Foz Do Arleho is a small seaside town not to far away from Caldas Da Rainha , approx. 1 hour north of Lisbon. Foz Do Arelho is located at the Obidos lagoon and right beside the Wild Atlantic Ocean. The area has always been a seasonal vacation resort which used to be popular with the wealthy. Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Obidos lagoon is a fabulous beach. on the lagoon side, waters are calm, on the Atlantic Ocean side, they arenwild and most of the time exposed to strong wind. During the summer holiday, the beach at the lagoon side is frequented by schools who play here during the cooler morning sun. This area of Foz Do Artleho has a lot of modern houses which are mainly holiday homes. There is also a camping which is very busy and in our view not the nicest one with the exception of the fabulous lagoon views. But the problem is that the camping is very busy and the campervans look a bit like a bunch of sardines squeezed into a tin.
When you follow the road towards Caldas Da Rainha, you go slightly uphill away from the Atlantic, and this is the most interesting part of the town. It is the old part of the town where you find small pastelarias , bars and the odd restaurant. Looking at the restaurants, cafe central is not the most beautiful looking restaurant or cosy one, but the food is brilliant. The typical Portuguese dishes are popular and the restaurant is frequented by locals, especially during weekends. This part of Portugal is totally not like the Algarve, it is quiet, not taken over by loud tourist,... It is a location where you can enjoy the friendly locals, the great food and of course the sun. The area of Foz do Arleho lends itself perfectly for walking. In particular, an evening stroll from the old town towards the beach and from there uphill along the R. Visc. Morais along the new boardwalks is perfect to see the last glimpse of the evening sun. Another walk we enjoyed is along the Obidos lagoon. Here, you can see the many small fishing boats resting for the next days catch. The lagoon is also a very popular place for watersports, a place where you can try kayaking, surfing, stand up paddling ,.... What we really enjoyed about this area is the quietness, a town where you can mingle with the locals in the local bar or pastelaria. A place where you can enjoy the Portuguese friendliness, the hospitality or just the beauty of the rugged coastline. With easy flights to Lisbon, iot is a must visit location. The short drive from the airport to Foz Do Arleho is easy and quick, and it must be said that the greater area around Foz Do Arleho is one that needs to be discovered. From monasteries ( http://www.outdoorfitnesssligo.com/destinations-further-afield-travel-blog/alcobaca-monastery) to the fabulous Berlenga Islands off the coast of Peniche ( http://www.outdoorfitnesssligo.com/destinations-further-afield-travel-blog/berlengas) , there is something new to discover every day of the week.
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After having arrived the evening before in Foz Do Arelho, we decided to stay local for our first day in the Estremadura and Ribatejo region of Portugal. Estremadura and Ribatejo have an amazing historical past. From the walled town of Obidos to the monastery at Alcobaca, the area is steeped in history. On this first day, we decided to drive the short distance to Salir Do Porto, home to a 49 meter high dune. We decided to park the car closer to the town of Sao Martinho do porto which together with Salir Do porto is located at a shell shaped lagoon. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic by a small passage between the hills. The beach is flanked by a boardwalk which runs through the dunes towards Salir Do Porto. After having followed the boardwalk along the entire lenght of the beach , we reached a river lagune which seperated us from the dune. There is also a river beach which is very popular with families enjoying a refreshing dip in the cool water. A wooden bridge crosses the river and connects the boardwalk with the carpark at Salir do Porto. The dune is great for kids , but also for parents who need a bit of exercise running up this 49 meter high dune. It is though work, especially under a scorching Portuguese sun.
