Your stay starts here
To help you plan your trip, here is a short guide with tips on the must-see places to visit around Villa Ferreira.
Obidos – 15km from Villa Ferreira (20mn)
Historically, the town of Obidos was given to the Queen of Portugal on her wedding day, a tradition that began in 1214 with Queen Urraca and continued until the 19th century. These royal visits left a heritage and pride that is clearly visible in every part of the town. Today, it is one of the most charming towns in central Portugal.
For visitors, Obidos is a charming town to explore: it has narrow cobbled streets, traditional painted houses, and an imposing medieval castle. Obidos may be small, but it is hard to find a better example of a traditional Portuguese town.
Caldas da Rainha – 15km from Villa Ferreira (20mn)
A spa town with an ancient reputation, Caldas da Rainha is an important agricultural centre with busy markets; it is also a town famous for its ceramics with varied motifs: vine leaves, snails, caricature figurines.
Not to be missed is Parque Dom Carlos, a peaceful, picturesque green space with an art museum, gardens, a playground and a lake with boats. Or the Ceramics Museum, officially created in 1983.
Baleal – 20km from Villa Ferreira (25mn)
Baleal is a village located north of Peniche, separated from the continent by a beach of fine white sand. In the continuity of the cove there is also the islet of Colombes.
This small island was the place where whales captured during their migration from the northern seas were butchered. The whales were a coveted target for the fishermen of the village of Atouguia da Baleia.
Baleal has become an important holiday resort and offers a wide range of possibilities for practicing water sports.
Due to their peninsular location, Baleal and Peniche offer unique conditions in Europe for practicing surfing and bodyboarding. The place has schools where all water sports are taught.
Buddha Eden Park – 24km From Villa Ferreira (27mn)
Let’s discover the Buddha Eden, the largest oriental garden in Europe located in a unique setting of 35 hectares, in the immense Quinta dos Loridos wine estate. This oriental garden was created in reaction to the destruction of the Banyan Buddhas, which took place in one of the greatest acts of cultural barbarity, the erasure of the masterpieces of the end of the Gandhara art period.
This mixture of Asia, Africa and modern sculptures gives a mysterious air to the Buddha Eden. This garden is a true haven of peace where you want to spend hours. The central staircase is the focal point of the garden, where the golden Buddhas welcome you warmly. At the edge of the central lake, Japanese Koi carp can be observed and sculpted dragons rise out of the water. Around beautiful paths lined with trees and plants, you can admire different styles of statues, pagodas, giant Buddhas, various sculptures, or 6,000 tons of marble and granite.
Salir Do Porto – 26km from Villa Ferreira (27mn)
u the blue of the sky to the emerald green of the sea, from the chirping of the birds to the crashing of the waves, from the scent of the pines in the hills to the smell of seaweed and salt water carried by the sea breeze… Salir do Porto is an oasis of natural beauty and tranquility, and yet so close to the most popular attractions of the Silver Coast!
Situated on the southern shore of the beautiful shell-shaped bay of São Martinho Do Porto, the village of Salir do Porto stands out for its natural beauty. A combination of countryside and sea, where Portugal reveals its simple pleasures in vivid colours and invites you to give wings to your imagination.
You can park at the Salir Do Porto beach car park and walk to São Martinho Do Porto, a beautiful 4 km hike.
Peniche- 28km from Villa Ferreira (30mn)
Peniche, Portugal’s first fishing port, is partly surrounded by 16th-century walls. On the south side, near the sea, stands the 15th-century fortress used as a prison during the Salazar regime. Located on Cape Carvoeiro, with its typical white churches, Peniche has attracted artists, including the French painter Maurice Boitel.
Peniche Beach is one of the best in Portugal for surfing (it hosted the Rip Curl Pro Search surfing competition in October 2009), bodyboarding, etc.
Don’t forget to get lost in the fishing village located to the right of the fortress.
