Caldas da Rainha

Caldas da Rainha is a city in Portugal's Oeste region, about from the Atlantic Ocean and  north of Lisbon. Absent from most travellers' itineraries, this charming city is a great place to experience authentic Portugal without hordes of tourists. Caldas—as locals call it—offers visitors countless experiences to enjoy: a beautiful park, a bustling farmers' market, several museums, shops, restaurants, cafés, and bars. For visitors seeking a beach holiday, Foz do Arelho and Salir do Porto in Caldas municipality are popular destinations.

Caldas da Rainha is an artistic city, and artworks can be found beyond its several museums. Caldas' main park contains many statues and sculptures, as do most of the city's roundabouts and pavements (sidewalks). Caldas is home to a school of fine arts and design and a vocational school for ceramics. The city centre has many excellent examples of Art Nouveau architecture, with beautifully tiled exteriors. You can take some of the art home with you, in the form of world-renowned ceramic creations from the Bordallo Pinheiro factory. In recognition of its crafts and folk art, UNESCO added Caldas to its Creative Cities Network in 2019.

Understand




The city of Caldas da Rainha (KAHL-duhzh duh rruh-EE-nyuh, /ˈkaɫ.dɐʒ dɐ ʁɐ.ˈi.ɲɐ/) has around 30,000 residents, who are known as Caldenses. Caldas serves as the seat of a municipality—also named Caldas da Rainha—with a population of 50,917 (2021, provisional), including the city proper and the surrounding rural communities. Caldas serves as seat of the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste (West Intermunicipal Community), made up of twelve municipalities with over 362,000 people. See Oeste for details on the other eleven municipalities.

Caldas is in the historical Estremadura province and in the Leiria district. Caldas is in the Centro (Central) tourism region and was part of the old Costa da Prata (Silver Coast) tourism region, a designation which survives in the name of a four-star hotel and other businesses in the city and region.

History


For centuries, the sulphurous curative waters were Caldas da Rainha's main attraction. The city's name can be translated as "Queen's Hot Springs".

Caldas da Rainha was founded by Queen Leonor de Avis (1458–1525, also known as de Lencastre or de Viseu), wife of King João II (1455–1495). One day in 1484, while travelling from Óbidos to Batalha, she found a group of peasants bathing in foul-smelling waters by the roadside. She stopped to inquire about this strange sight, and the bathers told the queen about the waters' curative powers. She decided to try the waters and was pleased to be quickly relieved of an affliction she had been suffering. The queen ordered a thermal hospital built on the site of those waters, so that others may enjoy the relief that she felt. Construction began the following year, 1485, and the first patients were admitted in 1488. Work continued until about 1496–1497. To fund the hospital and the adjoining church, the queen used income from her landholdings and sold her jewels. The thermal hospital still stands to serve those with certain illnesses.

In 1511, King Manuel I, brother of Queen Leonor, declared Caldas da Rainha a town. In 1821, the town became a municipal seat. Caldas was elevated to city status in August 1927.

During the 20th century, Caldas housed refugees and prisoners of several wars, including South Africa's Second Boer War, World War I, in which Portugal joined the Allies, and World War II, when Portugal remained neutral. On 16 March 1974, officers and enlisted soldiers from the army base in Caldas unsuccessfully attempted to stage a coup d'état against the autocratic Estado Novo government more than a month before the successful 25 April Carnation Revolution.

Orientation


The municipality of Caldas da Rainha includes not only the city of Caldas da Rainha but also numerous surrounding rural communities. Beyond the two freguesias (civil parishes) that make up the city, the municipality has 14 rural civil parishes, each containing various settlements. In 2013, the 16 freguesias became 12 following a controversial nationwide local government reorganisation.

City


The city of Caldas da Rainha is divided into two civil parishes—Nossa Senhora do Pópulo and Santo Onofre—separated from each other by the railway tracks. Although a compact city, Caldas da Rainha has several distinct neighbourhoods in each parish.



Rural civil parishes


If you want to see the Portuguese countryside, visit the rural civil parishes of Caldas da Rainha municipality. You will find friendly faces, family farms, green rolling hills, and lovely centuries-old, white-washed churches and chapels. Each parish celebrates its patron saint with an annual festival, typically centred around the parish's church. During the summer months, when many immigrants return home to visit family, the parishes hold festivals with music, dancing, and food—grilled pork and sardines are popular dishes. Beyond churches, the villages tend to be light on tourist sights, but you can find many cozy lodgings and delicious restaurants with authentic Portuguese cooking.

