Get to know the perfect european holiday destination all year round - Silver Coast

If you love the water, the Silver Coast in Portugal is the place for you no matter the time of the year.

It's where long stretches of Atlantic beaches meet calm lagoons and relaxing bays, like the Óbidos Lagoon and the São Martinho do Porto Bay, and where fun can be had during all the seasons of the year.

In the Spring and the Summer, the gentle waters and rising winds make the ideal scenario for sailing and kayaking.

And don't forget to bring your wet suit In the winter, as the sea swells and rises, creating the perfect, high-cresting waves for surfing.

• Sailing: lessons and rentals for beginners and experienced folk;
   
• Diving: Berlengas Island (off Peniche): clear water, caves, and marine life for certified divers, with local operators running boat trips;
   
• Stand Up Paddle: glassy mornings on Óbidos Lagoon or inside São Martinho’s Bay, which are great for families.
   
• Kayaking: explore tidal inlets and birdlife around the lagoon, or hug the coastline on calm days.
   
• Jet Skiing: designated zones near major marinas and beaches.

Tip: for consistent flat-water sessions, target early mornings on the lagoon. For wave action, watch local surf forecasts for Peniche and Nazaré.

Visiting Nazaré is a must for anyone exploring and travelling to Portugal. Just beware: you may love it so much, you may end up deciding to relocating there permanently.

During the winter, Nazaré comes alive, as the Atlantic begins swelling up Praia do Norte. Crowds of every age and nationality come to witness the large waves and see the surfing athletes that come to compete in the yearly events.

Nazaré gained the international spotlight in 2011, when big-wave surfing pioneer, Garrett McNamara, rode a giant wall at Praia do Norte.

Since then, the break has delivered multiple Guinness World Records, cementing Nazaré’s status as the planet’s premier big-wave arena. 

Records certified at Praia do Norte include the largest wave ever surfed (currently held by Sebastian Steudtner), the largest wave surfed by a woman (Maya Gabeira), and the largest wave kitesurfed (Nuno “Stru” Figueiredo). 

On peak days, wave faces tower well beyond typical reef sizes thanks to the unique Nazaré Canyon, drawing athletes, media crews, and spectators to the clifftop Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo for front-row views.

Practical note: big-wave season generally runs late autumn to early spring. For family-friendly swimming, plan standard beach days outside major swell events or choose the sheltered bay at São Martinho do Porto along the Silver Coast in Portugal.

Anyone seeking to explore the Silver Coast in Portugal must visit the beautiful and secluded Berlengas islands. Located about 10km offshore from the fishing town of Peniche, it's a UNESCO-recognised part of the World Biosphere Reserve, reflecting its rare seabirds and flora, clear waters, and striking pink-granite cliffs across this corner of the Silver Coast Portugal.

You can visit the largest of the three islands, the Berlenga Grande, walk the trails, take a boat tour of the cave or visit Forte de São João Baptista, or the Duke of Bragança Lighthouse.

What To Do:

• Walk signed coastal trails for Atlantic views and birdlife;
   
• Take boat tours through the sea caves and natural arches;
   
• Visit the 17th-century Forte de São João Baptista, linked by a stone bridge - the most iconic part of the Berlengas;
   
• See the Duke of Bragança Lighthouse above the reserve;
   
• Snorkel or dive the clear, fish-rich waters.

Historically, the islands were long associated with shipwrecks and piracy. A 16th-century monastery once aided shipwrecked sailors but was abandoned after repeated raids. Defence later shifted to the sea fort that still dominates the channel.

Practical tips
Passenger boats run from Peniche in season with daily visitor limits. Book ahead, stay on defined paths, and carry water, sun protection, and sturdy footwear. Services on the island are minimal, which helps keep this slice of Portugal Silver Coast pristine.

In 2007, the Buddha Eden was installed at Quinta dos Loridos near Bombarral. The idea was born from a desire to promote peace after the 2001 destruction of Afghanistan’s giant Buddha statues. The result is a vast sculpture park where visitors of every background are invited to slow down and reflect.

You can walk past Buddhas, pagodas, and terracotta warriors, then move through lakes, bamboo groves, and contemporary installations set across rolling vineyard country. 

An estimated 6,000 tonnes of marble and granite went into the project, and the compositions are deliberate rather than random. The central staircase forms the park’s axis, with a golden Buddha greeting visitors at the top and long views across the grounds.

Why It’s Worth Your Time

• It is the largest Oriental-themed garden in Europe;
   
• The mix of classical Asian motifs and modern pieces strikes a rare balance between kitsch and innovation without losing the spirit of the place;
   
• It sits within easy reach of Óbidos, Caldas da Rainha, and Peniche, making it a simple add-on to a Silver Coast Portugal itinerary.

