Lower Central Portugal

 About Lower Central Portugal

 In this region the land makes the transition from the mountains and hills of Central Portugal, towards the flat plains of the Alentejo.  Rivers meander through the region, joining the River Tejo as it makes its way towards Lisbon and finally meets the Atlantic Ocean. 

The River Tejo forms a natural southern boundary of this comparatively wealthy region  - and its river valley supports some of Portugal's richest vineyards.  The fertile plains are ideal for growing wheat, olives and vegetables; and this area is famous for bull and horse breeding.

The Templars made this part of the country famous and, as a result, it's a popular tourist destination.  Other attractions include the beautiful Blue Lake formed by the dam of Castelo de Bode and fine fluvial (river) beaches.   The landscape is dominated by green valleys and hills covered with pine and eucalyptus forests, contrasting with the deep blue of the river and lakes.

 Features & activities:

• music and dance
• the common sight of horsemen wearing traditional costume rounding-up their cattle in the rural pastures
• bullfights - particularly in Santarém.  However unlike Spain, it is illegal to kill the bull in Portugal.
• agricultural fairs - especially the one held in Santarém in June, which is the largest in Portugal 

Architecture tracing the region's history - including:

• the fine church and Casa Museu dos Patudos (a museum with a fine art collection and decorative tiles) in the town of Alpiarça
• the Convent of Christ at Tomar, a dazzling monastery with church, cloisters and castle built in various styles, founded in 1162 by the grand-master of the Templars
• the sanctuary at Fátima, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children and which attracts thousands of pilgrims each year

Activities in the area include:

• Bicycle Riding Trails
• Boating
• Canoing
• Fishing
• Hiking Trails
• Mountain Bike Trails
• Swimming
• Water Sports
• Horseback Riding
• Golf
• the Blue Lake at Dornes which is more than 60 kilometres  (40 miles) long, formed by the large Castelo de Bode dam.  Surrounded by pine woods and small, picturesque villages there are:
• the Nautical and Leisure Park of Aldeia do Mato with:
  • a swimming-pool
  • mooring quay
  • equipment for water sports
  • boating
• the Castelo do Bode Eco Museum, with information about the area and the "Rural World" shop
• activities permitted on the lake include:
• fishing
• boating
• water sports   
• Barragem de Magos where water sports are permitted: 

 The local cuisine includes:

• freshwater fish and shellfish from the rivers
• the famous "sopa de pedra" ("stone soup", made from vegetables and meat according to a legend of a beggar monk)  
• game
• roast kid
• traditional cakes
• excellent local wines
  

Regional Handicrafts include:

• wicker basketry
• miniatures
• woodwork
• beautiful woven bedspreads and table-cloths
• painted tiles
• religious art objects   

 Towns and Villages in Lower Central Portugal

 ABRANTES 

Set on a hillside overlooking the River Tagus, historically Abrantes was of great strategic importance, particularly during the 12th century Christian Reconquest and the Peninsular War - and the castle and fortress are reminders of this historical role.

The charming historical town centre has streets and squares with traditional houses decorated with flowers and creepers - which have given the town its nickname of the "Floral Town of Portugal".  There is an annual Flowered Streets Competition held each May as part of the town's annual festa.

Nearby is the Barragem do Castelo de Bode (billy-goat castle dam?) - forming the Blue Lake.

Regional cuisine includes: traditional cakes made with egg yolks and sugar, based on ancient recipes created by nuns - these include "palha de Abrantes" (Abrantes straw) and "tigeladas" (bowlfuls); a variety of fish dishes (using local, freshwater fish) including arroz de lampreia (lamprey with rice) and açorda de sável (shad with mashed bread); game dishes; roast kid; and entrecosto com migas (spare ribs with mashed and flavoured bread).

 Facilities include:

• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Bars
• Shops
• Banks
• Supermarkets
• Railway Station
• Bus Station 

 Approximate Driving Times from Portuguese Airports:

• Lisbon - 1 hour 20 minutes
• Porto - 2 hours 30 minutes
• Faro - 3 hours 30 minutes

 CORUCHE 

 Coruche sits in the vast, open plains of the "Lezíria", in the heart of the bullfighting region.  It is a pretty little town with lovely squares and plazas.   The site of the town has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times, until 1180 when it was virtually destroyed by the Moors as an act of revenge against the conquering Christians.

The Church of Santa Maria do Castelo (Saint Mary of the Castle) has a wonderful belvedere with far-reaching views. The Church of Saint Peter has rare blue and yellow decorated tiles (17th century), and there is a café called "O Coruja" (screech-owl), in the centre of the town which has panels of modern "azulejos" portraying bulls on the plains, bullfights and local scenes depicting contemporary life.

Nearby, is the Barragem do Magos, where water sports are permitted.

 Facilities include:

• Cafés
• Restaurants
• Bars
• Shops
• Banks
• Post Office

Approximate Driving Time fro Portuguese Airports:

• Lisbon - 55 minutes
• Faro - 2 hours, 40 minutes
• Porto - 3 hours, 10 minutes

 FERREIRA DO ZÊZERE

 This town is set in lovely scenery, dominated by green valleys and hills covered with pine and eucalyptus forests in contrast with the deep blue of the river and lakes.  The architecture reflects the history of the region and includes the Pentagonal Tower built by the Templars.

Local handicrafts include:  wicker basketry; miniatures of old river fishing boats; woodwork; beautiful woven bedspreads and table-cloths; painted tiles; and religious art objects.

The local cuisine is diverse and generally savoury.  It features freshwater fish and shellfish from the rivers; roast kid; morcela de arroz (a type of black pudding with rice), Areias cheese; and bons maridos ("good husbands") - a typical local cake.

