Updated Jan 19, 2025
Caldas da Rainha, a small city about one-hour drive north of Lisbon, is known for two things: hot springs and ceramics.
Sometime in the 15th century, Portugal’s Queen Leonor established a hospital and church here – hence the name Caldas da Rainha, which means “Queen’s hot springs”. By the 19th and 20th centuries spa towns had become all the rage with aristocracy, but it didn’t last. Now Caldas da Rainha is left with a cute historic town centre and grand central park that speak of its former grandeur.
I adore visiting Caldas da Rainha on a day trip from Lisbon, and I really feel it is a great off-the-radar Portuguese city brimming with creativity, culture and history. If you have an interest in ceramics or just want to avoid the crowds at more popular destinations, here are the best things you do can do and see in Caldas da Rainha.
Want to meet a local? Learn about the history of Caldas da Rainha and explore the top sights with a local when you book this two-hour walking tour.
1. Visit the Bordallo Pinheiro factory
Caldas da Rainha has a grand reputation for ceramics and it’s here that Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro, the famous cartoonist turned ceramicist, opened his pottery factory in 1884. To this day they still make his famously fun lines of tableware, sometimes still using the 19th century moulds, along with cartoon-ish characters, like the everyman figure Zé Povinho.
Within the Bordallo Pinheiro factory store there is an outlet, so head upstairs to hunt down bargains. I’m always on the lookout for pieces from the cabbage collection, so message me on IG if there’s anything good in there!
As you walk around Caldas, keep an eye out for nods to Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro’s work around town. He’s certainly left his mark here, hence why it’s the top thing to do in Caldas da Rainha
2. Wander Parque Dom Carlos I
There’s an old-world European air about this grand city garden in Caldas da Rainha. Hire little boats and paddle on a small lake, enjoy a coffee in the sunshine or stroll beneath towering hundred-year-old trees. Just remember to look up, you might spot ceramic Bordallo Pinheiro monkeys in the trees.
Vineyards and olive groves were cleared in the late 1700s to make way for this park, named after Portugal’s King Carlos I. It was designed so that guests at the thermal hospital had space to take peaceful walks. At the centre of the park sits the unmissable abandoned thermal pavilions. These curious and creepy buildings were last used for the internment of German soldiers in World War I but will soon be a five-star hotel….
3. Visit the famous open-air fruit market
Caldas da Rainha’s central square hosts Portugal’s largest open air farmers’ market, which has apparently been running since the 15th century. Every morning the black-and-white cobbled Praça da República is transformed by a sea of colourful umbrellas. No surprises why the locals call this place Praça da Fruta. Expect stalls and vendors pushing seasonal produce, honey, nuts, plants, sweets, cheese and other local goods until lunch.
Tip: You can explore the daily market, ceramics and town with a local on this two-hour walking tour.
4. Walk the Rota Bordaliana sculpture trial
Our cartoonist and ceramicist friend Rafael Bordallo is famous across Portugal and the world. Some of his designs are so well known they represent Portuguese culture and people, like his character Zé Povinho, who is a symbol for the working class. His tableware and caricatures have a strong sense of fun and humour.
You can find an oversized Zé plus other giant ceramic characters, frogs, lizards, snails and more dotted around the old centre of Caldas as part of the Rota Bordaliana. Pick up a map at the tourist information point and bounce between 22 statues while exploring the small city and its heritage along the way.
5. Nerd out at the Museu da Cerâmica
Caldas da Rainha’s reputation for ceramics goes beyond Bordallo Pinheiro. Pop into the Museu da Cerâmica, which is aptly set within a 19th-century estate built for the 2nd Viscount of Sacavém.
The Viscount was a ceramics collector and creator and so the garden is filled with tiles and ceramic treasures. It’s just a couple of euros (cash only) to enter the museum, and within you’ll find local ceramics that date to the 1600s, but mostly pieces from important ceramicists from the 19th century and from major factories around Portugal. It’s worth seeing the house itself – the kitchen is gorgeous.
6. Go for a thermal bath
Yes, you can still bathe in the thermal springs of Caldas da Rainha. However, don’t picture some open-air hot spring action. All thermal springs in mainland Portugal have more of a medical approach to bathing and when I’ve enquired at receptions, they ask me to wait to speak with a doctor so I usually bail! You can enter the Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor to ask about treatments. The healing waters here have a PH of 6.7 and are naturally 35ºC (95ºF).
7. Drop into cool ceramics studios, or shop for bargain industrial pottery
Now, even though I’ve harped on about Bordallo Pinheiro, the town’s most famous ceramicist, Caldas da Rainha has a strong and continuous pottery connection. If you walk around the downtown you’ll find plenty of stores selling pottery, ceramics and crockery made in or around Caldas da Rainha. This tradition started around the 19th century due to the clay in the area, and continues today with larger industrial factories on the outskirts – and smaller creative studios in town.
