Local Info

Welcome to Central Portugal and its Silver Coast (Costa de Prata) located between Lisbon in the south and Porto to the north. The curative springs and the lush vegetation of secular forests in this area have preserved all the rewards of their unspoilt nature. As with most of Portugal there is an abundance of monasteries, convents, castles, churches, and museums in the area and are well worth a visit.

As one of the most economically developed regions in the country, Costa de Prata is also home for famous traditional art treasures, such as its porcelain and crystal, as well as its gastronomy, strongly influenced by the sea and counterbalanced by its tasty Bairrada wines and mouth-watering sweets. In the fishing villages or urban historic centres, the kindness of the people is but another asset to add to this bountiful area's vast list of qualities.

The unversity city of Coimbra is approximately 50Km to the north of Alvalazere and is one of Europe's oldest university towns, it has kept its secular academic traditions, as seen in the black caped students, in the soulful tones of the fado and in the Burning of the Ribbons (Queima das Fitas). The University, with its famous tower and a sumptuous Baroque library overlooks the city and in the surrounding area you will find the Old Cathedral and the Machado de Castro Museum, with its Roman cryptoportico. In the ancient streets, with their medieval walls, arches and stairways, are the Santa Cruz Monastery (founded in 1131), the Church of Santiago and the Monastery of Celas (13th century). On the other bank of the Mondego stands the Santa Clara-a-Nova Convent (Baroque, 17th century). You will also find many shops, cafes, bars and restaurants in this area which has a beautiful lighting display over the Christmas period.

Conimbiga is home to some of the best preserved ruins of Roman baths and town area on the Iberian peninsula and is about 8 miles from the city of Coimbra. Opening hours at this popular attraction are from 9:00am to1:00pm and again from 2:00pm to 8:00pm during the summer months. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Tomar is home to The Convent of Christ which in the times of the Templar Knights was used as a combination of a castle and a convent. The convent which was added later as an extension to the castle began construction in 1160. The history of the Convent of Christ shows that the land on which the castle was built and had been given to the Order of the Knights of Templar in exchange for their support against the Moors. Christ Convent is classified in UNESCO's International Heritage list (12th-16th centuries), with its famous Manueline window, it is the town's supreme landmark. Other places to visit: Templars' Castle (12th century); churches of Santa Maria do Olival (Gothic), Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Renaissance) and St. John the Baptist (Manueline); and 15th century Synagogue.

Ourém is a medieval town with a prominent place in Portugals history where you can see lots of monuments such as the original 17th century castle, the Mercy Church from the 15th century, the Gothic Fountain and the Pillory.

Pombal was founded in the 12th century by the Knights Templar and is dominated by a stately castle which belonged to the Master of the Templars, Gualdim Pais. According to legend, the name of Pombal (dovecote) was given to the town when the king saw many pigeons on the castle´s battlements. Other interesting sites are the Church of Our Lady of Cardal (built in 1703), the Old Clock Tower (15th century), the Chapel of Our Lady of Piety (1551) and the 17th-century manor-house of the Condes de Castelo Melhor.

Fatima, one of the most important Marian centres of pilgrimage in the catholic world with pilgrimages to the Shrine of Fatima occuring throughout the year, especially during the summer months and on the feast days of May 13 and October 13. On these days, as many as 100,000 pilgrims crowd into the square in front of the Basilica and visit the Chapel of Apparitions and other important religious sites in and around the town. The pilgrimage is to celebrate the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children, who in around 1916 and 1917 had visions of the Virgin Mary (called Marian appartitions). The primary recipient of the visions was Lucia Santos, a young peasant girl {who later became a nun) tending the family's sheep in the hills near the little village of Fatima. This Fatima Shrine is open to all, but there is a dress code, no shorts for men and skirts or dresses for women. Many stalls and shopping venues near the Basilica will also sell scarves of locally made lace for women's head coverings.

Long, sandy beaches and water sports facilities can be found at Figueira da Foz a summer resort on the mouth of the Mondego river.