If you find yourself at Nazare Beach in Portugal, you absolutely must visit the town of Alcobaca and stay at Challet Fonte Nova, the majestic and noble mansion built in the XIX century.

You've all heard of Nazare Beach, the surfing mecca of the world. But the best kept secret about Nazare Beach is not the beach nor the surfing competition, but the secret gem of a town just a 20-minute drive inland from the beach called Alcobaca.

The town of Alcobaça is home to the Monastery of Alcobaca, which houses the elaborately carved stone tombs of Pedro I of Portugal and his murdered mistress Ines de Castro. A real life Romeo & Juliet story, King Afonso IV, then Prince Pedro's father, believed that Ines and her noble family were a threat to his power and had his son's wife murdered. Once Afonso died and Pedro became king, Pedro exhumed his lover's body and presented her corpse at his court with a crown on her head and had all his subjects (many including her killers) kiss her decomposed hand.

And in this mystical town you find the most charming hotel with nine absolutely gorgeous rooms. The breakfast in the common room whisks you off to another era, and the garden and grounds are enchanting. The problem with this gracious hotel is that you don't want to leave, and there is so much to explore in Alcobaca and along Nazare Beach.

One more tip - stop by for dessert at Alcoa on the main street right across the Monastery. You can sit al fresco with the best view in town. Everything is baked by the monks and nuns of the monastery. And you will never taste Portuguese egg tarts like the ones they have here. We must admit, they were even better than in Macau.

HOTEL CONTACT

https://challetfontenova.pt/en

BAKERY CONTACT

https://www.pastelaria-alcoa.com

IMAGES

Courtesy of Wonder Shuffle; Lead-in photo: Monastery of Alcobaca, taken seated at an al fresco table at Alcoa Pastelaria