Portugal City Travel Guide: Costa de Prata
Costa de Prata (Silver Coast)
The Costa de Prata ("Silver Coast") is 240 km of surf beach, small fishing towns and ports on the Atlantic coast.
The Silver Coast is located in central Portugal (Centro) north of the Costa de Lisboa and south of the Costa Verde between Porto and Viana do Castelo. It includes parts of the old provinces of Beira Litoral and Estremadura.
Roughly, the area stretches from Esmoriz south to Santa Cruz and Assenta in the municipality of Torres Vedras.
The main towns on the coast in Costa de Prata north to south are Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Nazaré and Peniche.
Inland are Leiria, Óbidos and Caldas da Rainha and off the coast of Peniche is the island of Berlengas - a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The area is now heavily promoted by real estate companies as a cheaper alternative than the Algarve for expats to move or retire to.
Attractions
The main draw of spending time in this area is its peace and serenity. Though only around 100 km from Lisbon, the Costa de Prata receives far fewer visitors than the beaches of the Algarve, for example. Places such as Praia do Pedrogão and Praia Osso da Baleia are rarely crowded even in the peak tourist season of July and August.
Beginning in the north and heading south here are some of the main attractions on the Silver Coast.
Aveiro
Aveiro's many hump-back bridges, canals and pastel-colored, Art Nouveau homes give it a genteel, relaxed feel. In the canals, you can see the beautifully painted boats known as moliceiros.
A short drive or bus ride south past Portugal's tallest lighthouse are the beaches of Barra and Costa Nova. The Atlantic seaside here is markedly different to the conditions on the Algarve. Windy, wild with high waves, the coast here attracts surfers and windsurfers to its rolling dunes rather than swimmers and sun worshippers to the glassy seas and bizarre rock formations of southern Portugal.
Figueira da Foz
60 km south of Aveiro is Figueira da Foz. Especially popular with domestic tourists as well as visitors from Spain, Figueira is well-known for its casino and very wide beach, crossed by wooden boardwalks as well as its excellent surf at Cabedelo Beach.
Figueira da Foz claims to have the widest beach in Europe and most people will agree after the ten-minute walk from the road to the sea on one of the many boardwalks that traverse the sands.
Nazaré
About 80 km south of Figueira is Nazaré. Midway between the two is the Mariparque Parque Aquático (Water Park). Popular with families with young children, guests can stay at the on site Hotel Cristal Vieira Praia & Spa and enjoy the water slides and pools. This is the only large resort on this particular stretch of the Silver Coast. Otherwise, there are several camp and caravan sites and little else in the way of accommodation.
Nazaré boasts some of the largest waves in the world, rising up to 30 metres due to a 5 km deep trench off the coast.
The main beach at Praia is backed by Avenida da República and streets running inland such as Rua Mouzinho de Albuquerque which are packed with restaurants, cafes and places to stay.
Peniche
Once an island, Peniche is now joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus with beaches on either side. The Fortaleza was once a notorious prison during the Salazar era. It no longer houses any political prisoners only a museum. There is another water park in Peniche - Sportagua - with a camp and caravan site and several hotels, such as the MH Peniche nearby.
The town has ferries to Ilha Berlenga, 10 km offshore. To the north is Baleal, a narrow peninsula sticking out into the Atlantic and flanked by some lovely beaches.
Further north from Baleal is sleepy Praia da Foz do Arelho on the Lagoa de Óbidos. It is just 9 km from Caldas da Rainha with a campsite, excellent seafood restaurant and the Quinta da Foz - where guests can enjoy a stay in a 16th century farm house. Windsurfing and sailing on the lagoon are the main activities.
Getting to Costa de Prata
Train Travel in Portugal
Both Leiria and Caldas da Rainha make good places to start your exploration of the Silver Coast if coming by public transport from Lisbon. They are both fairly central and allow you to choose to go eiither north or south to the coast. Hiring a car in either place may be a good idea to really delve deply into the region.
From Lisbon's Oriente Station, intercity trains take approximately two hours and thirty minutes to Leiria with 1st class, and second-class seats available. There are around five trains daily.