  Facilities include:

• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Bars
• Shops
• Banks
• Supermarkets
• Bus Services

Approximate Driving Times from Portuguese Airports:

• Lisbon - 1 hour, 35 minutes
• Faro - 2 hours, 35 minutes
• Porto - 3 hours, 45 minutes

 OURÉM

 The medieval walled town of Ourém is dominated by its 15th century castle which consists of three towers set in a triangle and containing an enormous tank of water  - this is said to be the reason why it never surrendered under siege. 

About 10 kilometres from Ourém it the famous sanctuary of Fátima which celebrates the appearances of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children on 13th May 1917.  A young girl, Lúcia and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta, saw a shining figure on a Holm oak tree who told them to pray for the world.  They were also ordered to return to the tree on the 13th day of every month.  By the 13th October, the children were accompanied by 70,000 pilgrims, and many spoke of the "miracle of the sun".  It was then that Our Lady told Lúcia of the three "secrets of Fátima".  Thousands of pilgrims visit the sanctuary each year - particularly on the 13th May and 13th October.   The sanctuary is dominated by a neo-baroque Basílica , flanked by statues of saints and has a 65 m (220 feet) tower.  An enormous esplanade where the Capela das Aparições marks the place where the Virgin Mary appeared.

 Facities include:

• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Bars
• Shops
• Banks
• Supermarkets
• Bus Services

 Approximate Driving Times from Portuguese Airports:

• Lisbon - 1 hour, 25 minutes
• Faro - 2 hours, 15 minutes
• Porto - 3 hours, 35 minutes

 RIO MAIOR

 Situated midway between Santarém and Óbidos, the town is set in a landscape of pine and eucalyptus forests.  This is an agricultural centre which also has natural mineral salt deposits.  It is a convenient base to explore the region's many attractions, including the medieval walled town of Óbidos (a World Heritage site); the impressive churches at Alcobaça and Batalha; and the golden, sandy beaches of Nazaré and São Martinho do Porto.

The town is home to the Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club which covers are area of approximately 200 acres.

 Facilities include:

• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Bars
• Banks
• Hospital
• Golf Course

 Approximate Driving Time from Portuguese Airports: 

• Lisbon - 55 minutes
• Faro - 2 hours, 35 minutes
• Porto - 3 hours

 SANTARÉM

 This is the capital of the Ribatejo district.  It commands lovely views over the river Tagus and the vast meadow lands that surround the city.   A common site in the city are the "campinos" (herdsmen with colourful clothes) that gather here - particularly during the bullfight season and also in June, when Santarém hosts the largest agricultural fair of the country.

Set within the city's medieval walls, on the former site of the town's castle, are the lovely Jardim das Portas do Sol (gardens) set within the city´s medieval walls, the view over the river Tagus.  There is much to see in the city, including the Baroque Igreja do Seminário (church) built in 1640; the 14th century Igreja da Graça which has the tombstone of Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brazil; and the Museu Arqueológico.

This area is particularly well-known for horse and bull breeding.

 Facilities include:

• a large number of Restaurants
• Cafes
• Bars
• Shops
• Banks
• Supermarkets
• Railway Station
• Bus Services

 Approximate Driving Times from Portuguese Airports:

• Lisbon - 45 minutes
• Faro - 2 hours, 40 minutes
• Porto - 2 hours, 50 minutes
  

 TOMAR

 This is a charming and historically important town. It was established on the banks of the Nabão River in 1160, when the first Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar in Portugal ordered the castle to be built.  It now contains one of the country’s most significant and impressive monuments, the Convent of Christ, and is a World Heritage sight.

The town’s elegant main square is surrounded by 17th-century buildings. In the heart of town is a neat grid of streets, and in Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto is a well-preserved synagogue - built in 1430 it is one of the oldest in Portugal.

Not far from here is the 17th-century church of São Francisco which has a Match Museum in its former cloisters. Here is the largest collection in Europe of over 43,000 matchboxes from 104 countries.

On the east side of the river is a 13th-century church that was once the mother church for mariners in the Age of Discovery. The Church of Santa Maria do Olival also contains the graves of Templar Masters. Across the old bridge is another small church, that of Santa Iria, the town’s patron saint. She was a young nun who lived in Tomar in the 7th century, who was murdered and thrown into the river after a feud between two rival suitors, a nobleman and a monk.

There is a spectacular festival in town that takes place every four years (the last one was in 2003) called Festa dos Tabuleiros ("Festival of the Trays"). There is a procession of about 400 girls in white carrying towers of trays with bread and flowers on their head, music and fireworks. The following day, bread and wine, blessed by the priest, are handed out to local families.

We have been informed that preliminary planning permission has been granted for the proposed  140 hectare "Aqueduto dos Pegões Golf course" in the vale da Ribeira dos Pegões, some 4kms North-West of Tomar.

 Facilities include:

• Restaurants
• Shopping
• Supermarkets
• Cafés
• Bars
• Market - held on Fridays 
• Cinema
• Banks
• Hotels
• Hospital
• Post Office
• Railway Station

 Leisure

• Sightseeing
• Folk festivals
• Beaches on the Costa de Prata (Silver Coast) 30 minutes drive.

 Approximate Driving Time from Portuguese Airports

• Lisbon – 1 hour 20 minutes
• Porto – 2 hours 30 minutes
• Faro – 3 hours 30 minutes

 Golf in Lower Central Portugal

 THE GOLDEN EAGLE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

Set in a 1,300 acre site close to Rio Maior.

The course totals 6,200 metres of championship tees for a Par 72 (37+35). On the first round, look out for hole 6, a Par 4 of 354 metres and on the second round, pay attention at hole number 10 (354 metres). Here, in order to get a Par 4, the player has to make a second shot over the water onto a not very deep green.

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