Located between Lisboa and Porto the region of Costa de Prata offers a choice between practicing water sports and the calm life of the seaside. Here you can witness a historic and artistic heritage represented by monasteries, convents, castles and churches of renowed universal value. Costa de Prata is also famous for its traditional arts such as porcelain and crystal. Its rich gastronomy and its tasty Bairrada wines as well as regional sweets are also strong arguments for you to decide including this region in your list of holiday possibilities.
In Alcobaca you must visit the Monumental Cistercian Abbey of Santa Maria, founded in 1152 and classified in the UNESCO´s International Heritage list. Batalha, where the Portuguese Gothic masterpiece, the Santa Maria da Vitoria Monastery (14th-16th centuries) is a national landmark. Special mention to the Founder´s Chapel with its magnificent stain-glassed windows cloisters and Unfinished Chapels. Bucaco, a magestic forest, where stands the ancient royal palace of neomanueline architecture is worth the visit. Fatima is one of the most important Marian centres of pilgrimage in the catholic world. Figueira Da Foz is a great Summer resort on the mouth of Mondego river with long, sandy beaches and water sports facilities, a must if you want to chill out.