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landmark
Obidos
A fairy-tale walled medieval town of whitewashed houses with blue and yellow trim, famous for its ginjinha cherry liqueur.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropePortugalLeiria
Caldas da Rainha
Leiria, Portugal · Europe
About Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha works well as a base: 10 minutes from Nadadouro, 23km from Nazare.
Caldas da Rainha is in Leiria, Portugal, with about 27,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Nadadouro, about 5 km away.
Caldas da Rainha is a medium-sized Portuguese city in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the district of Leiria. The city serves as the seat of the larger municipality of the same name and of the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste (OesteCIM, Intermunicipal Community of the West). AtRead more
the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 51,729 in an area of 255.69 square kilometres (98.72 sq mi), with 30,343 residing in the city. Although the city itself lies about 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) inland, three of the municipality's civil parishes lie on the Atlantic Ocean. Caldas da Rainha is best known for its sulphurous hot springs and ceramic pottery.
The settlement was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor (Rainha Dona Leonor), who established a hospital and a church at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Spring Water Hospital, or Thermal Hospital) is the oldest purpose-built institution of its kind in the world, with five centuries of history. The city's name, often shortened to simply "Caldas", can be translated as "Queen's Hot Springs", "Queen's Spa", or "Queen's Baths".
Caldas da Rainha is a UNESCO Creative City. It is home to many cultural institutions. The city's nine museums cover art, history, and cycling. Cultural and sports venues include Centro Cultural e de Congressos (CCC, Cultural and Conference Centre), a centre for performing arts, exhibitions, and conferences; Expoeste – Centro de Exposições do Oeste (Exhibition Centre of the West), which hosts exhibitions and festivals; a bullring; several football (soccer) pitches; and a multi-sport municipal complex. Caldas hosts six professional and higher-educational institutions, including a major arts and design school and a school devoted to ceramics.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Caldas da Rainha?
Within an hour or so of Caldas da Rainha: Obidos (5 km), Alcobaça Monastery (21 km), Nazare (23 km), Praia do Norte, Nazaré (23 km).
Are there any good drives near Caldas da Rainha?
The nearest famous roads are Sintra–Cascais Coast Road (N247), Tram 28 Route, Lisbon and Estrada Marginal (N6).
Where is Caldas da Rainha?
Caldas da Rainha is in Leiria, Portugal, about 5 km from Nadadouro.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 27,378
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Portugal
- Region
- Leiria
- Timezone
- Europe/Lisbon
- Coordinates
- 39.4033, -9.1384
Tags
Worth the detour from Caldas da Rainha
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Alcobaça Monastery
Portugal's largest church, a UNESCO Cistercian abbey founded in 1153, holding the facing carved tombs of King Pedro I and his murdered lover Inês de Castro: placed foot-to-foot so they rise facing each other at judgement.
21 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Nazare
A fishing town famous for producing the world's largest surfed waves, with 30-meter swells breaking at the Praia do Norte canyon.
23 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Praia do Norte, Nazaré
The beach where a submarine canyon generates record-breaking waves, overlooked by the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo.
23 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Berlengas Islands
A remote archipelago nature reserve off Peniche with crystal waters, sea caves, and a dramatic 17th-century island fortress.
32 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Batalha Monastery
A Gothic and Manueline masterpiece built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota, with its famous Unfinished Chapels.
39 km · about 45 min drive
cathedral
Sanctuary of Fátima
One of Catholicism's great modern pilgrimage sites, built where three shepherd children reported Marian apparitions in 1917: a vast esplanade twice the size of St Peter's Square links the 1953 basilica and the 9,000-seat Holy Trinity church.
47 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Caldas da Rainha
- 72 kmPonte Vasco da GamaOne of Europe's longest bridges, an arrow-straight 12km span across the Tagus estuary.
- 72 kmSintra–Cascais Coast Road (N247)A wind-swept coastal drive past Cabo da Roca, wild beaches and the Sintra-Cascais natural park.
- 76 kmCabo da RocaThe westernmost point of continental Europe, a wild windswept cliff 140 meters above the roaring Atlantic.
- 76 kmMiradouro da Senhora do MonteLisbon's highest viewpoint, a quiet terrace surveying castle, river and rooftops at sunset.
- 77 kmTram 28 Route, LisbonLisbon's iconic vintage yellow tram rattling through the city's steepest and most atmospheric historic neighborhoods.
- 79 kmPonte 25 de AbrilA red suspension bridge evoking the Golden Gate, soaring across the Tagus into southern Lisbon.
Driving in Portugal
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€9.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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