Silver Coast Portugal

Holidays in luxury tent lodges at the Silver Coast

Glamping or 'glamorous camping' is enjoying your holiday in a special accommodation.

We welcome you on our small-scale glamping in this beautiful, rich in culture, part of Portugal.

Equipped with all conveniences

The three spacious tent lodges are equipped with all conveniences.

Restaurant with panoramic view over Nazaré and the sea.

Fresh fish as well as good meat dishes, served in a beautiful restaurant on a great location.
The restaurant's speciality is octopus, there are several lovely starters and main courses with octopus on the menu.

In addition to all culture and beautiful beaches, Central Portugal appears to be a paradise for cyclists

Sister Marian and brother Frans explored this year the area by bike. Of course you need a bit of condition and the right equipment to do fine in this hilly area. As they  say: "A good decision because with a full breakfast there is enough energy to start the journey with confidence." They are experienced bikers, several times they cycled from the Netherlands to southern France, and Germany to Prague. Say, the sports branch of the family.

Portugal was recently again in the news as a top holiday destination

For those who prefer this year a cheaper holiday in conjunction with quality, comes to Portugal. Here you not only find the most beautiful beaches, but also very hospitable people.

A recent World Economic Forum report, released by the International Travel & Tourism Competitiveness, shows that Portugal is one of the 10 most hospitable countries. Portugal got the 7th place in the ranking. The attitude of the Portuguese population to the foreign tourist appears very friendly. Something we often hear from our guests and experienced ourselves as a resident of Portugal. When newcomers find their way to our B&B, there is always a Portuguese fellow villager who knows where the Casa of the ‘Holandaises’ is. Even when our guests in the evening had dinner and want to take a taxi. Without saying anything, they can take a seat and the cab driver knows unerringly that its clients are the guests of Casa Ceedina.

Add to the welcoming also that four of the five top destinations of Portugal are in "our area, central Portugal “ and your holiday is made. Nazaré, São Martinho do Porto, Ericeira and Sintra are all well worth visiting. In particular, the resorts Nazaré and São Martinho do Porto are very popular with our guests.

Sao Martinho do Porto

Lovely to relax or have a nice walk down to the lighthouse for a magnificent view over the Atlantic Ocean or the bay. Also recommended to go surfing , sailing or canoeing. In the nice restaurants along the promenade you eat tasty a fish.

Nazaré

In the weekends and holidays the Portuguese also like to go their selves to Nazaré. The beaches are long, wide and clean, so a quiet spot is easily found. Eating a fish at the fish-drying place, go with the funicular to the upper town O Sitio or stroll along the boulevard. In Nazaré authentic and modernization goes hand in hand with each other to offer you as a tourist a pleasant time.

Sintra

Nature lovers travel to the mountains of Sintra which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Visit the palaces that served previously as a retreat for the rich. Sintra has because it is surrounded by forest a really special atmosphere. 

Enjoy the Portuguese sea

Surfing

The Atlantic Ocean is ideal for surfing. Some of the most popular surf beaches are at Nazaré, Baleal and Peniche.

You can rent your gear and/or book some lessons at Peniche Surf Camp, Nazaré Surf School, and others.

For (kite)surfing you can also go to Peniche Kitecenter, and the Escola da Vela in Nadadouro.

Sailing

Both the São Martinho do Porto bay as the Óbidos lagoon are excellent locations for sailing, (kite) surfing, canoeing, etc. You can rent the equipment and take lessons.

For instance, check the Escola de Vela da da Lagoa (sailing school) for possibilities at the Óbidos lagoon, not far from Foz do Arelho, for sailing, canoeing, waterskiing, and windsurfing.

The São Martinho Nautical Club offers sailing and windsurfing lessons.

Water fun for the whole family!

At the Costa de Prata you are never far from the sea if you want to swim. But a water park is of course also a great day out, especially for the kids.

There are 'Parques Aquáticos' in Peniche, Vieira de Leiria, and at the exit of the Grutas Mira d'Aire in the Serra de Aire e de Candeeiros.

Best known seaside resort of the Costa de Prata

The main beach of Nazaré lies behind a high cliff, on which Sítio is situated. Because of this, there is less wind at this beach. In high season you can rent one o the typical beach cabins to store your things and sit in the shade. Nazaré is especially popular with the Portuguese themselves, who come here to spend their weekends and summer holidays.

The wide beach with fine sand, is big enough for everyone. In the summer months, various activities are organized on the beach, especially for kids.

If you find this beach too crowded in summer, there are more quiet alternatives: more south close to the harbour, or north of Sítio, like Praia do Norte.

