Alleytale

Oeiras: from the old centre down to the Tagus: a self-guided walk

By Alleytale

Distance: 3.1 kmDuration: 1 h 8 minClimb: 14 mStops: 5

A garden, a promenade and two forts on the Tagus estuary

The walk goes from the town's church and a garden laid out on two old estates down to the Tagus estuary, where 17th-century forts stand along the seafront.

Coming soonApp StoreComing soonGoogle Play

The stops

  1. Work on this church began in 1702 and it was inaugurated in 1744, to the design of the royal architect João Antunes. A church is considered certain to have stood on this site as far back as the reign of King Dinis, but the old parish church had become too small. Look for the four large paintings by Miguel António do Amaral at the main altar.

    Parish Church of Oeiras
    Photo: Lijealso — CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. The municipal garden was created in 1940 on the grounds of two manor estates: the Couto or Proença estate, dated 1640, and the Mocho or Arriaga estate, dated 1722. What remains of the Arriaga estate includes a cascade, a lake and galleries carved into the rock, now part of the garden.

    Oeiras Municipal Garden
    Photo: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL — CC BY-SA 2.0

  3. The seafront promenade starts beside Paço de Arcos beach and ends at Torre beach, passing the dock, the ocean pool and several local beaches. It runs away from the traffic of the Marginal road and close to the sea, and locals use it for walking, cycling and sports.

    Oeiras Seafront Promenade
    Photo: Rúdisicyon — CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Construction probably began around 1647 under D. António de Meneses, and the door shows 1659 as the year it was finished. It is a small maritime fort, part of the defence of the mouth of the Tagus, and it sits on the coastal promenade. The interior cannot be visited, so you see it from outside.

    Fort of Santo Amaro do Areeiro
    Photo: GualdimG — CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. The entrance door carries the royal arms and an inscription dating the fort to 1644, and the works were finished in 1653. It was part of the Lines of Torres Vedras during the Peninsular War. The interior is closed to visitors, but the fort is a landmark you can see from the waterfront.

    Fort of São João das Maias
    Photo: Roundtheworld — CC BY-SA 4.0

Hear the full story as you walk, or create your own walk, in the Alleytale app.