Shopping
and Restaurants
The nearby villages of Nadadouro and Foz do Arelho have shops and reasonably
priced restaurants with 2 on the beach at Foz specialising in locally
caught seafood.
Ten
minutes away by car in the spa town of Caldas da Rainha are a number
of markets selling locally produced fruit and vegetables, fish and meat.
For the less adventurous Caldas now has 2 large `hypermarkets' which
offer an extensive range of familiar foodstuffs.
Caldas
also has several good restaurants and a wide range of other shopping.
The surrounding area is ideal for water sports in the safe, sheltered Óbidos Lagoon or at the superb beach at Foz, only 5 minutes by car. Water skiing and wind surfing are available in the Lagoon or at the nearby resort of Sao Martinho.
Other locally available sports include fishing, horse riding, golf, tennis and a water sports complex near to Peniche. For nightlife, the area boasts at least 2 clubs.
Golf in the sunshine! This parkland course (Golden Eagle) is only 35 minutes inland. Praia del Ray is 45 minutes along the coast
Sightseeing
Many
sights of historic and scenic interest are within easy reach of the
villa. In addition to shopping, Caldas has an ancient spa and is renowned
for its pottery. Slightly further afield are the impressive 13th Century
monasteries at Alcobaca and Batalha.
Most
spectacular, however, is the medieval walled town of Óbidos
(click link below) , a national monument
dating back to the Moorish occupation of Portugal and now a UNESCO protected
site. Largely unchanged over the centuries, its narrow cobbled streets
and whitewashed houses exude a charm remarkably unaffected by the ravages
of 20th century tourism.
On
the coast to the north lie the seaside resorts of Sao Martinho and Nazare,
while the important fishing port of Peniche lies to the south. Inland
can be found the famous pilgrimage centre of Fatima while day trips
can be made readily to Lisbon and its environs, about 60 minutes drive
to the south.
To
the west of Lisbon are Estoril and Sintra, both well worth visiting.
Sintra, in particular, is an attractive old town with two magnificent
old royal palaces.
