Take a journey to one of the oldest and best-preserved places in Portugal: the town of Óbidos. Your trip will last approximately 1-hour. Feel free to enjoy some of the most beautiful landscapes in western Portugal for the next 55 miles.  The village of Óbidos was probably founded by the Celts in 308 BC. Recent studies have led experts to believe that Óbidos was part of the ancient Roman city of Eburobrittium. The village was later occupied by the barbarians and then by the Moors. The first King of Portugal, Alphonse I, conquered the village from the Moors on the 11th of January 1148.   In the 18th century, Óbidos still held its noble status as a place for the royal summer holidays. King John V stayed in Óbidos for eight years on the advice of his doctors to go bathing in Caldas da Rainha to treat his arthritis and obesity.  On arrival in this charming village some of the places of interest are as follows: Town Gate or Our Lady of Sorrow, patron saint of Óbidos: You can see the inscription: “The Virgin, Our Lady, was conceived without original sin”, which dates back to the 17th century, to the time of John IV.  Marvel at the 18th century tiles that represent scenes of the Passion of Christ. St. Peter’s Church: Saint Peter’s Church has a medieval foundation and still has its original portal. It was renovated in the second half of the 16th century. The church has a single nave and a superb altarpiece in baroque woodwork from the architectural period of King John V. Pousada of Óbidos: The Pousada of Óbidos was the first in Portugal to be built from an historical building. It is located inside what was once the Paço do Alcaide. Notice the beautiful Manueline windows and the doorway with an ornate lintel molded in the fashion of intertwined tree-trunks. St. James Church: Over the centuries, during their stays in Óbidos, the royal family attended the St. James Church, founded by King Sancho in 1186. St. Mary’s Church of Óbidos: Legend has it that St. Mary’s Church of Óbidos is located in the exact same place as the old Visigoth temple used to be. The temple was later turned into a mosque. When the Christian conquest by Alphonse I took place in 1148, it became a Catholic church. Inside St. Mary’s Church, one can admire the splendid collection of tiles that cover the walls. Don’t miss the tomb of D. João de Noronha, mayor of Óbidos in the 16th century, a masterpiece by the sculptor Nicolau Chanterene. 

We will take you to the most ancient Thermal Hospital in the world - continually operating for over five hundred years. Long before SPAs came along, Portuguese Queen D. Leonor had her own private “pool”, which you will be visiting. This came after she saw people bathing in natural hot springs looking for cures for their ailments. Impressed, the queen had a thermal hospital built on the site the very next year (1485). This tour will also take you to the nearby Church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo (“Our Lady of the People”), a small yet artistically rich place of worship, which holds some of the earliest examples of the "Manueline Architecture”, a famously unique Portuguese architectural style. Afterward, we will take you to the beautiful and romantic D. Carlos I Park and share an overview of the city’s history highlighting its golden age in the 19th century, when it became an industrial and artistic hub and Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and José Malhoa became household names.

Óbidos:, tradition and creativity hand in hand The visit starts at the Door of the Village, today the main entrance of Óbidos, and we continue to the Castle, with its impressive military architecture. Always embraced by the imposing walls, we will discover streets of medieval charm with their flowered houses, churches of various eras, squares which are always meeting point of the people, until we reach the viewpoint of the Castle that offers us an amazing view to the village and the countryside. The castle was (and still is) the first historical inn of Portugal with its Manueline window. Sour Cherry Liquor on a chocolate cup: the drink sensation of Óbidos Finally, a toast to this visit and to all who joined us! For this, we stop at a local bar and taste the drink that makes the delight of all visitors – Óbidos ginja, natural or on a chocolate cup. If we arouse your curiosity and want to know more about the Ginja of Óbidos, book with us a visit to a producer to get to know the whole history and process of production of this liquor. Nazaré With its long half-moon shaped beach, Nazaré has an unforgettable natural beauty, known for its allie with the ancient traditions of the fishing art, so present in the whole village, make this Village such a unique place. The Beach, a place of living traditions During our visit, we cross paths with the fishmongers who still wear the seven skirts and dry the fish in the sun, and also with the boats returning from the fishing activities, and having the sea as our company, we can feel the true Nazarene essence. From the top of its 318 meters, stands an imposing promontory , called Sítio by the locals, which offers some of the most emblematic panoramic views of the Portuguese coast. Sítio da Nazaré, where legend and reality meet In the Sítio, the main legend of Nazaré comes alive, which is part of the collective imagination that makes it one of the most charismatic fishing villages in the country. We begin with the Hermitage of Memory, where the legend of the miracle is recorded, in which Our Lady prevented the horse of D. Fuas Roupinho from launching on the cliff. Then we visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré, whose construction began in the 14th century and has been increase and enriched over the years, thanks to the growing cult.

Alcobaça Monastery is a place where eternal love is celebrated, as it is the resting place of Pedro and Inês. Pedro was a prince whose lover was brutally assassinated for political reasons. When he became King, he made sure justice was served: he had the assassins killed (legend has it their hearts were taken out to make them pay for his broken heart…) and his beloved Inês was crowned Queen of Portugal… after her death. We will tell you all about the history and daily life of this ancient monastery, the biggest of all Cistercian centers in Europe. “Pray and Work” was the motto of the monks, who also left something of a profane legacy: pastry and Ginjinha. You’ll thank us later. At Batalha Monastery, a true masterpiece of Portuguese architecture, you will see the marvelous royal pantheon and learn all about the Battle (Batalha) of Aljubarrota, which paved the way for Portugal to become the first global empire.

