Part 1 The Hidden Treasures of the Silver Coast - Portugal 26/01/2018

Hi #steemit,

Today is my second #blog post that goes live, I'm very anxious.
I'd like to thank everyone on #steemit for the lovely comments and support I've received from the my initial #introduceyourself blog post, last week.

Here goes...

Portugal is very close to my heart, I've been holidaying in the surfers paradise since I was 10 years old. I’ve created many special memories with family and seen so many spectacular places. The two part post, will enable you to see the real beauty of Portugal.

The Silver Coast of Portugal is just 1 hours drive north of Lisbon. The Coast is one of the best treasures of #Portugal, a place which offers everything you’d generally expect on holiday minus the hustle and bustle of the stereotypical Algarve, the hyped up prices and the bars you can normally find in the UK. The surfers paradise is a very relaxed atmosphere, you don't have to dress to impress (as you'll see in the photos). You can let your hair down and laissez-faire, this is just a few of the things my family and I love!

Are you into surfing? You can ride the waves with the big boys, such as the likes of Garrett McNamara, up to press the biggest wave was surfed in Nazare’s North Canyon by THE Garrett McNamara.

Nazare is a town in the subregion Oeste and Leiria District, Portugal. Nazare is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the Silver Coast. The town is a very historic place to visit. According to the legend of Nazare, the town gets its name from a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, a Black Madonna brought by a monk in the 4th century from Nazareth, to a monastery near the city of Merida, Spain. The statue was brought to Nazare in 711 by another monk, Romano, accompanied by Roderic, the last Visigoth king of today’s Portugal. After their arrival at Nazare, they decided to stay in Nazare. The monk lived and died in a small natural grotto, on top of a cliff above the sea. After his death and according to the monks wishes, the king buried him in the grotto. Roderic left the statue of the Black Madonna in the grotto, on an alter.

The first church of Sitio was built over the grotto to commemorate a miraculous intervention in 1182 by the Virgin Mary, which saved the life of the 12th century Portuguese knight Dom Fuas Roupinho while he was hunting deer one morning in very heavy fog. This story is often referred to as the Legend of Nazare. In memory of the miracle, the knight had a chapel built (Capela da Memoria) built over the small grotto, where the statue had been left by the king Roderic after the monks death. Next to Capela da Memoria, on a rocky hill top, approx 110 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, you can still see the mark made in the rock by one of the hooves of the of Dom Fuas’ horse. The hilltop over the Pederneira bay was noted as a landmark in the sailors’ manuals.

Located on the Atlantic coast, the town is known for its long sandy beaches. Tourists from far and wide visit the town in the summer. The town advertises itself as a picturesque seaside town.

Speaking of surfing, Supertubos a beach which can be found in Peniche, is renowned for its great conditions of surfing and its curvy waves and tubes, which every year holds the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, one of the World Surf League Men’s Championship Tour events. If you want waves, you can catch them from dawn till dusk at Supertubos. If you’re wanting to surf the waves in Peniche, there’s a great self-catering apartment complex under the name of Silver Coast Apartments, based 5 minutes drive from the beach. Once on the complex you’ll find a; swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and a terrace with beautiful views. The owners Cei (an expert in surfing) and Niki offer; airport pickup/dropoff and surfboard and wetsuit hire.

Interested in golf? The Costa De Prata (to give its Portuguese name), is quickly making a name for itself as one of Europe’s ‘must-play’ destination for golfers. With courses like Praia del Rey, and the newer course Royal Obidos, making regular appearances in lists of Europe’s top courses...It’s not hard to see why with, great views, great rates and welcoming staff upon arrival. As well as the courses such as Praia del Rey and Royal Obidos, you can see the same standards at all the courses along the Silver Coast; Bom Sucesso, Campo Real, Botado and West Cliffs.

If you’re wanting to see more of the old style Portugal, Obidos is a great place to visit. The name derives from the latin term ‘oppidum’, meaning ‘citadel’ or ‘fortified city’. In 1210, King Afonso II gave the title of the village to Queen Urraca. Since then, Obidos has often been patronised by the Queens of Portugal, giving rise to its informal title as ‘Vila das Rainhas’, translated to English it means Town of the Queens.

The area of the town, is located on a hilltop, encircled by a fortified wall. Obidos remains a well-preserved example of medieval architecture. The streets, squares, walls and castle is a popular destination for tourists.

Each July, Obidos hosts a traditional ‘Medieval Market’. For 2 whole weeks the castle and the surrounding town recreate the spirit of medieval Europe. Upon entering the castle gates, you really feel like you’ve been taken back in time. The festival holds jousting (all acting of course) competitions, traditional hog roast and so much more. If you do decide to visit the festival in July, you have to try the Aqua Dente (loosely translated to fire water), that’ll warm your cockles!

In the mood for tasting the traditional Portuguese styled drinks? Try the Ginjinha, it’s a liqueur made from infusing the Ginja berries in the alcohol along with sugar and other ingredients. Ginjinha is served as a shot with a berry in the bottom of the cup. In Obidos the drink is normally poured into an edible cup and can be bought from as little as 1€ each.

São Martinho do Porto, is another point of interest. The region is constituted by the Serra da Pescaria and the Bouro mountain. In historical times the village was first mentioned in a letter in 257 by Friar Estevão Martins, 12th abbot of the Monastery of Alobaca. The bay was the port of Alobaca, where activities related to fishing and shipbuilding were developed.

The parish of São Martinho, has one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The bay is shaped similar to a scallop, with calm waters and fine light sand. The bay is only connected to the sea by an opening of a few meters. Hence why the waters are quite tame. The beach is great for families and couples. With the beach being so quiet you can sail, windsurf or kayak. The road directly behind the beach has numerous bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. During the Portuguese summer, there is usually an obstacle course on top of the water in the bay. The obstacle course is much like the one you see on Total Wipeout on the television. It’s great fun and cheap enough to have a go.

In São Martinho, I like to sit on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away, with a glass of wine or two ;)

Do you prefer beach holidays? Fear not as there is plenty of beaches to choose from such as Baleal. Baleal is a small island located just short of 2 miles north of Peniche, separated from the mainland tombolo. At the extremity of the island you can find the ‘ilhota das Pombas’ and the ‘ilhéu de Fora’. The area has a past related to whaling. The small island was the site of the cutting and carving of whales on their migration route to the northern seas.

Baleal has become a major vacation spot with a potential for water sports almost unmatched in Europe. The coastal shape, namely the bay and northern strip of coast associated with Baleal create unique conditions in Europe for the practice of surfing and body boarding.

Obrigado,

Megan xo