Oeste

The Oeste ("West") is a region of Central Portugal, along the Atlantic coast. Among Oeste's numerous sights are several sandy beaches, many known for their great surfing waves.

Cities

Map of Oeste

39.55-8.9751 Alcobaça — noted for its monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
39.05-9.0166672 Alenquer — it has a very rich heritage of prehistoric sites, castles, convents, churches, chapels, farms and stately homes
38.983333-9.0666673 Arruda dos Vinhos — home to hilltop forts built during the Napoleonic wars
39.266667-9.154 Bombarral — home to Bacalhôa Buddha Eden, Europe's largest Oriental garden
39.24621-9.067385 Cadaval — small rural town
39.406917-9.136256 Caldas da Rainha — a city known for its curative waters and its arts
39.25-9.3166677 Lourinhã — noted for its dinosaur-related attractions
39.75-8.9333338 Marinha Grande — popular ocean beach and the country's only museum devoted to glasswork
39.6-9.0666679 Nazaré — a picturesque beach popular with sunbathers, swimmers, and surfers
39.361952-9.15713110 Óbidos — hilltop town surrounded by medieval castle walls
39.362833-9.38872211 Peniche — lovely, family-friendly beaches with a surf scene
39.6-8.81666712 Porto de Mós —
39.016667-9.1513 Sobral de Monte Agraço — a largely rural area with well-preserved natural spaces of remarkable landscape beauty
39.083333-9.26666714 Torres Vedras — the Lines of Torres Vedras defended the Lisbon peninsula against Napoleon's army

Other destinations

39.415624-9.5100411 Arquipélago das Berlengas (Berlengas archipelago) — uninhabited island chain 10–17 km (6.2–10.6 mi) from Peniche containing a nature reserve
39.187449-9.0555542 Paisagem Protegida da Serra de Montejunto (Serra de Montejunto Protected Landscape) — in Alenquer and Cadaval with Estremadura's highest viewpoint at 666 m (2,185 ft)
39.4584-8.92973 Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros (Serras de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park) — partially in Alcobaça, but spreads beyond the Oeste region

Understand

The Oeste (oh-EHSH-t(ih), /o.ˈɛʃ.tɨ/) region's character varies from the leisurely Atlantic beaches to medium-sized cities and towns centered on commerce and services with a suburban-like pace to rural country villages and hamlets where agriculture—both plant- and animal-based—dominate the local economy.

The Oeste region is in the former Estremadura province, split between the districts of Leiria and Lisbon. The region's twelve municipalities are home to 362,311 people (2011) in an area of 2,220 km² (860 sq mi).

Marinha Grande and Porto de Mós are included in this Wikivoyage travel region, but are not part of the administrative and statistical Oeste region. They are part of the historical Estremadura province, but nowadays belong to the Comunidade Intermunicipal da Região de Leiria (Leiria region intermunicipal community), which is not a Wikivoyage travel region.

Visitor information

Turismo Centro de Portugal, ☏ +351 234 420 760, geral@turismodocentro.pt. Oeste is one of the regions overseen by Turismo Centro de Portugal. (updated Jan 2021)

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS^IATA) (also known as Portela Airport) in Lisbon.

Although farther away, Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO^IATA) in Porto is a viable alternative.

By train

Comboios de Portugal (Trains of Portugal), ☏ +351 707 210 220. PDF timetable. Comboios de Portugal's Linha do Oeste (West Line) runs through the region north to south, connecting with several stations in Lisbon, Leiria, Coimbra, Figueira da Foz, and other stops in between. Trains on this windy line are old, and buses are often faster. (updated Jun 2020)

