Alcobaça

Located in the heart of Portugal's Silver Coast, the "aldeias" and villages around Alcobaça are some of the best places to enjoy a genuinely Portuguese lifestyle...

With a privileged combination of sea and hillsides, the lands that once belonged to the ancient Cistercian monks hold centuries of history. Stories of conquest and eternal love, that have been immortalized amidst the walls of the ancient Monastery of Alcobaça and the endless farmlands that helped to form this beautiful land into what it is today.
The city that grew within the valleys of the Alcoa and Baça rivers was occupied by such diverse civilizations as the Romans and Arabs, whose heritage is present to this day in the name of various places in the municipality (such as Alfeizerão, Aljubarrota, Alpedriz...). But it was during Portugal's rise as a sovereign nation that Alcobaça registered its greatest period of expansion and development. In fact, the history of Portugal crosses with the history of Alcobaça, having been D. Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first king, who donated these lands to the Cistercian monks in 1153.

Today, the Monastery of Alcobaça stands majestically in front of a square where time beats by without haste. With a "bica" and a traditional convent-inspired pastry, both locals and tourists relax in the shade of the cafés, savouring the simplicity of Alcobaça’s traditionally Portuguese lifestyle.

Land of eternal love

What's nearby?

Popular Tourist Spots

Monastery of Alcobaca
Jardim do Amor (Garden of Love)
Museu do Vinho (Wine Museum)
Parque Verde (Green Park)
Ruins of Alcobaça Castle

Beaches

São Martinho do Porto
Gralha
Vale Furado
Légua
Paredes da Vitória

Services

Câmara Municipal de Alcobaça (City Hall)
Public Hospital - Bernardino Lopes Oliveira
Private Hospital - Hospital de S. Francisco
A8 Motorway

Pedro and Inês - Portugal’s star-crossed lovers

Alcobaça's most iconic symbol is undoubtedly the tombs of D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro, which lie side by side in the Monastery of Alcobaça. Every year, thousands of tourists marvel at the detail and beauty of the two stone-carved tombs, an eternal symbol of Portugal’s most famous lovers.

This tragic tale of forbidden love tells the story of Prince Pedro, who betrayed his wife with her lady in waiting, Inês de Castro. Pedro maintained the affair a secret until his wife’s death, upon which he secretly married D. Inês, with whom he had three children. His father, King Afonso IV, and the Portuguese nobles disapprove of such a connection between the heir to the Portuguese crown and a Castilian woman. To put an end to this situation, in January 1355 the King orders the murder of Inês de Castro.

Mad with grief, Pedro rebels against the King, never forgiving his father for the murder of his beloved Inês. When he finally assumes the crown in 1357, Pedro has her murderers arrested and killed, cutting out their hearts, which earned him the nickname “Pedro, the Cruel”.

Not satisfied with the revenge, he imposes the recognition of Inês de Castro as Queen of Portugal. He also orders the transfer of her body to the Monastery of Alcobaça and the construction of two magnificently carved stone tombs, so that he could rest eternally next to his beloved.