The Region

The Médio Tejo sub-region is located in the centre of Portugal and comprises the north of the Santarém district and the southwest of the Castelo Branco district. It includes thirteen municipalities: Abrantes, Alcanena, Constância, Entroncamento, Ferreira do Zêzere, Mação, Ourém, Sardoal, Sertã, Tomar, Torres Novas, Vila de Rei and Vila Nova da Barquinha.

The sublime landscape, comprised mainly of forests and agricultural fields, is enriched by the five rivers which flow through the territory. The rivers Tejo (Tagus), Zêzere, Nabão, Almonda and Alviela are also accompanied by various streams, waterfalls, reservoirs and river beaches, which are ready to welcome and enchant you during the warmest days.

The region’s cultural, historical and architectural heritage is vast and extremely relevant. Take part in a time travel and discover dinosaur footprints, and remains from the rock art period and the Roman Empire. Stroll along the walls of the Abrantes, Tomar, Ourém, Almourol, Sertã and Torres Novas castles. Appreciate the wide diversity of the architectural styles of the Convent of Christ, a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, and unveil the secrets of the historic centres.

In Médio Tejo there is no shortage of spaces of faith and religious celebration. The Sanctuary of Fátima receives every year millions of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The churches, chapels and convents in the region keep a relevant artistic heritage and the Synagogue of Tomar is the only Hebraic temple from the Proto-Renaissance in Portugal.

The Médio Tejo region has a total area of 3,344 km². The area of the municipalities’ territory varies between the 13.72 km² of Entroncamento and the 714.69 km² of Abrantes. In relation with the other municipalities, Sertã (with about 450 km²), and both Ourém and Mação (with close to 400 km²) have the second and third largest areas respectively. On the other hand, Vila Nova da Barquinha (50 km²), Constância and Sardoal (both with close to 100 km²) are part of the group of the smallest municipalities in the region.

The thirteen municipalities of Médio Tejo have in total 247,330 inhabitants. Ourém (45,932), Tomar (40,674) and Abrantes (39,325) are the municipalities with the highest number of residents. Half of the population of the region lives in these three municipalities. The municipalities with the highest population density are Entroncamento (1471.8 per km²), Vila Nova da Barquinha (147 per km²) and Torres Novas (136 per km²).

History

To stroll through the territory of Médio Tejo is like wandering through history, from the prehistoric times to the present-day. Find rock art engravings and drawings from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic in Ferreira do Zêzere, Mação and Sertã. At the São Miguel de Amêndoa Hill Fort walk through a fortified settlement from the Iron Age, while enjoying the beauty of the mountains.

The Romans fell in love with the territory too, because of its excellent climate and the abundance of water. Remains from the Roman presence can be visited, for example, in the municipalities of Tomar, Torres Novas and Sertã. At Villa Cardillio, inhabited by the romans from the 1st until the 4th century AD, bases of columns and pavements adorned with colourful mosaics have lasted through the ages. Stroll along the roman roads while unveiling the landscapes of the municipality of Sertã.

During the Christian “Reconquista”, in the 12th century, three castles in the region were part of the Templar’s defensive line of the River Tagus. The castles of Abrantes, Almourol and Tomar were used to control attacks by the Moors and today are part of the history and mysticism that surrounds the Templar knights. On the other hand, the municipality of Alcanena keeps the Arab legacy not only in the name, but also in the tanning of animal skins.

The Convent of Christ in Tomar is an ode to the history of Portuguese architecture. As witnessed by the examples of the Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque styles, it was built over seven centuries.

The French Invasions led by Junot and Massena raged, during the beginning of the 19th century, through the territory which constitutes the Médio Tejo sub-region. The conflict left behind the liberalism ideology which later influenced the conflict between D. Pedro and D. Miguel.

As of 1850, Fontes Pereira de Melo, who sponsored the policies of development of means of transport and routes, launched the building of the country’s railways, which were in the inception of the municipality of Entroncamento.

Throughout the years, the various municipalities collected traditions and popular festivities that will liven up your visit to the region. Medieval fairs, religious processions, festivals and traditional parades are extra motivations to visit the Médio Tejo region and to be dazzled by its ancient history.

