Mafra

Not to be confused with Maffra, Victoria, Australia.

Mafra is a city of 77,000 people (2011) in Greater Lisbon, Estremadura, Portugal. It is mostly known for the sumptuous Mafra National Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other points of interest around the municipality include the Tapada Nacional de Mafra, an enclosed wildlife and game reserve, and Ericeira's World Surf Reserve, the second in the world.

Understand

Convento de Mafra

Mafra (MAH-fruh, /ˈma.fɾɐ/) is mainly rural with some tourist activity centred in the town and especially in the seaside town of Ericeira, which has become a key destination for national and international surfers. Since the completion of the A8 motorway, linking the eastern part of the municipality to the centre of Lisbon, commuter population has increased substantially.

Climate

The climate of Mafra, under strong oceanic influence, is moderately rainy. In general, it has mild minimum temperatures during the coldest months and a cool and windy summer during which there is a tendency for fog formation. The annual average temperature is around 15 °C (59 °F).

It has a wet season (October to March) and a dry season (April to September). Humidity remains high throughout the year, but especially during summer and along the coast. The annual value of relative humidity in the municipality is around 80%.

In the metropolitan area, the north-west winds predominate, coming from the coastal zone and which carry with it, throughout the year, moist air, which causes morning fogs.

Visitor information

• 1 Posto de Turismo de Mafra, Avenida das Forças Armadas 28, ☏ +351 261 817 170, turismo@cm-mafra.pt. Daily 10:00–13:00 & 14:00–18:00. (updated Jun 2021)

Get in

By bus

From Lisbon, you can take coach services operated by Mafrense which depart from Campo Grande bus terminus. The journey lasts just over one hour and a single ticket costs €4.35 (pay the driver with cash, no return tickets are available).

By car

• Coming from Lisbon, go by the A8, the N8 or the EN9
• Coming from Sintra, take join the EN9
• Coming from Ericeira, take the A21 or the EN116

By train

The rail network, served by the Linha do Oeste (Western Line), with stations in Mafra (Mafra-Gare) and Malveira, as well as flag-stops in Alcainça–Moinhos and Jeromelo, providing interurban and regional passenger and cargo services (the latter being primarily handled from the Malveira).

See

National Palace of Mafra

The Tourist Office has further information on most tourist sights.

• 1 Convento de Mafra. The National Palace of Mafra is probably the most striking Baroque monuments to be found in Portugal, its construction symbolizes the Absolutist rule of D. João V. The palace has some 1,200 rooms of which the most impressive is the Library, which dates from the 18th century and contains some 36,000 books and manuscripts. In addition there is the Convent, an important and significant part of the religious heritage of Portugal. However, the most stunning feature of the Palace site is the Basilica, considered to be a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and famed for its Carillion – famous throughout the world for the sheer size and beauty of its mechanism. Together with its surroundings it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. 8€.  

Basilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony

• 2 Basilica of Our Lady and St. Anthony (Real Basilica de Nossa Senhora e Santo António). 09:30-13:00, 14:00-17:30. Built according to a plan by Johann Friedrich Ludwig . This basilica has a set of 6 identical organs, unique in the world ( 11,444 pipes ) and a carillon of 92 bells spread over two towers, the north chime being the work of the Liège founder Nicolas Levache , and the south of the Antwerp founder Willem Witlockx. Free. (updated Feb 2020)
• 3 Church of St. Andrew (Igreja de Santo André). 13th-century church. (updated Feb 2020)

Do

Praia da Baleia

• Tapada Nacional de Mafra (national park). Former royal hunting ground, now a park with wildlife, hiking and biking trails. (updated Feb 2021)
• 1 Praia da Foz do Lizandro. Beach. (updated Jun 2021)
• 2 Praia de São Lourenço. Beach. (updated Jun 2021)

Eat

Mafra is known for its famous bread ("Pão de Mafra"). Give it a try at a local bakery.

Try also a special cake from the town known as "Fradinhos". There's a bakery called precisely "Fradinho" that sells this delicious treat.

Also try Polo Norte for more pastries.

• 1 Churrasqueira Povoense, Rua Primeiro de Maio 2, Milharado, ☏ +351 21 985 6080. Daily 12:00–22:00. Grilled pork, beef, lamb, and cod. Budget. (updated Jun 2021)

Drink

There's not much nightlife in Mafra, but there's a nice place where you can have a nice cup of coffee. The name is "Café da Vila" and you can find it right next to the palace, near a garden with three soldiers.

Sleep

• 1 Casa Paço D'Ilhas, Estrada da Junceira Paço de Ilhas, Rua de São Sebastião 2, ☏ +351 960 055 361, +351 938 880 186, info@casapacodilhas.com. Heritage B&B. Known for its yoga and surf retreats. (updated Mar 2018)