On this overcast day in July, we found ourselves walking uphill from Praca da Republica towards Convento de Cristo. We were spending the day in Tomar, a lovely town in the Centro region of Portugal. And on this particular day, we were making quick enough progress towards Convento de Cristo following the cobblestone path which leads from the town centre to the entrance. The views across the town became better the higher we got up the hill. Once you enter the imposing gate and find yourself inside the reinforced walls, a nicely laid out garden welcomes you. After having paid the entrance we entered one of Portugal's most important historical buildings, a building which is a Unesco World Heritage site. It all started with Gualdim Pais, who got appointed Grand Master of the order of the Knights Templar in 1157. He decided to move their base to Tomar, a strategically located town overlooking the Rio Nabao. Following the dissolution of the Templar order, it was re-established in 1319 as the Order of Christ with Tomar becoming the headquarters again. It was Prince Henry the Navigator who turned it into a palace and monastery. But enough about the history, this complex is huge and you could easily spend hours in it. The first room we visited was the Washing Cloister, a place where the brothers done the laundry. At the far end of the Washing cloister were Prince Henry's quarters which he occupied from 1420 to 1460. Next was the Cloister of the Cemetery, a cloister marked by an innercourt with beautiful trees and shrubs, the walls covered in azulejos tiles. And talking about cloisters, you have to know that there are a total of 8 cloisters. There are a further 2 magnificent rooms here, the Portocarreiros chapel which is from top to bottom covered with azulejos. There are 17th century wall panels which are diamand-tip patterned. Afterwards, we made our way into the charola, an outstanding piece of architecture. The Chapel is decorated from top to bottom with statues and paintings. When you enter the Charola from the Manueline church, the first thing you notice is the outstanding decorative portal. The second room is the New Sacristy which was built in the late 16th Century. The amazing vaulting decoration displays a new cross of Christ, the armillary sphere and the royal arms. And the decorations in Convento de Cristo are elaborate, but when you think you have seen it all, you find the Manueline Window on the west facade of the convent church. It is one of the most brilliant and original examples of the Manueline style, with its emphasis on hyper-realistic, naturalist motifs. After this, we visited the main dormitory, a huge corridor with a fabulous wooden ceilings. On either side of the corridor were the decently sized rooms of the monks, a total of 40 cells. The centre of the dormitory, the place where the three corridors meet is called the crossing where you will also find the Crossing chapel. Next was the hostelery cloister, the place where travellers would be housed. Those of higher status would stay on the upper floor while the ground floor housed the servants quarters, the stables,... All we can say after our visit is Wow,.... The Convento de Cristo is a must visit location.
The civil parish of Porto de Mos is a small riverside town located in the district of Leiria , Portugal. The town was in the middle of it's agricultural festival when we visited on an overcast day in early July. Overlooking the town is a distinctive castle which sits on top of the highest hill commanding the best views across this beautiful market town. We were here to visit Castelo de porto de Mos, a castle which has 2 distinctive green tiled roofs on it's towers. We decided to park the car in the town centre and walk up to the castle rather than driving through the narraw streets beneath the castle. Having the 3 boys with us, the walk was followed by a continious moaning about the climb, the distance,... , although the walk only took us about 10 minutes through some very quiet streets. Nearing the castle, we passed the old village cemetery which includes a chapel believed to have been part of the church of Santa Maria dos Murthinos. The cemetery includes some great examples of funerary architecture. Having reached the castle, it is obvious that the location of this castle was strategic with the views it provides across the valley. We bought our tickets at the castle's little information desk/shop located at the entrance (€1.55 per adult). The castle was given as an award to General Nuno Alvares Pereira on recognition of his victory at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. At a later date, the castle was turned into a fortified palace which was severely damaged during the massive eartquake of 1755. Stairs within the castle brought us the whole way up the towers, both which are connected by a walkway across the roof (Mind the kids, one side is only fenced off by a rope which can easily be crossed by curious kids). After our visit, we decided to have a picnic in the local park. It turned out to be a quick picnic as we got interrupted by a heavy shower.
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About the AuthorWe are Peter & Dolores De Bie. We love the great outdoors, discovering new parts of the world and writing about our adventures along the Wild Atlantic Way and further afield Categories
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