Alcobaca Monastery

Alcobaca Monastery lies 95 km southwest of Coimbra in Leiria District, a 1.25-1.5 hour drive via the A1/IC2, since no direct rail service reaches the town and coach travel requires a change in Leiria. The Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1153, is the largest church in Portugal and a landmark of early Cistercian Gothic architecture, notable for its austere, soaring interior largely free of the later Manueline ornamentation seen at nearby Batalha. The main draw for many visitors is the pair of 14th-century tombs of King Pedro I and his murdered mistress Ines de Castro, placed foot-to-foot so that, according to legend, the couple would face each other upon resurrection. A morning visit covers the church, the enormous monastic kitchen with its river-fed water channel once used to bring fresh fish directly to the cooks, and the Cloister of Silence. The town square outside the monastery has cafes serving the local pastry cama de pedra and simple lunch fare. Alcobaca combines naturally with Batalha and Fatima on the same A1/IC2 corridor, and spring or autumn visits avoid both summer heat and the busiest midday tour-group windows.