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Abrantes

Abrantes has to offer spectacular views to the River Tagus and various nautical activities on the Castelo do Bode reservoir, due to its privileged location close to the two major hydric resources in the country. Stay overnight in one of the bungalows on the Aldeia do Mato river beach and dive into the limpid waters of the River Zêzere the next morning.

Founded in 1179, the municipality of Abrantes has a rich architectural heritage. Be fascinated by the grandeur of the São Vicente Church and by the excellence of the Santa Maria do Castelo Church.

At the magestic Abrantes Fortress, set in one of the highest points of the city, one can enjoy inspiring landscapes and imbibe the history of Portugal, from the Christian “Reconquista” to the French Invasions.

Stroll through the old streets of the historic centre and then regain your strengths by savouring the specialities of the Abrantes local cuisine. Start with the lamprey rice or the shad panada. For dessert choose between the “Palha de Abrantes” and the “Tigelada”.

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Alcanena

Landscapes of immense beauty await you in Alcanena. From the various natural viewpoints, one can admire both the Tagus Marshes and the Serra de Aire and Candeeiros. Be surprised by the verdant landscapes mottled with the grey colouring of the abundant limestone.

The municipality of Alcanena is known as the “Capital of the Hide”. According to historians, the animal skins’ tanning work is a heritage left by the Arabs, who had previously occupied the Iberian Peninsula and inhabited the area of the village.

Enjoy the warmest days by diving into the springs of the River Alviela. At Olhos de Água, one can find the country’s most important karst spring, where the crystalline water gushes from a scarp.

Discover the mysteries of the underground watercourses or of the life of the bats at the “Ciência Viva” Centre of Alviela. At the Roque Gameiro’s Watercolour Museum, get to know the work of the renowned Portuguese master.

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Constância

Constância is the poem created by the meeting of the rivers Zêzere and Tagus. The confluence of the two rivers is mirrored on the traditional festivities of the municipality. Every year boats colourfully festooned sail down the rivers in honour of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (Our Lady of the Safe Journey). The riverside is also the perfect place to enjoy a hot sunny day or to have a picnic.

Tradition has it that the poet Luís de Camões lived in Constância (possibly between 1546 and 1547), while serving a sentence, and there he wrote some of his lyric poems. Other poets, such as Alexandre O’Neill and Vasco de Lima Couto, also felt attracted by Constância, because of the lyric ambience that emanates from the “Poem Village”.

Stroll through the Camões Orchard Garden and discover the colourful world of the butterflies which flutter about at the Tropical Butterfly House.

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Entroncamento

The municipality of Entroncamento is the portrait of the railway heritage. The need to house the railway builders was at the inception of the construction of the railway quarters. Built along the railway lines, they consist of simple houses, with rustic railings and a small front garden.

The main railway lines intersect in Entroncamento. The municipality is crossed by the North railway line, which connects Lisbon to Oporto. Furthermore, it is also where the East and the Beira Baixa lines and the branch-line of Tomar have their outset.

Take part in a time travel at the National Railway Museum, where the visitors can discover old rolling stock, communications, information and signal equipment, as well as a varied document collection. Some of the items are more than 150 years-old.

At the Bonito’s Green Park, take a walk among nature, wait for the fishes to bite the hook and do canoeing on the artificial water reservoir.

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Ferreira do Zêzere

Named after the river that flows in the municipality, Ferreira do Zêzere has to offer river beaches with crystalline water, complemented by the green colour of the surrounding forests. The most adventurous can practise a variety of water sports, such as canoeing, wakeboarding, water skiing, rowing and diving.

In the municipality one can also find traces of a distant past. Travel more than 20 thousand years back in time until the Palaeolithic at the Avecasta’s archaeological site. Or visit the Pentagonal Tower of Dornes, which was part of the Templars’ defensive system of the Tagus Line.

Try to recognise the many stylistic influences at the Nossa Senhora da Graça Church in Areias. And, if you visit the municipality in June, have fun attending the Popular Marches of Saint Anthony.

