The Real Portugal
If you want to experience the unspoilt Portugal while also enjoying the luxury of stunning surroundings, then look no further. Praia D'El Rey Golf & Beach Resort, on Portugal's gorgeous and rugged Silver Coast, less than an hour by car north of Lisbon airport, has it all.
The resort also has much to offer outside its gates. History is to hand - including nearby Peniche, a pretty and unspoilt ancient fishing port that is known as one of Portugal's surfing must-visits and is also noted for the sprawling landmark fortress overlooking its harbour.
The summer days are hot, and the area around Praia D'El Rey is prized by sunbathers for its empty, pristine beaches, especially those near Baleal, a small island village five minutes from the resort set around an idyllic fishing cove reached via a beach causeway. From Baleal, on a clear day, you can see the islands of Berlenga, rising up out of the Atlantic 12 kilometers offshore.
Another tourist magnet is Caldas da Rainha, famed for its spa which, bubbling with sulphurous pools, has enjoyed four centuries of noble and royal visitors. The nearby towns of Cucos and Vimeiro are also famous for their therapeutic waters.
Almost every town near Praia D'El Rey can trace its history back to the 12th century, but the 'jewel in the crown' is Óbidos, 15 minutes from the resort but a whole world away. Its untouched town centre is medieval in feel and many of its buildings date back to the time of the Conquests, their whitewashed and ochre walls and blue-framed windows and doors crying out to be photographed. Flower pots sit on verandas, swing from walls or cascade from terraces.
Óbidos castle, which contains a beautiful 'Pousada' (boutique hotel), looks over the town ramparts towards the plains and the sea beyond. And during the year Óbidos is the hub for numerous events, including an August music festival, a July Medieval Fair and a February Chocolate Festival.
The region’s weather is temperate and mild, and the area near Praia D'El Rey offers sports lovers a wide choice of activities. Along the clear coastal waters there is good fishing, exceptional surfing, deep sea diving near the Berlenga islands, abundant fauna and flora as well as water skiing, windsurfing and rowing on the nearby Óbidos lagoon.
The surrounding hills and beaches make good walking country and golf is a growing attraction in the region with three courses already open and several others in the pipeline, plus the famous course at Praia D'El Rey. Take a virtual tour of the course here. And you won't go home empty handed, either.
The area is awash with shops offering traditional pottery, tiles, bobbin-made lace, leather products, straw baskets and wood carving. But the biggest news about the Silver Coast is the improved road links to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal. Not only does this make getting to Praia D'El Rey easier, but these new motorways have made some of Portugal's most famous religious and historical centres only a day trip away – including Fátima, Batalha, Mafra and Sintra. And if you're boat rather than car bound to the Silver Coast, the marinas in Nazaré and Peniche usually have plenty of cheap berths for yachts.
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Peniche arbor
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Óbidos Lagoon
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Pristine beaches |
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Berlengas Islands
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Óbidos - castle walls
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