Not yet spoiled by mass tourism

Not yet spoiled by mass tourism

You'll find here what the Algarve is missing

You'll find here what the Algarve is missing

The beach resorts are still authentic

The beach resorts are still authentic

You can reach it from Lisbon in no-time

You can reach it from Lisbon in no-time

The weather is nice, all year round

The weather is nice, all year round

Costa de Prata

A personal story

When we drove back to The Netherlands after our holidays in the Algarve in 2001, we were absolutely sure. We were not going to live in the Algarve, nor were we going to buy a house south of Lisbon.

We did not really like the landscape. Of course, the sea is marvellous, always and everywhere, but the countryside consists of huge plains, dry oliveyards and extensive pine forests. Beautiful, but not for us.

So we drove home and perhaps we might still have lived in Holland, but for the fact that some hundred kilometers north of Lisbon, we drove through a beautiful, green landscape.

Hilly, grassy, forests interspersed with orchards. In the distance the blue-grey mountains of the Serra dos Candeeiros. But I was not really interested in them at the time...

A cup of tea

The landscape awakened something inside of me. So I said to Loek (my husband): ‘If there is a nice town in the neighbourhood with a nice terrace, where I can drink a cup of tea on a Fridaymorning, then I would like to look around here. That’s why we drove into Caldas da Rainha and in the middle of the town we found ourselves in a beautiful park from the 17th century. Parque Dom Carlos I. And yes, there is a terrace.

What in heaven's name can you do within one week?

Caldas da Rainha is situated in the Costa de Prata, something I realised much later. The region we chose to live in has many more things than we realised in the beginning. Maybe you have to live here to know this. There is so much to see, to experience and to enjoy here, that we secretly laugh when people rent one of our apartments for one week. I always have the tendency to cry out: 'What can you do in one week, for heaven’s sake!' But of course I don’t do that, instead I bombard people with tips and ideas (if they want to listen to me of course.)

Yes, I dare maintain that, even when it rains, The Costa de Prata is beautiful and if you want to there is a lot to see and to experience. One of the highlights is the old monastery in Alcobaça: Mosteiro de Santa Maria. It is true, the Abbey is described in all the tourist-guides, but there is so much more to discover in the Abbey and in the Costa de Prata.

20 Tips to See and Do at the Silver Coast


Suniest Beaches

Versatile seaside resort close to Leiria São Pedro de Moel is a small sea resort, at about 20 kilometers from Leiria. The Portuguese people like to spend time on the beaches of this village. Also...

Sun space all around In the Torres Vedras there are several beaches, like Praia Azul, Santa Rita and Santa Cruz. On this page you can find more information.

Place to be São Martinho do Porto has always been ‘the place to be’ voor people from cities like Lisbon. Because of the specific location of the bay, the beach and the sea are accessible for...

Tranquil beach Salgado beach is a vast beach located between São Martinho do Porto and Nazaré. Usually the sea is fairly rough, and the beach can be quite steep, so it's not the most suitable beach...

Most Beautiful Places

In Coimbra you can visit Portugal dos Pequenitos , or Portugal for the Little Ones. It is a recreational-educational park intended primarily for children. The park has thematic areas, like...

Back from the Past In February 2018 the Dino Parque is opened, a large park near Lourinhã where you can see many dinosaurs in full size. www.dinoparque.pt At Bairro (between Fátima and Torres Novas)...

Arise of the Castelo dos Templários and Convento de Cristo After the conquest of the region from the Moors in the Portuguese Reconquista, the land was granted in 1159 as a fief to the Order of the...

Marinha Grande: The glass centre of the region Apart from the glass museum Museo do Vidro in the former residence of Stephens, where glass-ware of the 17th to the 20th century is on display, there...

Popular Activities

Discover the Silver Coast by foot OESTE , or the west, is an area in the centre of Portugal, and is part of the Costa de Prata or Silver Coast. This mainly green area knows bright light and a mild...

Centro de BTT Portugal's first official mountainbike centre, the Centro de BTT, is located in the naturepark Serra d'Aire e Candeeiro s. There are 7 routes in the area, varying in distance and...

Exploring the area by horse For riding lessons or hacks you can contact: - CEIA (Centro Equestre Internacional de Alfeizerão) - Centro Hípico de Alcaria , in de Serra de Aire e de Candeeiros

Enjoy an organised activity Adventure By You offers all kinds of activities and excursions, like dolphin spotting, horseriding on the beach or inland, bicycle tours, or a wine excursion. Tours are...

Nicest Towns

Picturesque fortified town continues to fascinate South of Caldas da Rainha, is the town of Óbidos. Óbidos is a fortified town located on top of a hill, and still encircled by high walls. Once the...

Probably the most well known coastal village of the Costa de Prata Originally Nazaré was a fishing village. Not so very long ago the fishermen used oxes to pull the boats out of the water, helped by...

Funicular takes you up A funicular takes you from downtown Nazaré up to Sítio, the higher part of Nazaré. On the large square next to the church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré, young and old get...

Glass town with English twist Marinha Grande is located between Leiria and the coast. Since the second half of the 18th century it is the centre of glass manufacturing industry. The Royal Glass...

Best Restaurants

Cosy restaurant high above Alcobaça. Great location, cosy restaurant, friendly staff. And the food is amazing! The restaurant is quite popular, so it's a good idea to book a table.

A very good and cosy Portuguese restaurant, that has won a number of awards already. Tip: order a 'meio dose' for your main course, because the starters are enormous!

For the tastiest pizzas and pasta View on the bay, good food, friendly service.

A traditional Portuguese restaurant, with large open fire for cooking the meat. The restaurant is very well known with Portuguese people.