Indulge yourself with the specialities that Ferreira do Zêzere has to offer. Savour the delicious crayfish and fish from the river and sweeten the soul with the regional pastries “Bons Maridos” and “Boas Esposas”.

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Mação

Get surrounded by nature and discover the sublime waterfalls that embellish the rocks and end in inviting natural pools. The municipality of Mação is rich in natural heritage. The waters from the River Tagus and the Eiras stream will delight the water sports’ lovers. During the warmest days, refresh yourself on the river beaches of Carvoeiro or Cardigos.

Venture into history and visit the vast archaeological heritage that Mação has to offer. At the São Miguel de Amêndoa Hill Fort discover the remains of a fortified settlement of the Iron Age and be stunned by the sublime lush landscape. Find rock art engravings from the Palaeolithic until the Neolithic at the Archaeological Park of Ocreza, near the Pracana dam and the mouth of the River Ocreza. Get to know the origins of agriculture and art at the Prehistoric Art and the Sacred in the Tagus Valley Museum.

To finish your visit taste the smoked sausages and the ham of great quality that Mação has to offer. You can discover the best goods made in the municipality during the annual Mação Exhibition Fair.

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Ourém

In the municipality of Ourém the historical and natural heritage share the stage with the religious faith. Travel to the medieval period at the Ourém Castle, a striking Arab fortress which guards the accompanying village and oversees the municipality from the top of the hill. At the Medieval Village, taste the well-known sour cherry brandy (“ginjinha”) and the Medieval Wine of Ourém.

Go back even more in time and stroll through the tracks of footprints left by the sauropods at the Natural Monument of Dinosaur Footprints of Serra de Aire.

During the warmest days, dive into the clear and cold waters of Agroal, where there is the biggest spring of the River Nabão. The surrounding rich landscapes will not leave you indifferent and are an invitation to peaceful long walks.

The Sanctuary of Fátima welcomes annually around four to five million pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. It is a space for displaying the Marian faith situated in Cova da Iria, where the six apparitions of the Virgin Mary are believed to have happened.

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Sardoal

Narrow streets flanked by houses painted in white with a dark yellow stripe contrast with the green colouring of the landscape that surrounds the small and peaceful village of Sardoal. The Windmills of Entrevinhas at the highest point of the village offer an astonishing view. Discover the natural resources of the municipality while walking through the many footpaths.

Throughout the Holy and Easter week, the religious traditions of the municipality gain an even greater dimension. The windows and balconies of the main streets are festooned with banners for the “Santos Passos do Senhor” Procession. More than 600 oil lamps are lit at the windows of the houses, at the balconies and at the staircases of the Convent of Santa Maria da Caridade, during the “Senhor da Misericórdia” Procession. The lights of the candles and torches illuminate the dark night.

At the Parish Church admire the boards by the Sardoal Master, seven oil-paintings on oak wood, which are the most relevant artistic heritage of the municipality.

Be delighted by the typical “Tigeladas” of the region and savour the “Cozinha Fervida”, a dish which has its origins on the old eating habits.

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Sertã

The natural beauty of the municipality of Sertã, where Nuno Álvares Pereira was born, is discovered by walking through the footpaths that unveil the granite cliffs of the Valley of the River Zêzere, the Roman roads, the Moinho das Freiras tunnel and the archaeological sites.

At the Rock Art sites of Fechadura and Lajeira, go back in time as you see the engravings which lasted until the present day carved on shale rocks. Visit the five-cornered Sertã Castle, from where Celinda, according to legend, drove out the Romans by throwing a frying pan (“sertage”) with boiling olive oil.

Stroll through the streets of Pedrógão Pequeno and unveil the treasures that the shale village, close to the left riverbank of the River Zêzere, has to offer.

The river beaches of the municipality are the perfect place to rest near clean waters and to admire the surrounding nature. Undertake water sports on the Trízio river beach.

Do not leave Sertã without tasting the renowned stuffed goat sausages (“maranhos”), the stuffed tripe (“bucho”) and the almond cartridges. These dishes are celebrated annually during the “Maranho” Gastronomy Festival.

