Why move to Santarem District
Its proximity to the capital is the obvious draw, but Santarem delights with rural beauty and a character all its own.
The fertile lands of Santarem, cut through by the mighty river Tagus make this a place of stunning vistas and bountiful agricultural produce. Horse breeding and bull fighting are long standing traditions here and something you’ll find at the heart of many local communities and traditions.
Santarem city has a fascinating history. Made a bureaucratic centre by Julius Caesar, it passed from Roman hands to the Moors before being reclaimed by the Portuguese in the 12th century. There are many reminders of its past for you to discover, including baroque architecture and Renaissance interiors. Take a stroll in the Jardim das Portas do Sol, shady public gardens encircled by the city’s medieval walls and climb the terrace for splendid views over the district’s plains and the Tagus.
The capital plays host to a massive agricultural fair with entertainment that include bullfights and contests between the colourfully dressed herdsmen. Equestrian life looms large over the district, particularly in Alpiarca. Set on the great plains of the Leziria, it is famous for horse breeding, an activity which occupies many of the area’s great estates. And to the north is Golega – a normally quiet town – which hosts the annual Feira Nacional do Cavalo, attracting the nation’s finest horses and breeders
Perhaps the most famous destination in the district is Fatima, an important devotional shrine on a par with Lourdes in France. Great crowds of pilgrims make the trip every May and October, visiting the basilica and a great oak tree where in 1917 three shepherd children are said to have witnessed apocalyptic visions, an event which soon drew 70,000 pilgrims to the site. You’ll find it quieter though in the nearby town of Ourem, an attractive medieval walled citadel of wide streets of white houses bedecked with flowers.
Foodies should try Almeirim, famous for its wine and sopa da pedra, or stone soup. According to local legend it was brought to the town by a poor friar whose miraculous recipe begins with a stone dropped into a cauldron of boiling water. Today Almeirim is a gastronomical mecca with people drawn there by its soup and also the wine served at the nearby manor house.
For a great shopping pilgrimage Tomar should be your destination. From the impressive Convento de Christo you can look down at the narrow cobblestone streets set out in a neat grid and containing some of the district’s best shops. Head out of town to the nearby Castelo de Bode dam, an area of pretty, quiet villages and forests of lush eucalyptus where you can walk, canoe and fish to your heart’s content.
With Lisbon on your doorstep as well as excellent transport links by road and rail, Santarem is a great place to live in order to make the most of traditional Portuguese life and culture.