Best of Caldas da Rainha with a local guide
Description
We will take you to the most ancient Thermal Hospital in the World- continually operating for over five hundred years. Long before SPAs came along, Portuguese Queen D. Leonor had her own private “Pool”, which you will be visiting. This came after she saw people bathing in natural hot springs looking for cures for their ailments. Impressed, the Queen had a thermal hospital built on the site the very next year (1485). This tour will also take you to the nearby Church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo (“Our Lady of the People”), a small yet artistically rich place of worship, which holds some of the earliest examples of the "Manueline Architecture”, a famously unique Portuguese architectural style. Afterward, we will take you to the beautiful and romantic D. Carlos I Park and share an overview of the city’s history highlighting its golden age in the 19th century, when it became an industrial and artistic hub and Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and José Malhoa became household names.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will visit the very first Thermal Hospital in the world. Inside we are going to explore the ancient Pool of the Queen and the Noble Salon
At the Praça da Republica we will find the only street market that is open every day of the year in Portugal. Were is all about local vendors that sell local products as Fruit, Vegetables, Bread, Cheese and flowers.
Visit the biggest fountain in the city and the Water Garden - one of the most urban biggest ceramics work in Portugal made by the great master Ferreira da Silva from Porto
We are going to pass by the Park Pavillions one of the city icon and talk about their history. After we go to talk about the José Malhoa Museum and the great history behind the building.
Visit the fantastic ceramics pieces that makes part of the Bordaliana Route. A set of ceramics pieces in human scale made by the great Portuguese master Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro! Snails, Turtles, Cabbages, Police man and others...
We are going to make a stop at the Central Café to taste Cavacas das Caldas (pastry) and Sour Cherry Liqueur (ginjinha) and see the famous painting of the fifties by Júlio Pomar - The Unicorn.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(23)
Our tour was a local resident and very knowledgeable. We took a lovely tour through Caldas da Rainha and saw all the historical sights. We even stopped for a bite of a local pastry! If you are in Caldas, I definitely recommend this tour!
We had a wonderful time with Ivo learning about Caldas. He was kind, informative, and really made our tour special!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and had a memorable experience. It was a pleasure having you, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Best regards from the Silver Coast Travelling tours team! Ivo Soares
On this tour we got interesting historic and contemporary insights from our local guide Ivo. He also gave us recommendations for restaurants and other things to do. Highly recommend this tour!
Dear Franziska, thank you! Your feedback truly means a lot to us. It was wonderful sharing the day with you and seeing your enthusiasm during the tour. We're so glad we could be part of your journey! Best regards from Silver Coast Travelling Tours team. Ivo Soares
Ivo, our guide, is a native of Caldas who knows the ins and outs of his community. In other words, he was the perfect person to introduce us to some history and context about this charming city. Ours was a leisurely and purposeful tour with a lot packed into less than two hours. Highly recommend!
Dear Deborah, We're so happy you had an amazing time! Your review made our day—thank you for joining the tour and for being such a great part of it. Hope to see you on another adventure soon! Best regards from the SIlver Coast Travelling Tours team. Ivo Soares
Ivo shared so much inside knowledge with us and told wonderful stories of growing up here in Caldas da Rainha! He was kind and patient, and answered all our questions, no matter the topic! He also recommended the best place in town for brewed coffee (there was already a line waiting for opening the next morning) and pizza! And one of the stops of our tour was a well-loved shop, with ties to the revolution.
Dear Rachel, thank you for the glowing review! We're so glad you had a great experience and hope to see you again on another time. Best regards from the Silver Coast Travelling Tours team. Ivo Soares
We have gained a comprehensive insight into the history of Caldas da Rainha. Ivo is very nice and looked after us very well.
Hallo Stefan! Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the tour and had a memorable experience. It was a pleasure having you, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Best regards from the Silver Coast Travelling Tours team. Ivo Soares
Ivo was kind and full of terrific information about Caldas da Rainha. We appreciated his enthusiasm for history. In particular, we asked lots of questions related to art and cartooning and he was able to make connections to Portuguese art history and ceramics. And he provided relevant context about current events and the places he took us.
Dear Sande, thank you so much for your feedback to our tour at Caldas da Rainha! As locals we love to show our city and the history behind it! Best regards from the Silver Coast Travelling Tours team. Ivo Soares
I visited Caldas da Rainha on a weekend, found the city interesting, its people are very hospitable and very available to help. I visited the museums José Malhoa and Boldalo Pinheiro, which are worth it.
Olá! Muito obrigado pelo vosso comentário! Esperamos voltar a vê-los por Caldas da Rainha :) Cumprimentos da equipa da Silver Coast Travelling Tours. Ivo Soares
The visit to Caldas da Rainha was very interesting, we visited the iconic Praça da Fruta and the oldest Thermal Hospital in the world! We even tried Cavacas das Caldas! We recommend
Boa tarde Ricardo! Muito obrigado por nos deixares aqui o teu testemunho :) Esperemos que o Ricardo e a Marta possam visitar o nosso Oeste mais vezes! Cumprimentos da equipa da Silver Coast Travelling :) Ivo Soares
For those traveling alone, Silver Coast Traveling's guided tours are a good option to discover the details of one of the most beautiful areas of the Portuguese West coast! A harmonious tour, guided by Ivo, a lover of its historical and cultural origins!
Bom dia Ana! Muito obrigado pela tua crítica ao nosso trabalho! É bom ver que continua a ser valorizado e que continuamos a entregar as melhores experiências a quem procura a região Oeste! Esperamos voltar a ver-te na região Oeste :) Melhores cumprimentos da equipa da SIlver Coast Travelling. Ivo Soares
