Castelo de Bode lake( 13 km from Tomar ), the huge freshwater lake. There are some interesting viewpoints en-route providing good opportunities for photographs of the attractive scenery of valleys, mountains and pine forests.
If you want to do a day trip to Lisbon or Coimbra that is also easily done, as these wonderful cities are only at an hour’s drive away from the house in Arrimal.
The primary building at the shrine is the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, a gleaming Neoclassical church.
The other main stop for pilgrims to Fatima is the Chapel of Apparitions, an open-air chapel built on the site of the appearances.
There are also many museums to be visited.
In Batalha you can find the Mosteiro da Batalha, the monastery is the result of job accomplished by fifteen architects and thousands of masons, carpenters and other workers for one hundred and thirty one years. And it hasn’t been finished till nowadays. The Dominican Monastery was the super endowment from the King of Portugal Joao I to Virgin Mary who helped him to win the battle of Aljubarrota fought just five kilometres away from that place .
From the Cloister you may access the Capitulo room, where is the tomb of the Portuguese unknown soldier. The exit will be through the Afonso V Cloister (unfinished) and the dining room, used as a small museum. Beautiful to see are the unfinished chapels, where you look right up in the sky.
Tomar has much to offer its visitors. The city’s historic sites, tasty regional cookery, important architecture and pretty central park are all begging to be discovered, while beyond its boundaries lies the rural charm of the Ribatejo, with its lush green mountains, sparkling rivers and lakes and magnificently restored country houses. In the town you definitively need to visit the São João Baptista church and the impressive Templar Castle
Close by there is the Castelo de Bode lake( 13 km from Tomar ), the huge freshwater lake. There are some interesting viewpoints en-route providing good opportunities for photographs of the attractive scenery of valleys, mountains and pine forests.
If you want to do a day trip to Lisbon or Coimbra that is also easily done, as these wonderful cities are only at an hour’s drive away from the house in Arrimal.