By bus

Rede Expressos, Terminal Rodoviário de Sete Rios, Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado, Estrada das Laranjeiras, ☏ +351 217 524 524, geral@rne.pt. Rede Expressos is the main nationwide coach bus provider. You can use them from the Sete Rios or the Oriente terminals in Lisbon to reach many destinations in the Oeste region. (updated Jun 2020)
Barraqueiro Transportes, ☏ +351 217 511 600, rodest@rodest.pt. Barraqueiro and its subsidiaries—Barraqueiro Oeste, Boa Viagem, and Mafrense—serve the southern areas of the region: Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Cadaval, Lourinhã, Sobral de Monte Agraço, and Torres Vedras. Various routes connect Lisbon to cities in the region. (updated Jun 2020)
Rodoviária do Oeste (RDO), +351 262 767 676, rdo@rodoviariadooeste.pt. Rodoviária do Oeste is the main regional coach bus company serving the northerly areas of region: Alcobaça, Bombarral, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Lourinhã, Nazaré, Óbidos, and Peniche. It offers two Rápida (rapid) services from Lisbon to cities in Oeste. (updated Feb 2021)
- Rápida Azul. RDO's Rápida Azul line provides bus service from Lisbon (Campo Grande) to Lourinhã (55 min), Praia da Areia Branca (~1 hr), Peniche (1 hr 25 min), and points in between. Lourinhã & Praia da Areia Branca €7.80, Peniche €8.70 (see linked timetable for full pricing details). (updated Feb 2021)
- Rápida Verde. RDO's Rápida Verde line provides frequent bus service between Lisbon (Campo Grande) and Bombarral (45 min), Óbidos (1 hr), and Caldas da Rainha (1hr 20 min). Bombarral €7.35, Óbidos €8.00, Caldas da Rainha €8.10 (see linked timetable for full pricing details). (updated Feb 2021)

By car

The main motorway in the Oeste region is A8 (Autoestrada do Oeste) which provides access to Lisbon in the south and Leiria in the north. There are direct exits to Torres Vedras, Bombarral, Óbidos, and Caldas da Rainha. Connecting roads lead to Peniche, Nazaré, and Alcobaça.

The A10 motorway serves the southeast part of the region: Arruda dos Vinhos and offers connecting roads to Sobral de Monte Agraço and Alenquer.

The A15 motorway (part of route IP6) connects directly to Óbidos from A1 in Santarém. Connecting roads go to Peniche and to Caldas da Rainha.

The EN1 (or N1) road (Estrada Lisboa-Porto) was the nation's principal roadway until Portugal started using European Union community funds to build its motorway network. It serves Alenquer directly.

The older EN8 (or N8) road (Estrada da Estremdura), runs largely parallel to A8. It is narrower and slower, but offers a route that allows greater closeness with the communities it passes though.

EN115 (or N115) offers a scenic route between Lisbon's suburb of Loures and Caldas da Rainha, serving Cadaval and Sobral de Monte Agraço.

Get around

The methods listed in the Get in section—train, bus, and car—can also be used to get around within the region.

See

Caldas da Rainha has several museums, mostly dedicated art.
Lourinhã has a few sights dealing with dinosaurs and paleontology.
Óbidos, perhaps the Oeste's most popular destination, has a medieval castle and is surrounded by stone walls protecting the hilltop town.

Do

The Oeste region has some excellent beaches.
Nazaré and Peniche are especially noted for their great surfing waves.
Óbidos offers no fewer than four golf course resorts.

Eat

With its coastal location, the Oeste is an excellent region to savour fresh fish and seafood.

Drink

The Oeste is home to several demarcated wine regions, including Alenquer DOC, Torres Vedras DOC, Arruda DOC, Óbidos DOC, Lourinhã DOC, and Encostas d'Aire DOC. Óbidos is known for its ginja or ginjinha, a cherry liqueur. Lourinhã produces aguardente, a distilled spirit.

Stay safe

Go next

Ribatejo — this region to the east includes fascinating locales such as:
- Santarém — cathedral city full of Gothic churches
- Tomar – a city with a Knights Templar castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Vila Franca de Xira — home to the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve and its bird-watching area
Beira Litoral — the region to the north includes many popular destinations:
- Batalha — known for its medieval monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Coimbra — Portugal's fourth largest urban centre, its 13th-Century university is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Fátima — Portugal's most famous pilgrimage site, where it's said the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in 1917
Greater Lisbon — in this region to the south, you'll find the nation's capital and other fascinating destinations:
- Cascais — beach town at the mouth of the Tagus (Tejo) River, known for the casino and high living at Estoril
- Lisbon (Lisboa) – the nation's capital and most popular destination, with several UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Sintra — this UNESCO World Heritage Site in a hilly area is known for its many palaces

This region travel guide to Oeste is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.