Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
at the turnoff to the castle, from where its a 10-minute walk. You can also book a boat to
the castle from Tancos itself, a better option for onward transport.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
If driving your own vehicle, exit the A23/IP6 at Constância and follow signs to the castle.
TRAIN
To visit the castle only, take a local train (changing at Entroncamento) from Tomar (€3.25,
55 minutes) or Santarém (€4, 45 minutes, some direct services) to tiny Almourol station,
then walk 1km downhill to the ferry landing. The train station nearest Constância - known
as Praia do Ribatejo - is 2km outside town, so the bus is a better option if you're only vis-
iting Constância.
THEATRE IN THE MONASTERY
For a completely different take on Tomar's Convento de Cristo (
Click here
)
, catch a performance of Umberto
Eco's
The Name of the Rose
by hometown theatre troupe Fatias de Cá (
Click here
). From the first strains of
Gregorian chants wafting through the monastery's entry hall, to the torch-lit finale in the Great Cloisters, this per-
formance takes you to places (literally and figuratively) that you won't get to during a daytime tour.
Not for the faint of heart or weak of leg, the play is a multihour experience. Although it is performed in Por-
tuguese, the plot is easy enough to follow for anyone who has read the novel, and roaming the monastery by night
is a wonderful experience regardless of your linguistic abilities. The presentation is punctuated by five meal
breaks, each taking place in the old refectory, where chanting black-robed monks preside at the head of long stone
tables. The first course involves a little tongue-in-cheek medieval humour: diners are presented with a rock and a
pile of walnuts and left to their own devices. Subsequent courses are much more substantial and accompanied by
free-flowing wine.
As the sun sets, a mood of meditative contemplation creeps in with the crepuscular light. Walking the hallways
in this altered state, it's easier to summon up images from centuries past. The last few scenes, staged in obscure
atticlike spaces, are guaranteed to jolt you out of this reverie.
Fatias de Cá stages performances in other atmospheric sites throughout Portugal; for full details, see
TOP OF CHAPTER
Tomar
POP 16,000
Tomar is one of central Portugal's most appealing small towns. With its pedestrian-
friendly historic centre, its pretty riverside park frequented by swans, herons and families
of ducks, and its charming natural setting adjacent to the lush Mata Nacional dos Sete
Montes (Seven Hills National Forest), it wins lots of points for aesthetics.
