Kings and Templars

Distance

200 Km's

Driving time

4:30 Hours

4.5/5

Routes

4.5/5

Landscapes

4.5/5

History and culture

Overview

The Knights Templar played an important role in the conquest of several territories in Portugal. On this circuit, we will discover two sites of great importance which demonstrate the collaboration between certain kings of Portugal and Knights Templar. All of this, obviously, is mainly an excuse to ride some extraordinary roads…

Itinerary

1.

First, we’ll cross the Serras (mountains) de Aire and Candeeiros Natural Park. Dinosaur footprints dating back 175 million years can be found on these mountains.

2.

Our first stop is in the city of Santarém. We’ll visit the Jardim das Portas do Sol (Garden of the Gates of the Sun) from where you can admire the Rio Tejo, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula, which ends its course in Lisbon.

3.

The bridge that spans over the river will take us to Quinta da Atela, where a visit and a wine tasting await us. This cellar was founded in 1346 and has won several national awards for its various products.

4.

After lunch, we’ll ride the N 118 to Miradouro de Almoural. From this viewpoint, you can observe the castle of Almoural, which dates from 1129 and is located on an islet in the middle of the Tagus. It is one of the most emblematic monuments of Portugal, not only by its symbolism, but also by its surrounding landscapes.

If time is in our favor, we will visit it. We’ll have to take a small boat to get to it, it’s the only way to get there.

5.

As we’re headed back home, we’re crossing the same mountain we did in the morning, but using a different path will allow us to appreciate new landscapes.