Alenquer

Alenquer is a town in Portugal's Oeste region.

Understand

View of Alenquer.

Alenquer (uh-lehn-KEHR, /ɐ.ɫẽ.ˈkeɾ/) received its royal charter in 1212 from Princess Sancha, daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal. The municipality has over 43,000 residents (2011), while the town proper has about 9,000.

Visitor information

• 1 Posto de Turismo (Viver Alenquer), R. dos Guerras 4, ☏ +351 263 730 990, geral@cm-alenquer.pt. (updated Jun 2021)

Get in

Alenquer is at exit 4 of the A1 (Autoestrada do Norte) motorway, 30 min N of Lisbon and 2 hr 30 min S of Porto.

From the Algarve to the S, take the A2 (Autoestrada do Sul) motorway to A13 to A10 to A1 (exit 4). The trip takes 2 hr 30 min.

Bus service from Lisbon (Campo Grande bus terminal) is provided by Boa Viagem's route 3.

There's no rail station in Alenquer. The nearest stations are in Castanheira do Ribatejo and Vila Franca de Xira from where you can take a bus.

See

• 1 Castelo de Alenquer (Castle of Alenquer). A medieval castle built in 1160 over the remains of a Moorish fortress. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Ponte da Lezíria (Lezíria Bridge). The Lezíria Bridge is a box girder bridge flanked by viaducts and rangeviews that spans the Tagus and Sorraia Rivers between Carregado (Alenquer municipality) and Benavente, north-east of Lisbon. It is the second-longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts) and the ninth longest in the world, with a total length of 12 km (7.5 mi). It carries the A10 motorway. (updated Jun 2021)

Eat

• 1 Casta 85, Calçada Francisco Carmo 31 (Largo Espírito Santo), ☏ +351 915 761 911, restaurantecasta85@gmail.com. Daily 12:00–02:00. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Restaurante a Prensa, Rua 25 de Abril 19 (off the N1/IC2 road), ☏ +351 912 387 268, nunodealmeida1976@gmail.com. M–Sa 12:00–15:00 & 19:30–22:00, Su 12:00–15:00. (updated Jun 2021)

Sleep

• 1 AL Embaixador, Largo Palmira Bastos 16, ☏ +351 913 761 784. Check-in: 14:00–21:00, check-out: 00:00–12:00. €44-46. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Quinta da Torre - Casas de Campo, Vale das Pedras, Ota, ☏ +351 917 592 561. (updated Jun 2021)