Climate
Caldas da Rainha experiences a "warm-summer Mediterranean" climate (Köppen climate classification Csb, if you're into that sort of thing), sometimes called "cool-summer Mediterranean". This is the same climate as in Porto, San Francisco, and Cape Town, with lower temperatures than those experienced in "hot-summer Mediterranean" cities such as Rome, Los Angeles, or Perth.

Summer temperatures top out at on average, and the light rain doesn't exceed  monthly. Winter lows average. Caldas, like most of Portugal, rarely sees any snow.

Lisbon airport
The nearest airport is Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, about  south of Caldas da Rainha. There are several options to reach Caldas from Lisbon Airport:
 * Bus: Rodoviária do Oeste. Take the Lisbon Metro from Aeroporto station and transfer at Alameda station to  or at Saldanha station to . Either line will get you to Campo Grande station, where you can take Rodoviária do Oeste's Rápida Verde bus service.
 * Bus: Rede Expressos. Take the Lisbon Metro from Aeroporto station and transfer at S. Sebastião station to  to Jardim Zoológico station, near the Sete Rios bus terminal. AeroBus (suspended due to pandemic) Line 2 also travels between the airport and Sete Rios. Next, follow the directions for the Rede Expressos coach bus to Caldas da Rainha.
 * Rail. The rail station nearest the airport for service to Caldas is Entrecampos. Take the Lisbon Metro from Aeroporto station and transfer at Saldanha station to  to Entre Campos station. AeroBus (suspended due to pandemic) Line 1 also travels between the airport and Entrecampos. From here take Comboios de Portugal's Linha do Oeste to Caldas da Rainha. (The rail station in written Entrecampos, but the metro station is written Entre Campos.)
 * Taxi. From the airport to Caldas da Rainha takes about an hour and will cost around . Base metered fare will be about . Heavy traffic may push the fare up to . A 20% surcharge applies 21:00–06:00, so about . Luggage adds per piece, and there is a booking fee of, if applicable. Tolls on the A8 motorway total . For trips outside Lisbon, taximeters are rarely used, so you'll need to negotiate the fare with the driver. If the meter is used, the rates are doubled for trips outside of Lisbon. Keep in mind that the driver needs to get back to Lisbon and cannot pick up passengers until they reach that city. Remember to tip about 10%.
 * Drive. Upon exiting the airport, follow the signs to A8-PT.svg OESTE. Next, follow the directions in the By car section. Tolls on the A8 motorway total.

Porto airport
Although farther away, to the north, Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport  in Porto is a viable alternative to Lisbon. To reach Caldas from Porto:
 * Bus. From the airport, take the Porto Metro (Metro do Porto)  to Senhora da Hora or Trindade and transfer to the, , , or  to Campo 24 de Agosto (~27 min, ). Take a Rede Expressos bus to Caldas. A few trips are direct, but most involve one or two transfers. Travel time is about 3 hr–4 hr 40 min, and fares are.
 * Rail. From the airport, take the Porto Metro to Senhora da Hora or Trindade and transfer to the, , , or  to Campanhã (~30 min, ). From Campanhã station, take a Comboios de Portugal (CP) Alfa Pendular (AP) or Intercity (IC) train to Coimbra-B and transfer to an InterRegional (IR) train to Caldas. Travel time is about 4 hr 20 min–5 hr 20 min. Second class fares are  for AP and  for IC, and first class fares are  and , respectively. (Cheaper fares are available for trips involving commuter trains, which take longer, or for tickets bought five or more days in advance.)
 * Drive. Take the VRI (Via Regional Interior) south for to A4-PT.svg for  to A28-PT.svg for  to A1-PT.svg for  to A8-PT.svg for . Next, see the By car section to determine the best exit for your specific destination in Caldas.

By bus
For most intercity connections, including Lisbon, the bus is faster than the train.



By train




Motorways
Caldas da Rainha is served by two autoestradas (motorways, expressways, or freeways).