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Tomar

The Templar past has permeated into the present in the municipality of Tomar. The Templar Castle oversees the city from the top of the hill and keeps safe inside the Convent of Christ, the crown jewel of Tomar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Various architectural styles, from the Romance to the Gothic, from the Manueline to the Renaissance, are combined and enhance the mysticism feeling.

At the historic centre, stroll through the parallel and perpendicular streets to the Republic Square, where the bell of the São João Baptista Church tolls the hour, and discover the various windows exquisitely crafted. Visit also the Synagogue of Tomar, which is the solely example of a Hebrew temple of the proto-renaissance in the country.

Surrounded by the River Nabão, which crosses the city, the Mouchão Garden is an invitation to lying under the shadow of the trees. In the summer, listen to the motion of the water caused by the wooden wheel, while savouring a “Beija-me Depressa” (“Kiss me quickly”).

Once every four years, during the Festival of Trays, the city is filled with colours, as the streets are festooned with paper flowers and the trays are paraded around the city.

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Torres Novas

The reviving of history meets the celebration of nature in the municipality of Torres Novas. At the Boquilobo Bog Nature Reserve, watch the heron’s colonies and the waterfowls flying in the sky, and walk amidst willow groves, aquatic plants and reed beds. Caves, pit caves and sinkholes are waiting to be discovered at the Serra de Aire and Candeeiros Natural Park.

Travel to Pre-history while visiting the Natural Monument of Dinosaur Footprints. Sauropods left their footprint on the Serra de Aire so not to be forgotten. At Villa Cardillio the Roman presence is celebrated with bases of columns and pavements adorned with colourful mosaics.

Stroll among the medieval walls of the Torres Novas Castle and enjoy the pleasant garden offered inside. Once a year one of the best medieval fairs of the Iberian Peninsula takes place in the castle and fills it with colour and enjoyment.

Do not leave Torres Novas without savouring a dish of eels or a dessert of figs.

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Vila de Rei

Vila de Rei is located in an extremely mountainous territory, reason why there are so many cascades of crystalline water. The river beach of Penedo Furado is a paradise on Earth, where you can practise various sports activities and where the paths carved on the rock guide you to small waterfalls. You can also refresh yourself on the river beach of Fernandaires.

The sound of the water flowing amidst the rocks on the bed of the stream sets alive the shale village of Água Formosa, the oldest in the municipality of Vila de Rei. Stroll through the narrow and uneven streets, where only people and animals pass by, and relive old traditions.

From the Geodesic Centre of Portugal, at the summit of the Serra da Melriça, breathe the fresh air of the countryside and admire a vast landscape, from the Serra da Lousã to the Serra da Estrela.

If you visit the municipality at the end of July or the beginning of August, do not miss the Fair of Smoked Sausages, Cheese and Honey, where you can savour the best specialities of the region.

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Vila Nova da Barquinha

From the past to the present, from history to science – this is how one discovers the municipality of Vila Nova da Barquinha. The Almourol Castle, a medieval military fortress built at a small craggy island on the River Tagus and rebuilt in 1171 by the Order of the Temple, pours beauty and is shrouded in an aura of romance and poetry.

Works by Portuguese artists brighten the Almourol Contemporary Sculpture Park. Stroll amidst sculptures by Alberto Carneiro, Fernanda Fragateiro or Joana Vasconcelos, accompanied by a sublime natural surrounding with a view to the River Tagus.

The curious of all ages are welcomed at the Integrated Centre for Science Education. Be excited by the discoveries and the unknowns of science, or travel through time while dressing clothes from the past and attempting to use archaeological excavation methods.

Enjoyment takes over the Barquinha Park every year during the Tagus Fair. In the month of June, get to know the regional and national handicraft objects and enjoy the music, sports and folklore programme.

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History

Abrantes

Alcanena

Constância

Entroncamento

Ferreira do Zêzere

Mação

Ourém

Sardoal

Sertã

Tomar

Torres Novas

Vila de Rei

Vila Nova da Barquinha

Municipalities

Contacts