NAZARÉ and NEARBY - Portugal - page 239

Day-Tripping from Nazaré to Alcobaça, Batalha, Fátima, or
Óbidos
Traveling by bus, you can see both Alcobaça and Batalha in one day (but not on Sunday,
when bus service is sparse). Alcobaça is easy to visit on the way to or from Batalha (and
both are connected by bus with Óbidos). Ask at the bus station or TI for schedule inform-
ation, and be flexible. Fátima has the fewest connections and is farthest away. Without a
car, Fátima is not worth the trouble for most, but if you're heading by bus to Coimbra, you
can go via Fátima. A taxi from Nazaré to Alcobaça costs about €15; agree on the price
before leaving town.
Batalha
On August 14, 1385, two armies faced off on the rolling plains of Batalha (bah-TAHL-
yah) to decide Portugal's future—independence or rule by Spanish kings? King John
(João) I of Portugal ordered his 7,000 men to block the road to Lisbon. The Spanish
Castilian king, with 32,000 soldiers and 16 modern cannons, ordered his men to hold their
fire. But when the Portuguese knights dismounted from their horses to form a defensive
line, some hotheaded Spaniards—enraged by such a display of unsportsmanlike conduct
by supposedly chivalrous knights—attacked.
Shoop! From the side came 400 arrows from English archers fighting for Portugal.
The confused Castilians sounded the retreat, and the Portuguese chased them, literally, all
the way back to Castile. A mere half-hour (and several hundred deaths) after it began, the
Battle (“Batalha”) of Aljubarrota was won. King John I claimed the Portuguese crown,
and thanked the Virgin Mary with a new church and monastery.
The only reason to stop in the town of Batalha is to see its great monastery, considered
Portugal's finest architectural achievement. Batalha's market day is Monday morning
(market is 200 yards behind monastery).
Tourist Information: The TI, behind the monastery, has free maps, information on
buses, and free Internet access for up to 15 minutes (daily May-Sept 10:00-13:00 &
15:00-19:00, Oct-April 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque,
tel. [phone]).
Arrival in Batalha: If you take the bus to Batalha, you'll be dropped off a block be-
hind the monastery and TI. If you have difficulty locating the monastery, ask anyone to
point you toward the mosteiro. There's no official luggage storage, but you can leave
luggage at the TI if you ask nicely, or at the monastery's ticket desk while you tour the
cloisters. If you're driving, follow the signs to Batalha and park free alongside the church.