A8–Autoestrada do Oeste


 Autoestrada do Oeste, the principal motorway serving Caldas, provides access from Lisbon in the south via Loures, Torres Vedras, Bombarral, and Óbidos. It provides access from Leiria and Marinha Grande to the north. Numerous junctions with other motorways and roads provide connections from the rest of the country. There are four exits serving Caldas:


 * Exit 17 Gaeiras / Caldas da Rainha (Sul) – provides an approach via N8 to the southernmost areas of the city.
 * Exit 18 Caldas da Rainha / Foz do Arelho – leaves you on N360, which is convenient to much of Caldas and to Foz do Arelho.
 * Exit 19 Caldas da Rainha / Zona Industrial – puts you on Avenida Atlântica, which is convenient to northern areas of the city and for Foz do Arelho via the newer Variante Atlântica. It offers a less congested route into the city centre.
 * Exit 20 Tornada – leaves you on N8 a few kilometres north of the city.

A15–Autoestrada do Atlântico


 Autoestrada do Atlântico connects from Santarém and Rio Maior to the east, serving several of Caldas' rural civil parishes. In Santarém, it meets up with (Autoestrada do Norte), which allows access from many major cities.
 * Exit 2 Gaeiras / A-dos-Negros – serves Caldas' rural civil parish of São Gregório (N115).
 * Exit 3 for Landal / A dos Francos (N361) – also serves Vidais (N114).

National roads
Several estradas nacionais (national roads), which are not grade separated, serve the city and municipality. Nowadays, they are prefixed with the letter N, but older signs will show EN.


 * N8 (Estrada da Estremadura), once the main highway of the region, runs right through the centre of town. It runs south to Torres Vedras and Loures, a suburb of Lisbon; and north to Alcobaça.
 * N114 goes west to Óbidos and Peniche; and east to Rio Maior, Santarém, and Évora.
 * N114-1 connects the city centre with N114 to the east.
 * N115 runs south to Cadaval and Loures.
 * N360 runs from Foz do Arelho in the municipality's extreme west, through the city, and east to Benedita in Alcobaça municipality. The portion between Caldas and Foz is known locally as Estrada da Foz.
 * N361 runs from Landal and A dos Francos, in the municipality's southeast corner, west to Cadaval, Bombarral, and Lourinhã; and east to Rio Maior.

Routes from major cities
The câmara municipal (city hall) recommends the following routes from other major cities in the country.


 * Albufeira : A2-PT.svg → A13-PT.svg → A10-PT.svg → A1-PT.svg → A15-PT.svg – 2 hr 50 min
 * Braga : A3-PT.svg → A1-PT.svg → A8-PT.svg – 2 hr 30 min
 * Castelo Branco : A23-PT.svg → A1-PT.svg → A15-PT.svg – 1 hr 45 min
 * Coimbra : A1-PT.svg → A8-PT.svg – 1 hr 10 min
 * Évora : A6-PT.svg → A15-PT.svg – 1 hr 50 min
 * Lisbon : A8-PT.svg – 55 min
 * Porto : A1-PT.svg → A8-PT.svg – 2 hr
 * Viseu : IP3-PT.svg → A1-PT.svg → A8-PT.svg – 1 hr 50 min

Get around
Caldas da Rainha has plentiful signposts pointing toward popular sights, civic amenities, large commercial establishments, nearby communities, the A8 motorway, and Lisbon. Street signs are typically located above eye level on corner buildings. These are often made of decorative ceramic tiles. Not all intersections are clearly signed, so a maps app on your smartphone can come in handy. Many places are named for kings or queens and use the honorific royal title Dom or Dona, usually abbreviated D., before the monarch's given name.

Caldas da Rainha has several streets and squares that locals call by older or more descriptive names rather than their current official designations. Visitors are likely to encounter these places (official name → colloquial name):


 * Largo Conde de Fontalva → Largo da Rainha
 * Largo da Rainha D. Leonor → Largo da Copa
 * Praça 5 de Outubro → (Antiga) Praça do Peixe
 * Praça da República → Praça da Fruta
 * Rua Alexandre Herculano → Rua do Jardim
 * Rua Almirante Cândido dos Reis → Rua das Montras
 * Rua Dr. José Saudade e Silva → Rua da Electricidade
 * Rua Vitorino Fróis → (Rua da) Estrada da Foz

On foot


Caldas da Rainha is a compact city. Most locations of interest are within 10–15 min walking distance. Although Caldas is in a hilly region, most of the inclines in the city centre are manageable by people of moderate fitness. Sidewalks (pavements) tend to be narrow, sometimes nonexistent.