At Óbidos, Our tale will have two hours walking through the amazing medieval Óbidos village. We will start at the village main gate, and then we will discover amazing narrow streets outside of the beaten track. After we will share with you the morish & Jewish neighborhod and their white painted houses with some great spots to take some pictures. Then we will taste the amazing and local Ginjinha, a sour cherry liquor, but this one is full of flavours without any additions. We will visit and explore: - Obidos Village; - Mercado Biológico unique bookshop - Saint Mary Church; - Moorish and Jewish neighboorhood - Sao Tiago Church; - Ancient 8th century Moorish castle, Caldas da Rainha: We will take you to the most ancient Thermal Hospital in the world - continually operating for over five hundred years. Long before spas´s came along, Portuguese Queen D. Leonor had her own private “pool”, which you will be visiting. This came after she saw people bathing in natural hot springs looking for cures for their ailments. Impressed, the queen had a thermal hospital built on the site the very next year (1485). This tour will also take you to the nearby Church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo (“Our Lady of the People”), a small yet artistically rich place of worship, which holds some of the earliest examples of the "Manueline Architecture”, a famously unique Portuguese architectural style. Afterward, we will take you to the beautiful and romantic D. Carlos I Park and share an overview of the city’s history highlighting its golden age in the 19th century, when it became an industrial and artistic hub and Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and José Malhoa became household names.

Your day will start with a private transfer to Nazaré or to Mafra. What do you prefer? A guided visit to Mafra National Palace (unesco site) for get involved with the Portuguese history and the way the Royal family use to live; or A short presentation of Nazaré beach and plenty of time for explore it by yourself and to have lunch facing the Atlantic Ocean. Óbidos medieval walls will be on the afternoon. Talking a little bit about the 3 cities to visit and what you can expect, let´s start by Nazaré. Picturesque Nazaré, famous for it's popular beach and the views over Atlantic Ocean from the cliff. Land of fishermen, miracles and legends. And now also on the Surf world map because of the biggest waves. Nazaré is the perfect place for you to walk on the boulevard having an ice cream, shopping or taking a beer/lunch. If you like to walk it´s strongly recommend to descend to Saint Michael Fort (where is the Surf museum) to see the place where the big waves can appear. A magnificent spot for pictures. In Óbidos, we will present the place to you in 10 minutes and after that you will have the chance of walking in the medieval streets, shopping a souvenir, climb to the top of the castle walls, and for sure to take a lot of pictures. And you can not forget to taste the famous Ginja liqueur in a chocolate cup. Mafra National Palace was classified, in 2019, by unesco as a World Heritage Site. The Basilica - with its six organs - and its, no less famous, Library - with about 40.000 volumes - will help us to understand why. It´s a wonderful opportunity to walk through the room of the King and the one of the Queen and plenty of other living rooms, magnificent decorated with paintings, tapestries and ceramics. A place full of history that you will get the chance to visit with a private guide. About the time to spend in each location, we recommend 1 hour in Mafra and 1 hour in Óbidos and the remain (about 3h30) in Nazaré. But the decision is yours. It's a private tour and we can readjust the time if you want it.

Explore the most charming medieval town of Óbidos with an experienced and knowledgeable guide who will take you through the history and tales, the streets and alleys, the castle and the churches, the fine art, and (last but not least) the sweet and authentic tastes of this ancient Portuguese land (the famous Ginjinha de Óbidos- on a chocolate cup!). Don’t miss out on the trendy bookstore Ler Devagar located on a former royal chapel, the 1300-year-old Muslim castle, the superb “pietá” of renaissance master Nicolau de Chanterene and the works of the celebrated XVII century Josefa de Óbidos, the first Portuguese female artist to get to the Louvre. Afterward, we are pleased to take you to the most unexpected, yet impressive and inspiring, site in the center of Portugal: the Buddha Eden, the largest oriental garden in Europe- no less. A massive 35 hectares of land inhabited by hundreds of sculptures evocative of oriental cultures: buddhas, pagodas, dragons, terracotta warriors...and more

Book a private transfer from the Lisbon airport to your Foz do Arelho/Caldas da Rainha hotel, or a departure transfer in the other direction. This 1-way, 45-minute service is priced for up to 3 passengers. Transfers for 1-3 passengers are by car and for 4-8 passengers by modern 8-passenger vehicle. Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year. On arrival at the airport, after you have collected your luggage, you will find the driver waiting in the arrivals hall holding a sign with the name of the lead traveler. From this point all you need to do is relax and enjoy the comfortable drive to your destination in an air-conditioned vehicle. You can listen to some soft music or you can ask the experienced driver about restaurants, sightseeing or other activities of interest. During your stay in Foz do Arelho/Caldas da Rainha you can also schedule private chauffeured transportation with a wide range of vehicles available.

Fátima is considered to be one of the major catholic pilgrimage sites in the world: it is visited by more than six million people every year. This half-day tour offers travelers a visit to the most emblematic sites of the Sanctuary of Fátima, namely the Apparitions Chapel, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima (where the little shepherds Lúcia, Jacinta, and Francisco were laid to rest) and the contemporary Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, built to provide more room to welcome the pilgrims from all around who come to Fátima. Visitors will have the time to freely explore the sanctuary and its surroundings.

The Nazaré canyon, a natural formation making a massively deep and large hole in the sea floor right next to the shoreline, creates massive waves that make this spot, Praia do Norte, a Meca for adventurous surfers all around the world. The canyon also hides a Nazi submarine, which was sunk there on purpose never to be found again... We will also visit the Sanctuary and Memory Chapel, and will be able to have a breathtaking view of Nazaré and a great deal of the Silver Coast shore (all the way to the Berlengas Islands). Last but for sure not least, you will also get to know Nazaré itself, a one-of-a-kind traditional fishing village, its narrow alleys facing the sea, and its old traditions like the “Dry Fish” and the puzzling “sights” of local women wearing their famous seven skirts.