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Section 18 - Central Portugal

Peniche / Foz do Arelho

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This section starts in Peniche, an essential stop before heading to the  Berlengas archipelago, a recognized Nature Reserve known for its unique marine life and a favorite spot for divers. Berlenga Island is a must-visit with attractions like the Fortress of S. João Baptista, Duke of Bragança Lighthouse, and Carreiro do Mosteiro Beach. You can also venture into the caves with the assistance of small boats available on-site.

Continuing north from Peniche, the coastline extends for several kilometers and features beaches such as Lagido and Supertubos, renowned as the venue for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal World Surfing Championship. Additionally, you’ll come across Baleal Beach, accompanied by the islet of Papoa, a rocky peninsula that provides opportunities for observing seabirds.

Moving along, you’ll discover more beaches, like d’El Rei, Covões, Rei Cortiço, and Bom Sucesso. The route ends at the Óbidos Lagoon, Portugal’s longest coastal lagoon system, and a haven for diverse bird species and bivalve mollusks. Here you can still witness the traditional bateiras boats.

The route then skirts the lagoon, passing near the charming town of Óbidos, a destination deserving of your time. Within its picturesque town walls, you’ll encounter the Castle and a maze of white houses. The town also boasts various examples of religious architecture, including the Santa Maria Parish Church, Misericórdia Church, S. Pedro Church, and the Pillory. Beyond the walls, you’ll find the Aqueduct and the Sanctuary of Senhor Jesus da Pedra. A visit to Óbidos wouldn’t be complete without savoring the famous and traditional Ginjinha of Óbidos, available at numerous establishments.

Continuing your journey north, you have the option to explore Caldas da Rainha, a town with notable historical figures, including the caricaturist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, credited with establishing the Faience Factories of Portugal, the birthplace of the renowned Caldas crockery. For a leisurely stroll, D. Carlos I Park and the Rainha D. Leonor Forest come highly recommended. Moreover, the Ceramics Museum and the Hospital and Caldas Museum are well worth a visit.

Finally, your route ends at Foz do Arelho, where the Óbidos Lagoon meets the sea, offering two distinct beach experiences: one calm for kids and windsurfers on the lagoon side, and the other open to the sea.

Points of Interest

Heritage: 25

  • The António Duarte (1912-1998) Atelier and Museum was inaugurated in 1985, after the donation made by sculptor António Duarte of his art collection to his hometown, the city of Caldas da Rainha. The initial idea was to provide the building with a...

  • Cabo Carvoeiro is located on the far western corner of the peninsular of Peniche, in a zone of great beauty due to the curious geological formations that have been sculpted by the sea over time, such as the Nau dos Corvos, a large boulder which...

  • Also known as the Capela de São João de Moxarro, this chapel was once a temple dedicated to Jupiter.

    Rebuilt in the 14-15th century, it has a majestic west-facing Gothic portal. Attention is drawn to the double-arched ribbed vaulting...

  • Situated close to the coast, in the far west of the peninsula of Peniche, this chapel forms the basis for a shrine devoted to the cult of the Virgin Mary. The date when this church was founded is not known, although it is believed to have been built...

  • This is a lovely fourteenth-century chapel, of very simple architecture, with a fine portal in the façade. Inside there are some medieval tombs.

  • Everywhere throughout the town, its mediaeval flavour is always evident. The whole town is surrounded by high walls and the urban structure is clearly defined by the castle, the entrances to the town and the parade ground.

  • The Convento de São Miguel das Gaeiras, a Franciscan monastery, was founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, the son of Dom Manuel I, in 1569, and transferred to its current site in 1602.

    Today, it displays signs of having been harmoniously...

  • This originally Gothic chapel was rebuilt at the end of the 16th century. It has been the home of the Third Order of St. Francis since 1730.

    Amongst the notable features on the inside of the chapel are the Spanish-Moorish tiles of the high...

  • This chapel, which has been classified as a Building of Public Interest, was built in the first years of the town's life, being intended for the use of the rural population who were gradually moving into Caldas.

    It was remodelled in the...

  • The fortifications have an irregular shape because of the rocks at the base of the walls, which consist of four defensive ramparts. The fortress rises up from the rock to the south of the peninsula of Peniche, which was once an island.

  • Founded by the Queen Dona Leonor in the 15th century, this church has an important set of artistic treasures. One of the most significant images is the old blue porcelain statue of the Virgin Mary, which can be seen in the entrance...

  • This church dating from the beginning of the 17th century belongs to the charitable institution known as Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Peniche.

    Annexed to the former hospital of this institution, the inside of the church boasts an...

  • Dating back to the end of the 15th century, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo was the chapel of the spa hospital founded by the queen, Dona Leonor.

    Architecturally, it belongs to the early Manueline cycle, its bell-tower being most...

  • The Igreja de São Pedro is located in the heart of Peniche's historic centre and is the largest church in the district.

    Dating from the end of the 16th century, the church is divided into a central nave and two side aisles. In each of the...

  • The Rua Direita leads to the Praça de Santa Maria, dominated by the church with its white bell tower and a lovely Renaissance portal. At the time when the Moors were the lords of the region, this was the site on which they built their mosque. When...

  • This church was built in 1186 at the orders of Dom Sancho I. It was a collegiate church serving the castle.

    After being completely razed to the ground by the earthquake in 1755, the church's reconstruction work ended in 1778, resulting in a...

  • Built in the late 13th/early 14th century, this was the Collegiate Church of St. Peter.

    It was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, and all that remained from the original building was the carved and gilded wooden high altar with its throne...

  • Situated inside the western jetty of the port of Peniche, the Marina da Ribeira has 140 berths for boats up to 15 metres in length and with draughts of less than 4 metres, 20 of which are reserved for transient moorages. Besides the usual facilities...

  • Officially created in 1983, the Ceramics Museum is housed in the Quinta Visconde de Sacavém, acquired for this purpose by the state in 1981.

    Having begun as a small group of pieces acquired by the Portuguese state, together with pieces from...

  • The museum, dedicated to the work of José Malhoa, was created in 1933, a few months before the painter’s death, and housed temporarily in the Casa dos Barcos, in the Parque Dom Carlos I, graciously provided and improved by the Spa Hospital. The...

  • Óbidos is a mediaeval walled town, where the many churches and intricate network of narrow streets bordered by beautiful white houses give visitors the feeling that they have been taken back in time.

    The museum has a collection of sacred...

  • The Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Peniche Museum Centre is composed of the Igreja da Irmandade (Church of the Brethren) and its outbuildings.

    The walls of the main section of the church are lined with 55 paintings that, together with others...

  • Outside the walls of Óbidos, be sure to visit this sanctuary, with its external hexagonal shape and pyramidal green glazed roof. It was built between 1740-47, at the height of the Baroque period, but the details were never finished, which may be why...

Nature: 1 Beach: 25 Information: 2 Bike Shops: 2 Accommodation - Campsite: 3 Accommodation - Hotel: 1 Transport - Train: 1

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Comments: Section 18

Section 18

Peniche / Foz do Arelho: 52

  • Elevation
  • Heritage
  • Nature
  • Beach
  • Information
  • Bike Shops
  • Accommodation - Campsite
  • Accommodation - Hotel
  • Transport - Train