West Portugal Road Trip: Óbidos, Nazaré, Alcobaça and Batalha
I was coming back from Leiria on a late-night bus when I spotted this bright building on the corner of my window. I was half asleep, so it took me a while to realize this imposing structure was the Batalha Monastery.
That was the first time I saw it in person, and all I could do to capture that moment was look at it. It was dark, and the bus went by too fast to snap a picture, so I let my eyes relish that instant. I promised myself I would come back to see it up close one day.
On the 8th of December, almost eight months later, my dad invited me to visit Óbidos with him. Having been there before, I made a deal to do a Portugal road trip of the West and visit all the Sister Towns. A route, not too far from Lisbon that includes Óbidos, Nazaré, Alcobaça, Batalha and sometimes Fátima.
The name “Sister Towns” doesn’t actually exist. I just thought it was a better way to refer to this grand tour.
Óbidos
Óbidos* was the first stop on our trip. Since I had been there with Nick, I already knew my way around it (not that it is a big town anyway).
I wanted my dad to try the “Toupeiro”**, but the place only opened at night, so we settled for the official Óbidos drink — the ginjinha.
We climbed the stairs up to the medieval wall, took a picture, and left before lunchtime.
*Click the link to read more about what to see in Óbidos.
**Unfortunately, this place closed down in 2017.
Nazaré
Nazaré has become the “It” town for surfers, ever since Garrett McNamara surfed one of the largest waves in the world — 23.8 meters to be exact.
The land of fish is also a feature in several old Portuguese films like Olhos da Alma and Maria do Mar. This last one I can clearly remember seeing on one of my classes in Uni, maybe because of this.
The beaches here are unlike any other. The old ladies selling dried fish replace the sunbathing crew — at least until the heat strikes!
From the beach, you can get the blue funicular up the hill until the Suberco Viewpoint, where you have the best view of Nazaré.
Of course, we couldn’t leave Nazaré without trying some local fish. We headed to the famous Rosa dos Ventos to get our fill, and boy, was it worth the wait!
With our stomachs full, we hopped in the car again and drove until Alcobaça.
Alcobaça
I didn’t get to see much in Alcobaça, but there was one place I had to capture: the monastery.
There’s something magical about lonely odd buildings in a town square. I will have to come back and explore some more.
Batalha
Finally, we reached our destination. I was speechless when I got to Batalha and stood in front of the monastery for the first time.
I was the only one that went inside and visited everything. I figured I should see as much as I could since I wasn’t sure when I would go back again.
I wish I had taken more photos of the interior with my camera. Who knew someone would steal my phone’s memory card a few days later.
I definitely recommend this one-day road trip to the west of Portugal! If you have a car, nothing is stopping you from taking some time off and visit all of these beautiful places 🙂