Practical tips

• Allow 1.5–2 hours to wander the main routes;
   
• Comfortable shoes and water help, especially on warmer days;
   
• Check opening times and temporary exhibitions before you go.

Long before Shakespeare dreamed up Romeo and Juliet, Portugal had its own real-life romantic tragedy: Pedro and Inês. Their story echoes through poems, paintings, and the cloisters of the Alcobaça Monastery in the Portuguese Silver Coast.

At nineteen, Infante Pedro, heir to King Afonso IV, married Constança of Castile to cement an alliance with Spain. Trouble began when Pedro fell in love with Inês de Castro, Constança’s lady-in-waiting. Constança died in 1349. Pressured to remarry, Pedro refused, insisting he would take only Inês as his wife. She was deemed unfit for the throne and the king forbade the match.

In 1355, while Pedro was away, Afonso IV ordered Inês’s assassination. The prince never forgave him. When Pedro became king in 1357, he declared that he and Inês had wed in secret and, according to legend, had her body exhumed and crowned so the court would recognise her as queen.

You can feel the weight of the tale at Alcobaça. Their intricately carved Gothic tombs lie facing one another in the nave, feet to feet, so that when the two awaken on Judgment Day, the first thing they'll see is the other. It is one of the most haunting stops on the Portugal Silver Coast and a powerful detour from the beaches to a chapter of Portuguese history that still moves visitors.

The real Jurassic Park might not be in Costa Rica, as per Steven Spielberg's iconic films, but rather on the Silver Coast in Portugal.

Head to Lourinhã, about an hour north of Lisbon, where you'll find the Lourinhã Formation and the Dino Parque - a treasure trove of fossilised bones, eggs, nests and pathways that are about 150 million years old. It’s why Lourinhã proudly calls itself Europe’s “dino capital.”

The Dino Parque Lourinhã is the centrepiece: an open-air science park with 180 plus life-size, scientifically vetted dinosaur models positioned along forest trails. 

Families walk through time — Jurassic to Cretaceous — with clear signage that ties each species back to Portuguese digs. 

Local discoveries include icons like Lourinhanosaurus and Torvosaurus gurneyi, alongside spectacular egg clutches that make the site famous.

Round out the visit at the Museu da Lourinhã, where you’ll see original fossils, eggs, and casts from Lourinhã and beyond, not only Jurassic material, but specimens spanning other periods of dinosaur history. 

Between the museum and the park, the Portugal Silver Coast delivers a hands-on, genuinely educational detour that’s as memorable for kids as it is for grown-up paleo-fans.

Óbidos is one of Portugal’s most picturesque and best-preserved medieval towns, perched on a ridge a short drive north of Lisbon with long views toward the Atlantic. 

The site was settled long before the Romans and later flourished behind stout walls, its whitewashed lanes, azulejo-lined churches, and castle keeping their original character.

From the thirteenth century, Óbidos became a royal wedding gift, first recorded when King Afonso II granted it to Queen Urraca in 1214. 

That tradition continued for centuries, leaving a legacy of patronage that shaped the town’s monuments and civic pride. Up to the late Middle Ages, a natural harbour lay to the west and ships could anchor near the base of the battlements.

Over time the coastline shifted, with powerful winter storms and gradual silting created sandbars and altered tidal flows, pushing the shoreline away and forming what is now the Óbidos Lagoon about 10 km west of the town. 

Today, visitors can still walk the walls, browse bookshops and artisans’ stalls, and explore a centre that still feels like a living museum on the Silver Coast Portugal.

Commissioned by King João V to fulfil a vow of succession, the Mafra National Palace is widely regarded as Portugal’s most important Baroque monument. 

The complex spans 38,000 m², with around 1,200 rooms, 4,700 doors and windows, and 156 staircases. Inside, royal ambition shows in every detail: Italian and Portuguese masters supplied sculpture and painting, and the basilica houses two historic carillons totalling 98 bells, among the largest of their kind in the world, plus a unique ensemble of six pipe organs designed to be played together.

The palace library is a showpiece of the 18th century, holding about 36,000 volumes. 

Highlights include incunabula printed before 1500, the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), early Bibles, the first edition of the Encyclopédie by Diderot and d’Alembert, and illuminated Books of Hours. Materials, scale, and finishing reflect the best of the Johannine era: fine stonework, daring engineering, and meticulous craftsmanship throughout.

Why Visit

• It's the largest example of  Baroque architecture in Portugal;
   
• Basilica with twin bell towers and the six-organ ensemble;
   
• One of Europe’s most beautiful historic libraries;
   
• Easy day trip from Lisbon, pairing well with the Silver Coast Portugal for a culture-and-coast itinerary.