Archipel des Berlengas – 28km from Villa Ferreira (30mn)
The Berlengas archipelago is a group of granite islands, located about ten kilometers from Cape Carvoeiro, they are visible from the city of Peniche.
Berlenga Grande, the main island, is about 1.5 kilometers long and 0.8 kilometers wide. Two other islands, Estela and Grande Farilhao, also give their names to the two Berlengas sub-archipelagos. The Council of Europe classified this archipelago as a biogenetic reserve in 1988 and a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2011.
It is possible to visit Berlenga Grande on a day trip from Peniche; there is no shortage of activities: boat tour of the cliffs, the fort, walk in the interior of the island, bird watching, snorkeling or simply spending some time relaxing on the beach. Glass-bottomed boats depart from the port of Berlenga Grande to explore the surrounding caves and caves and observe the immense aquatic life.
Monastère d’Alcobaça – 47km from Villa Ferreira (45mn)
The Monastery of Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, north of Lisbon, was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso I. Due to the magnitude of its dimensions, the clarity of its architectural design, the beauty of the material and the care taken in its execution, it is considered a masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art.
Nazare – 48km from Villa Ferreira (45mn)
Nazaré Beach, with a pleasant climate and natural beauty, has the oldest traditions regarding the fishing arts. Looking towards the sea, on the right side, you will see an impressive promontory. It is from this place, called Sítio, that you have one of the most famous panoramas of the Portuguese coast. A very steep rocky site overlooking the sea at 318 meters above sea level, it is accessible on foot for the bravest or by funicular.
Currently, the great attraction of this city is the waves and surfing, thanks to the “Canon of Nazaré”, an underwater geomorphological phenomenon that allows the formation of giant and perfect waves.
To discover Nazaré, it is essential to take a walk through the streets perpendicular to the beach, and a break in one of the restaurants to enjoy a dish of fresh seafood, grilled fish or an appetizing “caldeirada”. In the evening, there is nothing better than admiring the setting sun on a café terrace with a sea view.
Monastère de Batalha – 67km from Villa Ferreira (1h)
The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, better known as the Monastery of Batalha, is located in Batalha. Built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, the monastery was for two centuries the great construction site of the Portuguese monarchy where an original national Gothic style developed, deeply influenced by Manueline art, of which the royal cloister, a true masterpiece, is the perfect illustration. The monument has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lisbonne – 96km from Villa Ferreira (1h14m)
Whether you’re planning a weekend in Lisbon, a multi-day getaway or a week-long getaway, Portugal’s capital has a lot to offer. Spread across seven steep hills overlooking the Tagus River, Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect from Portugal’s top destination, without the tourist hustle and bustle of other European capitals (depending on the time of year).
Gothic cathedrals, monasteries, majestic castles and picturesque museums will be part of your activities, but you’ll get even more pleasure from wandering the narrow streets of the different neighbourhoods during your visit to Lisbon. Discover all the activities in the city by clicking HERE.
Sintra – 106km from Villa Ferreira (1h20m)
The Pena Palace (Palácio Nacional da Pena) is a historic building located on one of the peaks of the Sintra Mountains, in the heart of a 200-hectare park in the city of Sintra. It is characterized by its bright yellow and red colors.
The Quinta da Regaleira is an architectural ensemble located in the Historic Center of Sintra, a city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The palace and the gardens of its Quinta were created by Antonio Augusto Carvalho Monteiro with the help of the architect Luigi Manini; they now extend over 4 hectares. References to alchemy, freemasonry, and the Knights Templar are numerous both in the architecture of the palace and in the design of the park that surrounds it. The palace itself has several names or nicknames: Palácio do Monteiro dos Milhões, Quinta da Regaleira, Palácio da Regaleira.
The National Palace of Sintra, also known as Palácio da Vila and also called the Royal Palace, is one of the main monuments of the city of Sintra in Portugal; its two 33-metre-high white conical chimneys give it a very unique silhouette and, as a result, make it the symbol of the city.
