Boutique & Romantic Hotels in Lisbon Coast North, Portugal

Map with hotels. Activate JavaScript to view this.

View hotels on map or

View a List of Lisbon Coast North Hotels

Hotel
Bed & Breakfast
Cottage
Apartment

Lisbon Coast North

The Lisbon coast (also known as Estremadura) is partly made up of two distinct ranges of hills that surround the capital. To the northwest the green hills of Sintra (see Cascais & Sintra) to the southeast the alluvial plains of Arrábida and the Setúbal peninsula, with its verdant Mediterranean flora.

The region boasts some of the finest buildings and monuments in the whole of Portugal, and many are within a relatively short distance of each other, which makes it an ideal base for hiring a car and visiting such glorious sites as Batalha, Alcobaça, Mafra and Óbidos within a short space of time.

The region also has a number of interesting museums to visit. On top of the world class Museum of Ancient Art in the Santos district of Lisbon and the Gulbenkian Museum and cultural complex in the centre of town, there are countless other quirky museums to visit.

The Museu José Malhoa in Caldas da Rainha was once described as a “biblical Madame Tussaud’s in pottery” .The Ceramic museum, and the Atelier Museu António Duarte have some beautiful pieces of art. The museum of Óbidos contains agonizing paintings of churches destroyed by the 1755 earthquake.

Of course, a wide variety of water sports are also catered for on the coast, whilst the area has excellent facilities and climate for other outdoor sports such as golf and tennis, trekking, hand gliding, etc. And we haven’t even started on Lisbon, Portugal’s largest and most cosmopolitan city.

Gastronomy Fish specialties include sardines, the caldeirada à fragateira (fish stew), and several cod dishes, including the highly recommended Bacalhau à Brás (cod dish). Don’t forget the wide selection of seafood available. As for meats, try the "cozido à portuguesa" (a typical Portuguese stew), chicken on the spit, and fowl marinated in wine sauce. Desserts include a delicious egg pudding from the monks of Alcobaça and Frei João sweets made with summer fruits and Moscatel grapes.

The most productive region in Portugal, produces whites and reds in equal quantity. Though generally not as good a quality as some of the other regions (most notably Douro and Alentejo), the area has some interesting wines. Some of the best known are produced in Setúbal area around the Serra da Arrábida.

History Estremadura - literally the land beyond the Douro - was once the frontier of the Christian Kingdoms of the north and has always played a central role in the country’s history. In the 11th century, as Portugal expanded southward, lands from the Moors were handed over to religious orders and monuments such as the magnificent abbey of Alcobaça were built.

Later, D. João I defeated the Spanish near the town of Batalha and another monument was erected. Finally, in the 18th Century the lines around Torres Vedras witnessed the retreat of the ruthless Napoleonic forces. A peaceful area with a turbulent past, Extremadura is now a prosperous region, with flourishing vineyards and agriculture.