The city centre offers several car-free streets, usually with retail shops, including Rua Almirante Cândido dos Reis (Rua das Montras), Rua Alexandre Herculano (Rua do Jardim), Rua da Liberdade, Praça 5 de Outubro, and a block of Rua Miguel Bombarda.

There are no traffic lights or walk/don't walk signals in the city. Crosswalks are marked with zebra stripes, often accompanied by a blue sign with a black-and-white icon depicting a pedestrian using such a crossing. Drivers are pretty good about yielding to pedestrians using the crosswalks.

Although Caldas can present difficulties for people with disabilities, the city has made accessibility improvements and continues to do so. Many crosswalks in the city centre have dropped kerbs (curb cuts) allowing improved access for wheelchairs, prams (strollers), and other mobility devices.

TOMA



 * System diagram (does not reflect Orange and Blue line extensions in spring 2021)
 * Linha  (Blue line) – a circuitous two-way route that serves eastern, northern, and western portions of the city, including Expoeste (exhibition centre) and Mercado Semanal (weekly market). The route differs somewhat in each direction.
 * timetable east to west
 * timetable west to east
 * map east to west
 * map west to east
 * Linha  (Orange line) – a one-way figure-8 loop serving western areas of Caldas, including Bairro Azul, Rua Vitorino Fróis (Rua da Estrada da Foz), Biblioteca (library), and Fonte Luminosa (fountain).
 * timetable
 * map
 * Linha  (Green line) – a one-way figure-8 loop goes to southern parts of the city, including Centro d'Artes (arts centre) and Fonte Luminosa (fountain).
 * timetable
 * map
 * map

By taxi
Taxis in Caldas da Rainha are black with a light green roof. Older cabs have a creamy beige colour. There are two taxi stands in the city and two elsewhere in the municipality. If you are not near one, call the number for the nearest one, and the next available taxi will come pick you up.

By car
Driving in Caldas is not recommended. The city centre has many narrow one-way streets. On-street parking is hard to find near attractions. Given the compact nature of the city and the proximity of the sights, it is easier to park for the duration of your visit and get around on foot or using TOMA.

The city does not have any traffic lights. Intersections are controlled with "STOP" signs or roundabouts (traffic circles). You will find traffic lights in some of the surrounding villages, where they slow down cars travelling through populated areas.

Parking
The municipality operates three centrally located underground paid parking garages:



Other car parks in the city include:



Car rental
A vehicle is unnecessary and discouraged for visiting the city, but if you are staying in a rural civil parish or using Caldas as a base for further exploration, you might wish to rent a car.



See


Caldas da Rainha is packed with sights. There are numerous museums, mostly dedicated to art. Be sure to check out some of Caldas' lovely Art Nouveau buildings throughout the city centre.

If your time in Caldas is limited, the following sights will make the most of your visit:
 * Parque Dom Carlos I – The city's delightful main park is a favourite destination for visitors.
 * Praça da Fruta – The daily outdoor farmers' market offers a glimpse of daily life in Portugal and of the fresh, delicious produce of the region.
 * Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo – The city's 16th-century mother church, a national monument, is included on most travellers' must-see lists.
 * Museu José Malhoa – This art museum in the park is full of captivating pieces.
 * Museu da Cerâmica – This museum in an old manor house displays local and global ceramic works.
 * Centro de Artes — The Arts Centre has five museums, largely dedicated to sculpture. There's an outdoor sculpture garden, and the centre hosts temporary exhibits.

Museums and art




Churches and buildings




Nature and outdoors




Do
Caldas da Rainha offers plenty of activities to keep visitors occupied, indoors or out, from culture and performing arts to beaches and sporting activities. The year's calendar is packed with holidays, festivals, and celebrations.

Indoors




Outdoors




Events


There's always something going on in Caldas. In addition to the events listed below, be sure to keep an eye on what's happening at the Centro Cultural e de Congressos (CCC), Expoeste, Escola Superior de Arte e Design (ESAD.CR), and the museums. Local newspapers and websites will list upcoming events.

Learn
Caldas da Rainha is home to several institutions of professional, vocational, arts, further, and higher education. Among these are a few language schools where visitors can learn Portuguese.



Buy
With over 600 commercial establishments, Caldas da Rainha dubs itself the "Capital of Traditional Commerce". The centre of town has several shop-lined streets with many mom-and-pop stores and boutiques. Main shopping streets include Rua Heróis da Grande Guerra, Rua Almirante Cândido dos Reis (Rua das Montras), Rua Alexandre Herculano (Rua do Jardim), Rua Capitão Filipe de Sousa, Rua Miguel Bombarda, Rua da Liberdade, and Rua de Camões. The outskirts of town feature several big-box stores and hypermarkets (superstores).

