Estremadura & Ribatejo

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Portugal

$26.99

Shop Book

Mint Images / Getty Images

Overview

Stretching from the Rio Tejo to the Atlantic Ocean, Estremadura and Ribatejo constitute Portugal’s heartland, but their central importance goes beyond geography. These fertile lands have formed the backdrop for every major chapter in Portuguese history, from the building of key fortified settlements in the 12th century to the release of Salazar’s political prisoners in 1974. Two of medieval Portugal’s critical battles for autonomy – against the Moors at Santarém and the Spaniards at Aljubarrota – were fought and won here, and remain commemorated in the magnificent monasteries at Alcobaça and Batalha, both Unesco World Heritage Sites. A third Unesco site, Tomar’s Convento de Cristo, was long the stronghold of the Knights Templar.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Headland
Peniche
While in Peniche, make sure you do the 8km circuit of the whole headland (walking is hot going, however, as much of it is on the road). At Cabo Carvoeiro,…
Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória
Estremadura & Ribatejo
The extraordinary monastery of Batalha was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota (fought just south of here). Most of the monument was…
Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça
Estremadura & Ribatejo
One of Iberia's great monasteries utterly dominates the town of Alcobaça. Hiding behind the imposing baroque facade lies a high, austere, monkish church …
Convento de Cristo
Tomar
Wrapped in splendour and mystery, the Knights Templar held enormous power in Portugal from the 12th to 16th centuries, and largely bankrolled the Age of…
Santuário de Fátima
Estremadura & Ribatejo
It's difficult to believe that a century ago, this was rocky pastureland outside an insignificant village. This vast complex is now one of Catholicism's…
Bacalhôa Buddha Eden
Estremadura & Ribatejo
What have the Taliban got to do with a rural winery 12km south of Óbidos? Well, when they blew up the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001, the…
Muro de Óbidos
Óbidos
Óbidos' dramatic, fully intact Moorish wall imposingly surrounds the historical centre of town and stretches in a completed loop of 1560m, all of which…
Aqueduto de Pegões
Tomar
This astonishing aqueduct, striding towards the monastery from the northwest, was built between 1593 and 1613 to supply water to thirsty monks. Its 180…