World record wave surfing

The beach of Nazaré is long and wide, ideal for a day at the beach. But beware: the sea can be very rough!

And that's exactly the reason why this is an ideal location for surfing championships.

The American surfer Garrett McNamara rode a monster wave in January 2013 at Praia do Norte, and that was a new world record: the wave he rode was 30 meters high!

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 together, souvenirs are sold to tourists, and you can enjoy the view of the village and the beach of Nazaré 110 meters below. In the church there are many azulejos panels, including a Dutch one from the 18th century.

The Igreja (church) da Nossa Senhora da Nazaré (originally from the 12th century, rebuilt in the 17th century) is tiled with lots of beautiful azulejos, but more important is the black Madonna statue. Twice a year, this statue is the destination of pilgrims: on 15 August 15, Assumption Day; and in the 2nd week of September, the Romaria da Senhora da Nazaré.

Opposite the church is a small chapel, the Capela da Memória, alsmost completely covered with azulejos. The chapel was built in memory of the wonder of a nobleman in the 12th century: during a hunt he and his horse were about to fall over the edge which he couldn't see because of very thick mist, when the Holy Virgin appeared at the edge of the abyss. That's when the nobleman saw the abyss just in time and he could turn around and safe his life.

On the westside of the main square, you can descend to the lighthouse (farol). Here the waves of the ocean crash high on the steep cliff.

In Sítio there are several bars, restaurants and terraces for a drink or a meal.

Endless pine forests, quiet beaches and Roman excavations

North of Nazaré and Sítio you can explore endless pine forests and quiet beaches: Praia do Norte, Praia da Légua, Vale Furado. Some beaches are guarded in the summer season, so you can safely swim there when the sea behaves itself. On the other beaches swimming is prohibited, because of the steeply sloping sand banks and the strong undertow in the ocean. South of Nazaré there is another beach, the vast Praia do Salgado.

North and south of Nazaré and Sitio there are two marked hiking trails, that take you to beaches, forests and rocks.

On the east side, between Nazaré and Valado dos Frades, in the middle of the woods, you will find a lookout on Mount São Bartlomeu (S. Brás), from where you can see the whole area.

Along the road from Valado dos Frades to Alcobaça, you will find on your left the porcelain factory of SPAL. At the factory outlet you can buy Portuguese porcelain with decorations from very simple to very exuberant, all at reasonable prices.

On the right side of this road, at the village Bárrio, you can find the archaeological site Parreitas. Here are for instance the foundations of an ancient Roman villa.

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 for children. It is rather a beach for people who are looking for a tranquil day at the beach.

The beach is easily accessible and the parking space is reasonable. Other facilities are limited. During high season part of the beach is supervised by the rescue team.

Part of the beach (towards Nazaré) is reserved for naturists. 

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 men and women standing in the water. Now you can only see this on painted tiles (azulejos) for sale in the many souvenir shops.

The fishermen now use a modern harbour on the southside of the village. On the promenade you can still see the women of Nazaré in their remarkable traditional clothes, wearing and short skirts (in 7 layers) and colourful scarfs and socks. They dry the catch of they day on racks, they sell dried fruits, or rent out rooms to tourists.

Because of the extensive beach, Nazaré is one of the most popular seaside resorts in central Portugal, and especially during the summer months it's very lively. But be aware: the sea can be very rough. And that’s exactly why Nazaré hosts surfing championships every year. The American Garrett McNamara set a new worldrecord in November 2011 with riding a wave more than 27 metres high. In January 2013 he broke is own record by surfing a wave of a stunning 34 metres.

O Sítio

High above the town is O Sítio, which can be reached by a funicular. All of Nazaré can be seen from there, and on a clear day you can see as far as Peniche.

On the main square in Sítio is the Capela da Memória, a small chapel almost completely covered with azulejos.

Also on the square is the 17th century Nossa Senhora da Nazaré Church. Again many azulejos, but more important is the black Madonna. Twice per year this statue attracts many pilgrims: Assumption Day on 15 August, and Romaria da Senhora da Nazaré in the second week of September.

Museums

• Museu Etnográfico Dr. Joaquim Manso: history and folclore of Nazaré

• Casa Museu do Pescador: exhibition about the fishing population of Nazaré, located in a traditional fishermen's house

www.cm-nazare.pt

Spacious and luxurious holiday houses and swimming pool

Our holiday houses are named after fruits that are grown here in this area. Casas Fruta is right in the middle of an area with lots of orchards, which look beautiful in spring when they are in full bloom.

The houses are all detached. Situated for maximum privacy and a lovely view on the hills. You can take a refreshing swim in the swimming pool, or relax in a lounger at the poolside.