If you're looking for a Caldas souvenir, buy some of the famous local ceramic pottery. The Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro factory produces useful and decorative pieces. For those who enjoy naughtier mementos, Caldas is known for its ceramic phalluses, which like the real thing come in various sizes and can be found all over town.

If you enjoy bargain hunting, head for the Chinese-immigrant-owned shops (lojas chinesas). Some can be quite large. Merchandise at these cheap stores includes household needs, home decor, small appliances, clothing, and toys. The emphasis is on price over quality, so don't expect familiar brands.

Markets and shopping centres




Shops




Eat
Caldas da Rainha offers a wide array of eateries. Beyond tasty traditional Portuguese cuisine, you'll find Continental (European), Brazilian, Asian, and fast food places. Several restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan options. Caldas has more worthwhile restaurants than we can possibly list, so explore the city to discover more eateries. There are many good restaurants in the villages around Caldas, so it is worth wandering beyond the city limits, especially if you have a car. If you're self-catering, you'll find many supermarkets and neighbourhood grocery shops, as well as the farmers' market and fish market.

Savoury dishes typical of Caldas include ensopado de enguias da lagoa (stewed lagoon eels), bacalhau à lagareiro (cod in olive oil), caldeirada (fish stew), and polvo à lagareiro (octopus in olive oil).

If you have a sweet tooth, don't miss out on cavacas das Caldas. These sugar-encrusted confections are about the size and shape of a small bowl. They can be found throughout the city, but especially on Rua da Liberdade and in the farmers' market. They come in a smaller spherical version called beijinhos das Caldas. Other sweet treats include beijinhos em flor (bite-sized biscuits topped with colourful, flower-shaped sugar), trouxas de ovos (sweet poached eggs), lampreias de ovos (egg and sugar confection shaped like lampreys), and pão-de-ló (sponge cake).

Drink


Caldas da Rainha is home to several bars, many pastry shops and bakeries, and numerous cafés. You can find cafés all over town, including in residential neighbourhoods.

Sleep
Lodging in Caldas da Rainha varies from run-down pensões (boarding houses) to well-appointed city-centre hotels to cozy rural homes to seaside properties. The gamut accommodates a wide range of budgets.

Pharmacies
There are seven pharmacies in the city proper. They take turns being open 24 hours. You can find the current farmácia de serviço online, on the door of each pharmacy, on electronic signs in the city centre, and in local newspapers. Several rural communities have pharmacies. They can help you via telephone during off hours. You can call the nationwide hotline 1400 for pharmacy assistance 24/7.

Connect
The city dialing code for Caldas da Rainha is 262. The postal code is 2500.



Newspapers
Caldas da Rainha has two weekly newspapers covering local happenings and events. Other area news sources, both paper and online, also cover Caldas.



There are several newsstands in Caldas.



Places of worship


For Roman Catholic worship services, see Mass times for Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo.

Caldas da Rainha has numerous non-Catholic houses of worship, including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Evangelical, Jehovah's Witnesses, Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Spiritualist. A few churches offer services in English, but most will be in Portuguese.

Go next


With its central location and good transport connections, Caldas da Rainha serves as an excellent home base for exploring other destinations in Portugal's Oeste subregion along the country's central west coast. Travellers can reach many cities in Portugal from Caldas using various modes of transport.


 * – See the Real Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça, a monastery. Or visit São Martinho do Porto, which has a protected bay beach popular with families.
 * – See the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, a monastery.
 * – See Bacalhôa Buddha Eden, Europe's largest Oriental garden.
 * – Visit Portugal's most famous pilgrimage site, where Catholics believe the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children six times in 1917.
 * (Lisboa) – The nation's capital is about an hour away by the expresso or rápida buses. It makes a good day trip. The Jerónimos Monestary and Tower of Belém are s.
 * – A picture-postcard beach town, renowned for its surfing. Don't miss the funicular ride to the upper town and the excellent seafood restaurants serving the local catch.
 * – Caldas' nearest neighbour is a walled medieval hilltop town. The Oeste's must-see destination.
 * – Beaches and water sports, with access to the Berlengas archipelago.