Last checked November 2026.
The Estremadura and Ribatejo regions, north and north-east of Lisbon, played an important role in Portugal’s history and have monuments worth exploring. Alcobaça, Batalha and Tomar have some of the most exciting buildings in Portugal, and Óbidos is a stunning walled medieval village. There are great castles at Porto de Mós, Leiria and Almourol, and the Berlengas islands are worth a visit in summer.
The coast has some lovely places to visit. Nazaré and Ericeira are the most popular resorts, but there are many less visited places worth seeing, in particular São Martinho do Porto and the coast west of Leiria. Peniche and Ericeira are the epicentre of Portuguese surfing. Each is home to world-class surf breaks, but the towns themselves are very different.
The valley of the Tejo in the Ribatejo (the name means “banks of the Tejo”) has some of Portugal’s richest vineyards, and many of its towns hold lively festivals. The most famous is the Festa do Colete Encarnado in Vila Franca de Xira, with bulls running through the streets.
In a campervan or motorhome, the big change since Darren’s trips in 2006 and 2011 is on the coast: you can no longer sleep in your van by the beaches, so every night there has to be on a campsite or in an authorised motorhome area.
Where you can and can’t stay overnight
Portugal’s national rules are explained in camping in Portugal. In short: overnighting (being in the vehicle between 22:00 and 07:00) is banned in Natura 2000 sites, protected areas and the coastal zones covered by the coastal plans, except in places authorised for it, with fines of €120 to €600. Elsewhere you can stay up to 48 hours in the same municipality, unless the council has its own rules.
On the coast, the stricter rule applies almost everywhere:
- From Alcobaça (São Martinho do Porto) south through Nazaré, Caldas da Rainha, Óbidos, Peniche, Lourinhã and Torres Vedras to Mafra (Ericeira), the coast is in the Alcobaça to Cabo Espichel coastal plan. The plan also covers the Lagoa de Óbidos with a 500 m strip around it, and the Berlengas islands, which are a nature reserve.
- From São Pedro de Moel north, the coast of Marinha Grande and Leiria is in the Ovar to Marinha Grande coastal plan.
- Peniche council’s own regulation bans parking to spend the night anywhere in the municipality outside campsites and authorised motorhome places, with fines of €150 to €200. In June 2026 the council and the Maritime Police ran a joint operation against motorhomes parked overnight on the cliff tops.
- Nazaré council has no motorhome area of its own. In December 2024 it told the municipal assembly that motorhomes should use the parks set up for them, and that policing is up to the PSP and GNR.
The simple rule for this coast: plan every night on a campsite or in a motorhome area.
Inland, the 48-hour allowance applies unless the council says otherwise, and several councils have free or cheap motorhome service areas. Some have their own rules too:
- Alcobaça: in the town, motorhomes can’t park or stay overnight outside the council’s motorhome area, except when it’s full or closed. The limit there is 72 hours.
- Porto de Mós: across the municipality, you can only park to spend the night in the council’s motorhome areas. The first seven days are free, and fines for breaking the rules are €50 to €200.
Campsites and motorhome areas
Opening dates change, so check before you travel, especially in winter.
| Area | Campsites | Motorhome areas |
|---|---|---|
| Pedrógão and São Pedro de Moel | Orbitur São Pedro de Moel; Camping Coimbrão | |
| Nazaré | Orbitur Valado; OHAI Nazaré | |
| São Martinho do Porto and Alcobaça | Colina do Sol; Baía Azul; Paredes de Vitória (Pataias) | Alcobaça town, up to 72 hours |
| Foz do Arelho and Óbidos | Orbitur Foz do Arelho | Foz do Arelho parish motorhome park; paid motorhome car park outside Óbidos’s walls |
| Peniche | PenichePraia; Urban Art Camping (Ferrel) | |
| Santa Cruz and Torres Vedras | Free council service areas, including Foz do Sizandro and A-dos-Cunhados | |
| Ericeira | Ericeira Camping (Mil Regos) | |
| Batalha and Fátima | Free council service areas at Batalha and São Mamede | |
| Porto de Mós | Free council area in the town, and others in the villages | |
| Tomar | Camping Pelinos; Camping Redondo | Council motorhome park closed (see Tomar) |
| Almourol and Constância | Zêzere Park, Constância | |
| Santarém and the lower Tejo | Alpiarça; Escaroupim (Salvaterra de Magos) | |
| Vila Franca de Xira | Municipal campsite |
Getting there and driving
From Lisbon, the A8 motorway runs north up the coast past Torres Vedras, Óbidos and Caldas da Rainha to Leiria, with the IP6 branching off to Peniche. The A1 runs inland past Santarém, Fátima and Leiria towards Porto. Both have toll booths. Some motorways in the region, such as those around Leiria and Marinha Grande, have electronic-only tolls, so a UK van needs a way to pay before using them. See driving in Portugal.
