Caldas da Rainha, Silver Coast, Portugal

Caldas da Rainha was a thermal city, established in the endings of the XV century by Queen D. Leonor, wife of King João II. In fact the thermalism was the reason for the existence of the city, without doubt an enormous touristic attraction, also due to the Thermal Hospital. It also offers diversifying proposals since the typical diary fruit marked to the museological patrimony (Malhoa Museum – where the art of the Portuguese master is exposed – the Museum House S. Rafael, the Ceramic Museum and the Sculpture Museums) Caldas da Rainha is equally one of the most important ceramic centres of the country, where the pieces of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro detach themselves due to the originality and the critic to the social and political costumes of his contemporary, the popular figure of “Zé Povinho” or the Plates with Cabbages are the personifications of that attitude.

The Gastronomy, because of the Conventual’s influence, has its big expressions in the egg rolls, egg lamprey and Caracas. These sweets are references to the richness, singularity and cultural identity of the city.

The touristic offer is also constituted by the beautiful Foz do Arelho beach, near the Lagoa de Óbidos (Lagoon). In the past this lagoon was more extensive and arrived to the walls of Óbidos Castle. Ideal for the practice of nautical sports, serve as a frontier because of its location between the districts of Caldas da Rainha (North margin) and Óbidos (South margin). In the Northern edge the Foz do Arelho beach is situated (ten kilometres from Caldas da Rainha), in a not profound earth depression, with irregular rectors by the sea, whose natural separation barrier is formed by an extensive littoral dune cordon.

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