bridge
Ponte Vasco da Gama
One of Europe's longest bridges, an arrow-straight 12km span across the Tagus estuary.
22 km · about 25 min drive
EuropePortugalLisbon
Vila Franca de Xira
Lisbon, Portugal · Europe
About Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira works well as a base: 5 minutes from Alhandra, 30km from Tram 28 Route, Lisbon.
Vila Franca de Xira is in Lisbon, Portugal, with about 18,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Alhandra, about 4 km away.
Vila Franca de Xira (European Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈfɾɐ̃kɐ ðɨ ˈʃiɾɐ] ), officially the City of Vila Franca de Xira (Portuguese: Cidade de Vila Franca de Xira), is a city and municipality in the Lisbon District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 137,659, in an area of 318.19 km2.
Situated on bothRead more
banks of the Tagus River, 32 km (20 mi) north-east of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, settlement in the area dates back to Neolithic times, as evidenced by findings in the Cave of Pedra Furada. Vila Franca de Xira is said to have been founded by French followers of Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, around 1200.
The town is mostly famous for its bull-running festivals in July and October. Bulls are raised in the salty marshlands of the Ribatejo, which is also a notable breeding ground for the Lusitano horse, esteemed for its quick reflexes and maneuverability. A number of brightly coloured Portuguese bullfighting costumes are on display in the ethnographic museum in the town's bullring, the Praça de Toiros (or Touros) Palha Blanco.
Notably, the town was the stage for the eponymous Vilafrancada in May of 1823. The Vilafrancada was an insurrection led by prince Miguel I of Portugal, son of King John VI of Portugal, which sought to reestablish an absolutist monarchy in Portugal. This came in response to the Portuguese Constitution of 1822 - the Kingdom's first constitution - which turned Portugal from an absolutist monarchy to a parliamentarian monarchy. The Vilafrancada can be seen as a prelude to the Portuguese Civil War of 1828-34.
In 1951, the town benefited from the completion of the Marechal Carmona Bridge. Located almost equidistantly between Lisbon and Santarém, The town provided an ideal place for a road bridge. The bridge was the first to cross the Tagus in the Lisbon region, and remained its only crossing until the inauguration of the 25 de Abril Bridge fifteen years later. As a result, Vilafranca experienced greater traffic and commercial opportunities during this period.
Nearby, the town's Misericórdia church features striking 18th-century azulejos (glazed tiles). The town also has a Museum of Neo-Realism.
3 km (1.9 mi) south of Vila Franca de Xira lies the Lezíria Grande Equestrian Centre, where visitors can watch displays of the Lusitano horses. The centre also stages typical bullfighting spectacles in its outdoor bullring. Visitors can ride Lusitano horses and take dressage lessons at the Quinta de São Sebastião, a sprawling estate at Arruda dos Vinhos, 11 km (6.8 mi) west of Vila Franca de Xira.
The municipality contains several forts built during the Peninsular War and forming part of the Lines of Torres Vedras. These include the Fort of Subserra on the first line of defence and the Forts of Serra da Aguieira and the Fort of Casa on the second line.
Another place of interest, on the left bank, is the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora de Alcamé, which was built so that farmers on the Tagus floodplain would both have somewhere to pray and also somewhere of safety during floods. An annual pilgrimage is held to the hermitage with participants going by boat from the town of Vila Franca de Xira on the right bank.
The current mayor is Fernando Paulo Ferreira, elected in 2021 as a member of the Socialist Party.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Vila Franca de Xira?
Within an hour or so of Vila Franca de Xira: Ponte Vasco da Gama (22 km), Lisbon Oceanário (23 km), Miradouro da Senhora do Monte (29 km), Cervejaria Ramiro (29 km).
Are there any good drives near Vila Franca de Xira?
The nearest famous roads are Tram 28 Route, Lisbon, Estrada Marginal (N6) and Sintra–Cascais Coast Road (N247).
Where is Vila Franca de Xira?
Vila Franca de Xira is in Lisbon, Portugal, about 4 km from Alhandra.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 18,355
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Portugal
- Region
- Lisbon
- Timezone
- Europe/Lisbon
- Coordinates
- 38.9552, -8.9897
Tags
Worth the detour from Vila Franca de Xira
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Lisbon Oceanário
Europe's largest indoor aquarium at the Parque das Nações, simulating four ocean habitats around a massive central tank.
23 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Miradouro da Senhora do Monte
Lisbon's highest viewpoint, a quiet terrace surveying castle, river and rooftops at sunset.
29 km · about 35 min drive
restaurant
Cervejaria Ramiro
Lisbon's temple of shellfish since 1956 on Avenida Almirante Reis: garlic prawns, percebes and giant scarlet carabineiros in a roaring three-floor beer hall, finished the traditional way with a steak sandwich for dessert. Expect a queue.
29 km · about 35 min drive
castle
Castelo de São Jorge
A Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic centre of Lisbon and the Tagus River.
30 km · about 35 min drive
famous road
Tram 28 Route, Lisbon
Lisbon's iconic vintage yellow tram rattling through the city's steepest and most atmospheric historic neighborhoods.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Alfama District
Lisbon's oldest neighborhood, a labyrinth of narrow cobbled alleys, fado music halls, and tiled facades tumbling down to the Tagus.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Praça do Comércio
Lisbon's grand riverside square, framed by arcades and a triumphal arch opening onto the Tagus.
30 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Vila Franca de Xira
- 22 kmPonte Vasco da GamaOne of Europe's longest bridges, an arrow-straight 12km span across the Tagus estuary.
- 29 kmMiradouro da Senhora do MonteLisbon's highest viewpoint, a quiet terrace surveying castle, river and rooftops at sunset.
- 30 kmTram 28 Route, LisbonLisbon's iconic vintage yellow tram rattling through the city's steepest and most atmospheric historic neighborhoods.
- 34 kmPonte 25 de AbrilA red suspension bridge evoking the Golden Gate, soaring across the Tagus into southern Lisbon.
- 42 kmEstrada Marginal (N6)A breezy coastal drive hugging the Tagus shore from Lisbon out to Estoril and Cascais.
- 45 kmSintra–Cascais Coast Road (N247)A wind-swept coastal drive past Cabo da Roca, wild beaches and the Sintra-Cascais natural park.
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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