The coast
North to south.
Pinhal de Leiria, São Pedro de Moel and Pedrógão
The Pinhal de Leiria, west of Leiria, is a vast pine forest planted about 700 years ago, stretching from São Pedro de Moel to Pedrógão, with beautiful, clean beaches along its edge. Most of the forest burned in the wildfires of October 2017, and replanting is under way.
Orbitur São Pedro de Moel, Rua Volta do Sete, São Pedro de Moel, 2430-532 Marinha Grande. Tel: 244 599 168. The closest campsite to the village, in the pines, 600 m from a sheltered beach. Open all year, with a motorhome service point, a snack bar and restaurant, and pools in summer. It gets busy in summer.
Camping Coimbrão, Travessa do Gomes 185, Coimbrão. Email: [email protected]. A small, quiet campsite in a village about 6 km inland from the beach at Pedrógão, open all year, with 35 pitches for tents, caravans and vans, and water and waste disposal for motorhomes.
Nazaré
Nazaré was once perhaps the most picturesque village in Portugal, but years of promotion and development have changed it. It’s still a fishing town, with a long beach in front of the town and the old quarter of Sítio on the cliff above, reached by a funicular. North of the headland, Praia do Norte is famous for its giant winter waves, among the surf spots of international importance listed in the coastal plan; it’s for watching, not swimming. In 2015 the council banned heavy vehicles (over 3,500 kg) from the road down to Praia do Norte, so in a big motorhome check the signs. Nazaré is often very crowded in summer.
Orbitur Valado, Rua dos Combatentes do Ultramar 2, EN 8-5 km 9, Valado dos Frades, 2450-148 Nazaré. Tel: 262 561 111. About 2 km from Nazaré, on the hill above the town in a shady pine wood. Open all year, with a motorhome service point and a pool in summer.
OHAI Nazaré, EN 242 km 31.5, 2450-138 Nazaré. Tel: 262 561 800. The former Vale Paraíso campsite, set in pine woods on the road to Marinha Grande, now an outdoor resort with glamping tents and other accommodation as well as pitches of 50 to 80 m² for caravans and motorhomes.
São Martinho do Porto
A small resort on an almost circular bay, sheltered from the Atlantic swell. Alcobaça council runs a motorhome area in the town of Alcobaça, inland; on the coast, use the campsites.
Colina do Sol (Yelloh! Village), Serra dos Mangues, 2460-697 São Martinho do Porto. Tel: 262 989 764.
Parque de Campismo Baía Azul, Rua Professor Eliseu 2, 2460-096 São Martinho do Porto. Tel: 262 989 847. Run by the parish council.
Camping Paredes de Vitória, Rua Mina do Azeche, 2445-130 Pataias. Tel: 244 589 520. Further north, on the coast between Nazaré and São Pedro de Moel.
Foz do Arelho and the Lagoa de Óbidos
Foz do Arelho, about 8 km from Caldas da Rainha, sits where the Lagoa de Óbidos, a big lagoon, meets the Atlantic. The lagoon and the land around it are in the coastal plan, so the beach car parks, such as the one at Bom Sucesso, are for daytime only.
Orbitur Foz do Arelho, Rua Maldonado Freitas, 2500-516 Foz do Arelho. Tel: 262 978 683. Open all year, with a motorhome service point and pools in summer.
The Foz do Arelho parish council also runs a motorhome park in Foz do Arelho. Huttopia Lagoa de Óbidos, on the south side of the lagoon, has only tents to rent, with no pitches for vans.
Peniche
Up until the 15th century Peniche was an island. The town was enclosed by high stone walls, which still stand, but the area silted up and Peniche is now joined to the mainland. The town has spread well outside its walls, with fish-processing factories, which Darren found made the air smell on some days in 2006, and apartment blocks on the edge of town.
Famous for the Supertubos break, Peniche has many excellent surfing beaches. Read the guide to surfing Peniche for the breaks and which to surf in each wind.