Getting to Caldas da Rainha Station by train from Lisbon is slower and less direct than by bus. The train from Lisbon usually requires changes at Agualva-Cacem and Mira Sintra-Melecas. There is a direct train, however. Journey time is about 2 hours to 2 and a half hours from Sete Rios.
There are trains on the line to Óbidos, Sao Mamede, Paul, Bombarral, Torres Vedras and Mafra from Caldas heading south. Going north on the Linha do Oeste are Salir do Porto, Sao Martinho do Porto, Famalicao da Nazaré, Valado and Leiria.
From Sintra Station in Sintra change at Agualva-Cacem and Mira Sintra-Melecas (over 2 hours in total).
Nazaré is not connected to Portugal's rail network.
Car Travel in Portugal
From Lisbon take the A1 or A8 highway north to Leiria. It takes about 90 minutes by road to the city.
From Lisbon take the A8 highway north to Nazaré. Journey time should be 1 hour, 20 minutes depending on traffic from Lisbon Airport to travel the 122 km.
Bus Travel in Portugal
There are buses from Campo Grande Bus Station in Lisbon to Nazaré with Rodotejo.
The journey takes two hours with a bus leaving at 6.20 pm arriving in Nazaré at 8.25 pm on weekdays via Óbidos, Caldas da Rainha and Martinho do Porto.
Campo Grande is on the Lisbon metro.
Rede Expressos buses from Sete Rios Bus Station are more frequent. There are departures at 9 am, 10.15 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 5 pm, 5.30 pm and 7 pm on weekdays. On weekends the last bus is at 8 pm not 7 pm. The journey takes 1 hours 50 minutes approximately.
See www.rodotejo.pt and Rede Expressos for further details.
There are also more local buses to Caldas da Rainha (45 minutes), Óbidos (60 minutes), Leiria (70 minutes), São Martinho do Porto (20 minutes) and Alcobaça (20 minutes). The bus station is on Avenida Vieria Guimarães near the sea front.
Portugal Hotel & Hostel Accommodation
Nazaré offers a range of accommodation to suit all budgets.
The summer months of July and August are the peak season so you will need to book early to guarantee a room at this time.
Some recommendations are the four star Hotel Miramar Sul, the four star Hotel Praia and the four star Miramar Hotel & Spa.
See a complete listing of places to stay in Nazaré
Peniche, too, has some great places to stay. Here are some recommendations. Choose from the Hotel Star Inn Peniche, the Hotel Pinhalmar and the reasonable Hotel Neptuno.
Guest houses and apartments for the younger crowd include Pineapple Surf House, SwordFish Eco House Peniche and Katekero.
See a complete listing of places to stay in Peniche.
Featured Hotel in Nazaré
Hotel Miramar Sul has great views of the ocean, a restaurant mini-golf and three swimming pools.
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Lisbon Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, Tramcars, and Yellow Boat River Tour
Eating
There is a wide choice of places to eat in Nazaré, though many are geared to the tourist market.
Eateries line Avenida da República and the streets running off it away from the sea such as Rua Gil Vicente, Rua Adrião Batalha and Rua Dr. Ruy Rosa. Rosa dos Ventos on Rua Gil Vicente is recommended and serves typical Portuguese cuisine including excellent seafood. A Tasquinha on Rua Adrião Batalha is another tip for great seafood.
Other recommended places include Vinha D'Alhos in Valado. Pangeia Restaurante on Rua Abel da Silva specializes in octopus and has a wonderful wine list.
Drinking
Bars and cafes abound in the centre of town. Try Village Coffee Shop on Rua Adrião Batalha for Pastel de Nata and coffee.
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The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22 degrees Centigrade and 26 degrees Centigrade.
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Nearby
Other places to visit in the wider Silver Coast region of Portugal include Alcobaça, Batalha, Caldas da Rainha, Fátima, Foz do Arelho, Golegã, Leiria, Óbidos, Ourém, Peniche, Santarém, Tomar, and Torres Vedras.
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