Key facts
Centre at a glance
Areas and places
Centre area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
40.20° N · 8.41° W
Coimbra
Car-freeBy carBy plane
39.63° N · 8.67° W
Fátima and Batalha
By carBy plane
39.60° N · 9.07° W
Nazaré
By carBy plane
39.36° N · 9.38° W
Peniche and the Berlengas
By car
40.40° N · 7.53° W
Serra da Estrela
By carLuxuryOn footBy plane
39.60° N · 8.42° W
Tomar
By carCar-freeBy plane
39.36° N · 9.16° W
Óbidos
By carLuxuryCar-free
Plan the trip
Centre, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Centre
From April to June and in September and October, with good weather for the hills of Coimbra and the mountains. In summer the interior is hot and Óbidos fills up at midday. From October to March the giant waves reach Nazaré, and at Christmas there is Óbidos's Vila Natal; in winter it snows in the Estrela.
How you travel
Centre your way
The ways of travelling that suit Centre. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy planeCar-freeLuxuryOn foot
Nearby
Near Centre
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
38.67° N · 9.18° W
Lisbon Metropolitan Area
By carBy planeBackpackingCar-freeLuxuryOn foot
38.80° N · 7.55° W
Alentejo
By carBy planeLuxuryBy motorbike
41.58° N · 8.23° W
North
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingCar-freeLuxury
39.20° N · 6.15° W
Extremadura
By carCar-freeLuxuryOn footBy bike
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the Joanina Library
In Coimbra the library is visited at a set time. Buy your ticket before arriving so you can choose the slot.
- 2Go to Óbidos early or at dusk
At midday Rua Direita is full of tour groups. At night the town is yours.
- 3Follow the forecast in Nazaré
The giant waves do not arrive on just any winter day: check the forecast and decide at short notice.
Sleep in Coimbra or Tomar rather than Lisbon to see the Centre: you save hours of driving each day.
Without a swell there are no giant waves, and the village in winter is quiet. If there is no forecast, swap the plan for Alcobaça or Óbidos.
What to choose in the Centre?
The Centre is the strip of Portugal between Lisbon and Porto, from the Atlantic to the border with Salamanca and Cáceres. It is the most varied region in the country and the least known from Spain: on the coast, walled towns and fishing villages; inland, monumental cities and the only high mountain range on the mainland. Choose according to the trip.
- Coimbra, one or two nights. The former capital, on the banks of the Mondego, with the oldest university in Portugal, a World Heritage Site since 2013, and the Joanina Library, visited at a set time. Nearby, the Roman ruins of Conímbriga and kayaking on the Mondego from Penacova.
- Óbidos, one night. A whitewashed town inside a 1.5 km wall that you can walk along the wall-walk without paying. Ginja in a chocolate cup, a bookshop in a church and, at Christmas, the Vila Natal. An hour from Lisbon.
- Nazaré, one or two nights. A fishing village split in two by a cliff, with a funicular from 1889. In summer, the beach in the bay; from October to March, on some days, the giant waves of Praia do Norte. Alcobaça monastery is a short step away.
- Tomar, one or two nights. The Convent of Christ, seat of the Templars and a World Heritage Site since 1983, above a small town beside the Nabão. The Festa dos Tabuleiros, held every four years, returns from 3 to 12 July 2027.
- Serra da Estrela, two or three nights. The Torre, at 1,993 m, the glacial valley of the Zêzere and sheep's cheese. Manteigas is the base.
A one-week route that works: Óbidos, Nazaré and Alcobaça along the coast; Tomar and Coimbra inland; and, if you have two more days, the Estrela before returning to Spain via Vilar Formoso.
How do you get there from Spain?
From Castilla y León, the natural entry is Vilar Formoso, on the A25, which has been toll-free since 1 January 2025: from Salamanca to Coimbra it is about 300 km, about three and a half hours, and to Manteigas about 215 km. From Extremadura, via Badajoz and the motorway towards Abrantes you reach Tomar in a little over five hours from Madrid. From Andalusia or Galicia, the most practical way is to enter via Lisbon or Porto. The rest of the Portuguese motorways, such as the A1 between Lisbon and Porto, are still toll roads, and some are electronic only: check how to pay before crossing.
If you fly, the airports are Lisbon and Porto. Óbidos and Nazaré are closer to Lisbon; Coimbra is halfway.
How do you get around?
By car, mostly: Óbidos, Nazaré, Alcobaça and the mountains are poorly connected by public transport. Without a car, CP's train works for Coimbra (the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades stop at Coimbra-B, on the Lisbon–Porto line), for Tomar (direct trains from Lisbon in about two hours) and for Covilhã and Guarda, at the foot of the Estrela. To Nazaré there is a scheduled bus from Lisbon, taking a little over an hour and a half.
How much does it cost?
Sleeping and eating usually work out cheaper than in Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve. The exceptions are Óbidos at Christmas and Nazaré in August and on big-wave days, when you must book ahead.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need?
With four you see the coast (Óbidos, Nazaré, Alcobaça) and Coimbra. With seven you add Tomar and the Serra da Estrela.
Can you do it without a car?
In part: Coimbra and Tomar have good trains from Lisbon and Nazaré has a bus. Óbidos, the mountains and the monasteries need a car.
When are the giant waves at Nazaré?
From October to March, only with big swells. Follow the forecast.
When is the Festa dos Tabuleiros?
The next one is from 3 to 12 July 2027 in Tomar. It is held every four years.
Which city is the best base?
Coimbra for the north of the Centre and the mountains; Óbidos or Nazaré for the coast; Tomar for the southern interior.
Is there snow in the Serra da Estrela?
In winter it usually snows on the peaks, but it varies a lot from year to year, and the high roads close in snow.