The fortress (Fortaleza)
Peniche is also famous for its 16th-century fortress. Until 1974 it was a political prison of the dictatorship. Since April 2024 it has been the Museu Nacional Resistência e Liberdade (National Museum of Resistance and Freedom), telling the story of the prison and the resistance to the dictatorship. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed on Mondays.
The Berlengas
Boats to the Berlenga island leave several times a day from the marina in Peniche, run by a number of licensed operators. The crossing takes about 30 minutes. The islands are a nature reserve and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with very few services, so take water, sun cream and a hat, and book ahead.
Parking in Peniche
Parking inside the town walls is limited. Use the car parks outside the walls and walk in through the gates.
Staying overnight in Peniche
In 2006 the car parks on the road from Peniche to Baleal were full of vans, and free camping was the norm. That’s no longer allowed: the coast is in the coastal plan, and the council bans parking to spend the night anywhere in the municipality outside campsites and authorised motorhome places.
Campsites in Peniche
PenichePraia, Bungalows, Campers & Spa, Estrada Marginal Norte, 2520-605 Peniche. Tel: 262 783 460. A good private campsite with a pool and restaurant on the north shore of the peninsula, with pitches for motorhomes, caravans and vans and a service point.
Urban Art Camping, Rua do Cataló, 2520-141 Ferrel. Tel: 262 247 776. A small campsite between the beaches of Baleal and Almagreira.
The old municipal campsite, two minutes from Supertubos, where Darren stayed for 26 nights in 2006 and again in 2011, closed in 2022 and is being rebuilt as an eco resort. More details, including Peniche’s tourist tax, are in the surfing Peniche guide.
Praia da Areia Branca (Lourinhã)
A popular beach south of Peniche, which Darren planned to try in 2006 as it picks up more swell. The council campsite here closed in May 2025 to be rebuilt by a new operator; check whether it has reopened before you go.
Porto Novo and Santa Cruz
Porto Novo is a small settlement with a golf course nearby. It’s a pretty place, with great beaches that are good for surfing. Santa Cruz, a little further south, is a town with some great beaches, especially good for surfing. Darren stopped for a coffee in both in November 2006 and found them nice and very quiet.
Both are in Torres Vedras, whose coast is in the coastal plan, so the beach car parks where vans used to stay are now for daytime only. Torres Vedras council lists several free motorhome service areas with overnighting allowed, including one by the sea at Foz do Sizandro, just south of Santa Cruz, and one in the garden in the centre of A-dos-Cunhados, about ten minutes inland, with water and waste disposal but no electricity.
Ericeira
Ericeira’s natural harbour made it a major port, with trade links to countries such as Scotland and Brazil. Today it’s a lively, attractive resort, with the town centre mostly pedestrianised, at its busiest on summer weekends with visitors from Lisbon. The seafood, particularly lobster and crayfish, is excellent. Its coast is a World Surfing Reserve, with breaks such as Ribeira d’Ilhas just north of town.
The car park at Praia do Norte, which Darren described as good for free camping out of season, is now in the coastal plan and for daytime only. Stay at Ericeira Camping (Parque de Campismo de Mil Regos), Av. São Sebastião, Ericeira. Tel: 261 862 706. Open all year; pitches can’t be booked. Ericeira is covered in more detail in the Lisbon guide.
Inland Estremadura
Óbidos
Óbidos (pronounced “ob-e-dosh”) was the traditional wedding gift of the kings of Portugal to their queens. The tradition began in 1282, and the town has hardly changed since. It’s small and completely enclosed by high medieval walls, with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and steep staircases, and the views are stunning. Five hundred years ago, when Peniche was an island, the sea reached the foot of the ridge Óbidos stands on, and boats moored below the walls. The silting of the river created the plain around Peniche and left Óbidos as a hill town.
Óbidos is touristy, and the area is becoming a little built up. You can walk right around the walls, although the path is often narrow and hair-raising. Darren visited from Peniche in 2006, and with Abby in 2011.
The car parks are outside the walls. There’s a paid car park for motorhomes as well as the paid car parks by the tourist office and the one by the aqueduct. In August 2025 the council said it was working on two motorhome parks, one by the aqueduct at Usseira and one for 80 motorhomes at Amoreira. For the night, the nearest campsites are at Foz do Arelho and Peniche.
Leiria
Leiria is a large, old town, with cobbled streets, attractive gardens and fine old squares once you get past the modern outskirts. An impressive castle hangs above the town, an important stronghold in the wars with the Moors.
