Cheap Car Hire Leiria

The Iberian Peninsula is one of our preferred holiday destinations, yet this sometimes shows in crowded hotels and beaches full of formerly pasty Brits. If you do not wish to get sunburned next to your neighbour from back home, head to one of the less visited places. Leiria is one of those. While not entirely remote – it is just 100 miles north of Lisbon – it is one of those tranquil Portuguese cities where the locals are still Portuguese and life is traditional, yet with a population of just over 50,000 there is enough entertainment and shopping provided to make sure you can make best use of your holiday.

Situated on the river Lis, Leiria has always had some relevance to Portuguese trade as well as for strategic reasons. This of course attracted various rulers over the course of time, including the Romans and the Moors, before it was finally incorporated into the Portuguese empire in 1192. It was only a few hundred more years before it had grown into a sizable trading town and was a bishop’s seat with the 16th century cathedral as the centre-piece.

Another manifest to the town’s relevance in the Middle-Ages is the Castelo de Leiria, dating from the early 12th century. Various rulers have added to it, most famously King John I of Portugal who built a residential palace inside the castle walls, today partially restored to its former beauty. Due to its long construction history the castle is a mixture of many styles, though gothic elements dominate most of the complex. Situated on a cliff above town this is also the best viewing point around and can be easily reached in your car hire.

In town there are a number of great churches to visit, among them Nossa Senhora da Pena and Sao Pedro both of which can be reached in your car hire.

After a few hours of sightseeing you should find a table in one of the local pubs where traditional home cooking is served. The regional cuisine feeds off the ocean, and seafood dishes are always a good order. For desert you should try the heavenly little almond pastries, called Brisas do Lis.

Leiria is a great base for trips in the surrounding region which is sprinkled with small romantic villages and historically interesting sights- it is best to discover these beauties in your cheap car hire.
One of the most popular destinations around is Fátima, a small village and part of the Portuguese Road to Santiago. Another one is Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed monastery in Batalha.
By far the most popular day trip is to Alcobaça, a small town on the rivers Alcoa and Baça just 30 minutes south of Leiria. Here you will find one of Portugal’s most picturesque Cistercian monasteries, dating as far back as the 12th century.

After a few days of exploration, should you desire some serious relaxation, check into the Monte Real Sanatorium just north of Leiria, or head out to Nazaré, an atmospheric little fishing village.