Landlocked and the third largest of Portugal's national districts, with just under half a million total inhabitants, is Santarém. Its notable centres are area capital city Santarem, Abrantes, Entroncamento, Ourem and Tomar. The District as a whole has a population density of 70 people/sq.km (180 people/sq.mile).
District capital Santarém enjoys an elevated plateau location on the River Tagus, just 65 km northeast of the capital Lisbon. Visit here for fine examples of Manueline, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque architecture, and a Mediterranean climate that bestows nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. Temperatures can fall to around 10°C and under in January, (even getting as low as -5°C in rare cases), and expect occasional 40+°C moments in August. Rainfall is an average of 695 mm (27.4 inches) yearly.
The district, with its many large cities by Portuguese standards, is well served by hospitals and medical facilities. It’s a similar story with schools, Santarém and Tomar each have an Instituto Politécnico. Major roads (A1, A10, A13 & A15) and rail networks also serve the population well. Lisbon will be the closest international airport.
Home of the flocked-to Castle and Convento de Cristo, Tomar is the Portuguese treasure, developed by Knights Templar Grand Master Gualdim de Pais in the late 12th century. Truly a historical jewel, Tomar is set in the most fertile region of Portugal, and the Iberian Peninsula. Blessed by the Tagus and Nabão rivers, its abundant, ancient-feeling landscape is predominantly a collage of olive, citrus, fig and pine trees, with eucalyptus making its presence felt too.
Ourém is a Santarém municipality comprised of two cities - Ourém with its must-see castle, and the acclaimed pilgrimage site of Fatima. Attracting millions of Catholics annually, making it one of the biggest religious tourism destinations in the world, Fátima also has a notable outdoor go-karting track.
Entroncamento has exploited a commanding Tagus Valley position that offers ready access to the national motorway grid and railway system. Heavy investment in municipal fibre-optic infrastructure can be found here, and the legacy of its significant railway-based past.
In stark contrast to the enduring elements of Santarem’s industrial past are idyllic places like Ferreira do Zêzere and Dornes. Favoured and delighted by tourists and natives alike, these treasures have a spiritual, magical atmosphere that some attribute to Templar influences.
For horse lovers, Santarem’s Golegã is a must. A town known literally as the capital of the horse (Capital do Cavalo), that holds an annual festival dedicated to the globally renowned Lusitano horse.
Should you visit in mid-August, you might encounter a Pamplona-style bull-running in the streets of Coruche that’s part of the Nossa Senhora do Castelo (Lady of the Castle) festival, where late-night drinking and partying can be anticipated.
The earliest sign of human life in Portugal, a 400,000-year-old skull, was discovered in Torres Novas’ Cave of Aroeira in 2017, where nearby you can also experience other subterranean caves, namely Buraca da Moura, Buraca da Oliveira and Lapa da Bugalheira. Industrially, Torres Novas is also a location for paper producers Renova, as well as textile giant Companhia de Torres Novas who date back to 1845.
Lesser-known treasures are the Roman aqueduct on the outskirts of Tomar (aqueduto de pegões), and the splendid river beach of Agroal Tomar. Ghost hunters may be drawn to the Castle of Almourol, the site of tragic deaths and love stories, said to be haunted by a princess.
A three-bedroom apartment in the old part of Tomar City would cost in the region of € 100,000 compared to Rio Maior where you can expect to pay up to € 130,000.
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