Batalha
The monastery at Batalha is one of Portugal’s great buildings. Batalha council has two free motorhome service areas where you can stay the night: one in the town at the sports ground, Rua das Piscinas 76, a short walk from the monastery, and one at São Mamede, in the Largo da Feira, on the way to Fátima.
Alcobaça
The monastery at Alcobaça is another of the great buildings of Portugal. The council’s motorhome area is in a green space off Avenida Professor Engenheiro Joaquim Vieira Natividade, with water and electricity and a stay of up to 72 hours. Elsewhere in the town, motorhomes can’t park or stay overnight.
Porto de Mós
A small town with a castle, at the foot of the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros. The council’s free motorhome area is in the Parque Almirante Vítor Trigueiros Crespo in the town, with toilets and free overnighting, and there are smaller ones in villages around the municipality, including Mira de Aire. In Porto de Mós you can only park overnight in these areas.
Fátima
Fátima is one of the most important centres of pilgrimage in the Roman Catholic world. There’s no campsite in Fátima. The nearest place to stay the night is Batalha council’s free service area at São Mamede, about 5 km away.
The Ribatejo
Tomar
Tomar is home to the Convento de Cristo, the castle and convent of the Knights Templar and later the Order of Christ. Every four years the town holds the Festa dos Tabuleiros, when girls carry tall trays of bread and paper flowers through the streets. The next one is from 3 to 12 July 2027.
The council’s free motorhome park by the river, at the sports ground, closed in early 2026 and was still closed in November 2026. In spring 2026 the council set up a temporary area further out, on Avenida Maria de Lourdes de Mello e Castro, while it plans a permanent one. Ask at the tourist office for the latest. The campsites are out of town:
Camping Pelinos, Pelinos 77, Aboboreiras, Olalhas, Tomar. Tel: 249 301 814. A small, quiet, Dutch-run rural campsite for tents, caravans and motorhomes, about 5 km from the Castelo de Bode reservoir. Prices from €12.75 to €23 a night.
Camping Redondo, Rua Casal Rei 6, Junceira, Tomar. A small campsite east of Tomar.
Almourol and Constância
The castle of Almourol stands on a small rocky island in the middle of the Tejo. Boats leave from Tancos every hour: from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00 from March to October, and until 17:00 from November to February. The nearest campsite is Zêzere Park, Avenida das Forças Armadas, Constância, a few km upstream.
Santarém and the lower Tejo
There’s no campsite in Santarém itself. The nearest are across the river at Alpiarça (Rua Dr. Ruy d’Andrade) and at Escaroupim (Salvaterra de Magos), in the riverside pine forest, run by Portugal’s camping federation.
Vila Franca de Xira
The Festa do Colete Encarnado, in honour of the campino, the Ribatejo’s horseback bull herder, is held over the first weekend of July (3 to 5 July in 2026), with bulls running through the streets in the style of Pamplona. The council’s Parque de Campismo Municipal, Rua Alfredo Keil, Vila Franca de Xira, takes caravans and motorhomes; check it’s open before you go. Lisbon is about 30 km away.
Darren’s trips
- A long drive to Peniche (October 2006)
- Campsite and a good surf at Lagide beach (2006)
- A sunny day in Peniche, and a trip to Óbidos (2006)
- Peniche, sunny, and huge thunderstorms (2006)
- I finally leave Peniche and go on to Ericeira, via Lourinhã, Porto Novo and Santa Cruz (November 2006)
- Mafra, Sintra and nearly Lisbon (2006)
- Darren’s 2011 trip through Spain, Portugal and France, with Óbidos and a night at the Peniche campsite
More on Portugal
- Surfing Peniche
- Lisbon, with Ericeira, Sintra and Cascais
- Coimbra and Beira Litoral, to the north
- Camping in Portugal, with the overnight rules
- Driving in Portugal, including electronic tolls
- Portugal by campervan
Sources: Lei n.º 66/2021, Diário da República; Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 66/2019 (Alcobaça to Cabo Espichel coastal plan); Ovar to Marinha Grande coastal plan (Portuguese Government, 2026); Turismo de Portugal register of tourist establishments; the councils of Peniche, Nazaré, Alcobaça, Óbidos, Torres Vedras, Batalha, Porto de Mós and Tomar, and the Foz do Arelho parish council; Visit Portugal; Turismo Centro de Portugal; Festa dos Tabuleiros; Museu Nacional Resistência e Liberdade; Orbitur, OHAI, PenichePraia, Campigir, Camping Coimbrão, Camping Pelinos and Ericeira Camping; checked November 2026. Know of a change? Tell us in the comments below.