Caldas da Rainha

Six kilometres north of Óbidos, CALDAS DA RAINHA (“Queen’s Spa”) was put on the map by Dona Leonor, queen of Dom João II. Passing in her carriage, en route to meet the king, she was so impressed by the sulphurous waters that she founded a hospital here, initiating four centuries of noble and royal patronage. That was in 1484, but the town was to reach the peak of its popularity in the nineteenth century when, throughout Europe, spas became as much social as medical institutions. Disappointingly little remains of the royal wealth poured into the spa, although Caldas offers a good break in the journey to Nazaré or Alcobaça. Once through the drab modern outskirts there’s a pleasant centre focused on the modern spa buildings and the spreading municipal park beyond, which contains two diverting museums. Caldas is also not a bad place for souvenir hunting: its embroidery has a national reputation, though it’s best known as a ceramics centre.