Nazaré and Region

Considered by many to be Portugal’s most typical beach, it charms visitors through its natural beauty.

With a temperate climate, its warm and welcoming people, wonderful light, its fishing traditions, artisanry and craftsmanship, the town of Nazaré became a muse to countless painters and artists, hence its renown around the world.

The wonderful Nazaré bay is protected and sheltered by its majestic headland, on the Summit of which lies Sítio da Nazaré. An integral landmark for the locality, the Sítio must be reached by land on the funicular lift, which provides a memorable view of the horizons around the beach. At the highest point of the Sítio, on the Suberco mirador, one’s sight is lost in some of the most beautiful sea-side landscapes the country has to offer. Here, legend and religious devotion become one through the worship of Our Lady of Nazaré.

Pederneira, an age-old locus for the local fishing community, is the peaceful guardian to memories of past eras. Once the seaport of the Coutos de Alcobaça and an active shipbuilding yard, it nowadays beholds the progress of the beach, laid out at its feet.

The Fishing Harbour and Marina, to the south of the beach also carry the town’s history, here the past and present come together to provide a better future for the Nazaréans.

To stroll through the narrow streets, perpendicular to the sea, where life unfolds to the rhythm of winds and tides, is to discover the essence of these people. Joyful and larger than life, they harbour sadness with an open smile, speak in song and entice you with their manner and dress.

Surrounded by salty scents and the fresh sea air, Nazaré invites its guests to enjoy a nice plate of grilled sardines or a succulent “caldeirada” chowder, among other typical delicacies of the region’s riviera.

Vibrant, active and sports-filled, lively, entirely suited for holidays, leisure or outings and excursions, Nazaré offers all of the delights needed to ensure your return.

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Tomar

Convento de Cristo, located in the city of Tomar, is the name by which the town’s monument ensemble is known. This is made up of the Castillo Templario de Tomar, the Convent of the Order of Christ, from the Renaissance period, the convent enclave, today known as Mata dos Sete Montes, and the hermitage of the Immaculate Conception as well as the convent aqueduct, also known as Acueducto de los Pegões. The castle saw its foundation in 1160 and was comprised of the city walls, the Bailey and the barracks, the latter being located between the Master’s house, the Alcazaba or citadel keep, and the knight’s oratory, in a rotunda lay-out, while the ambulatory was completed in 1190. In 1420, with the castle then the Order of Christ headquarters, Lord Infante Henrique, the Navigator, converted the military house into a convent, for the branch of contemplative clergy which he introduced to the Order of Christ, and adapted the keep as his senhorial manor house. In the early 16th Century, Lord Manuel I, King and Governor of the Order of Christ extended the templar Rotunda toward the east, with a new construction outside the walls, which set in motion a decorative exposition celebrating Portuguese maritime discoveries, the mysticism of the Order of Christ and the Crown, in a grand statement of power and faith.

From the year 1531 onwards, with the reform of the Order of Christ by Lord João III, the grand Renaissance convent was built along the west flank of the castle and around the Manueline Nave. The convent would see its completion with an aqueduct nearly 6km in length, under Philip II of Spain with the Infirmary and Apothecary buildings during the War of Restoration. The entirety of these spaces built over the course of the centuries, make of the Convento de Cristo a grand monumental complex, fully deserving of its designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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Nazaré and Region

Tomar