My favourite little ceramic studio in town is What The Folk, a creative ceramic workshop and specialty coffee shop. I’m obsessed with the ceramic fruit earrings from Queijo Studio that owns it. At the other end of the scale, next time I’m in Caldas I’ll pop by the Molde outlet in the industrial zone. In between you’ll find stores selling fruity ceramic tableware and cheap industrial pottery… we’ll get to the phallic ceramic symbol of Caldas further down…
8. Explore art at the Museu José Malhoa
Malhoa was a prominent Naturalist painter from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. This small art gallery, the Museu José Malhoa, is set within the grand city park (Parque Dom Carlos I) and costs just a few euros to enter. The art within takes you back in time to see what Portugal was like 100 or so years ago. It takes around an hour to explore. Well worth it!
9. Shop local, eat local, drink local
Between the Rota Bordaliana giant characters, little museums, and cool stores, there’s plenty to keep you busy in Caldas da Rainha. In between culture and shopping you’ll need sustinance – which is where I have two very opposite ideas. The first is the old Mercearia Pena, a traditional grocer that opened in 1909 and still sells everything you could need for a traditional Portuguese meal.
The second is local cafe, a really cool café and bar where you can sit down for a specialty flat white in the morning then return to drink natural wines with local artisanal cheese on the terrace in the afternoon. Yes, Caldas has an unexpectedly cool edge.
10. Visit the other museums of Caldas da Rainha
Caldas da Rainha is a creative city with a long history and fair share of museums. Here’s more to explore:
- Centro de Artes – free to enter, this arts space includes a sculpture garden, atelier pavilion, artists’ residence space and hosts temporary exhibitions.
- Museu do Hospital e das Caldas – learn about the history of this spa town and even visit the Queen’s baths.
- Museu do Ciclismo – if you have a thing for two wheels, this museum covers the history of the bicycle in Portugal.
11. Buy a Caldas dick
Look, I try to keep things classy here on this blog but some things can’t be avoided. And if I send you to Caldas da Rainha and you see shop windows full of penises you’re going to have questions. So let’s just clear it up here like adults.
For some, quite unknown reason, penis objects are a local tradition that can be traced back to the 19th century. Around town you’ll spot ceramic dicks, fridge magnets, pastries and more than you could ever imagine all shaped like genitals. Lovely!
Tip: If you’re short on time, this two-hour walking tour covers the top sights of Caldas with a history lesson along the way.
Now for a couple of ideas nearby…
12. Eat at Solar dos Amigos
There’s nothing I love more than a brilliant regional restaurant. Solar dos Amigos is one of my favourite lunch destinations. A 10-minute drive north of the city, this restaurant opened in 1976 and is the only thing in a tiny rural village called Guisado.
Here a “dose” feeds four people, so come hungry or order half sizes. The kitchen makes good use of a charcoal fireplace in the front room. It means anything grilled – like the lamb cutlets or secretos de porco preto (black pork) – is always brilliant. For dessert, staff bring over a tray with more than a dozen choices to select from. Plus every meal finishes with biscuits and ginjinha liqueur on the house. Just brilliant.
13. Hit the beach at Foz do Arelho
Where the expansive Óbidos Lagoon and the wild Atlantic Ocean meet is a stunning and wide beach perfect for warm summer days. Just a 10-minute drive from Caldas da Rainha, drop by Foz do Arelho for a cafe in the sunshine or to swim in the salty lagoon sans waves. Don’t miss the wooden walkways here designed by Nadia Schilling – an ideal spot for sunset.
14. Visit the town of Óbidos
On the way into Caldas from Lisbon you’ll whiz past an ancient walled city. That’s Óbidos. This charming village is a little like stepping into a fairytale. Within the high stone walls is a village of white-washed houses. Wander up and down the tiny cobbled streets, popping into bookstores, bakeries and tasting ginjinha, a sour cherry liqueur made famous by the town. Leave time to climb the walls and circle the town from above – it’s particularly spectacular at sunset.
Where to stay in Caldas da Rainha
It’s easy to walk around Caldas da Rainha, but I think the nicest area to stay would be closer to the beautiful park. Check out the four-star SANA Silver Coast Hotel, book a room with 19 Tile Ceramic Concept (which is also a ceramics atelier where you can do workshops!), or try Bordallo’s Prime Apartments or Bordallo’s Lodge.
How to reach Caldas da Rainha
From Lisbon
Caldas da Rainha is an easy 60-70 minute drive from Lisbon. If you need to take public transport, the train pops you out at a cute tiled train station but takes around 2.5 hours.
From Porto
Caldas da Rainha is just over two hours drive from Porto. Unfortunately there is no direct train so the best public transport choice is a Rede Expressos bus that takes about three hours and a quarter to reach. If you want to take the train, the journey is a minimum four-and-a-half hours with a change at Coimbra.
Want help planning your trip to Portugal? ✨ Book a one-on-one video call with Daniela and get custom help organising your perfect Portugal itinerary. Find out more here.
Want even more Portugal inspo? Check out the best things to do in Aveiro, a weekend in Guimarães and roadtrip Lisbon to Porto.
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2 Responses
Lovely post. Never been, look forward to visiting.
It’s a cute little city! Worth a visit if you have time