Rio Maior: Discover Salt Pans, Nature and Culture

Rio Maior combines an unusual landscape with Roman history, regional cuisine and a wide variety of trails. Particularly distinctive are the Salinas Naturais de Rio Maior: Portugal’s only inland salt pans are located around 3 km from the town centre in a valley at the foot of the Serra dos Candeeiros. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can choose between a stay focused on local history, nature experiences, culinary discoveries or longer routes.

Salt Pans and Landscape around Rio Maior

The salt pans belong to the Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros, which also includes areas of Rio Maior. The water in the salt pans is around seven times saltier than seawater. It comes from a well after passing through a rock-salt deposit. Since December 1997, the salt pans have been classified as a Property of Public Interest. The Posto de Turismo das Salinas provides information, maps and guided tours.

Different routes are available for planning your day. The Jardim–Marinhas do Sal route is a circular trail with mixed surfaces: 6 km run mainly along a cycle path, while around 3 km follow an unpaved track. The Jardim–Bocas route has a 1.2 km linear section to the source of the Rio Maior and passes the Moagem Maria Celeste and the Fonte das Três Bicas. The Boiças route is 6.60 km long, runs mainly along unpaved paths and crosses a small bridge over the Rio Maior.

Those planning a longer route can choose the Azinheira route, a 13.3 km circular trail that mainly follows unpaved paths. Along the way is an area where flint was extracted for centuries to make fire-starting stones; several Palaeolithic archaeological sites are also located there. The Jardim–Bastidas route is a 6 km circular trail with around 1.3 km of unpaved track and passes the Villa Romana and the ruins of the Paço Real.

History, Trails and Regional Specialities

The Villa Romana de Rio Maior was built in the 1st century AD, with its last major construction phase taking place in the 3rd or 4th century. Finds include fragments of at least five statues, including a life-size statue, as well as the almost intact Ninfa Fontenária de Rio Maior. The Capela de Nossa Senhora da Vitória, also known as the Capela de S. Miguel Arcanjo or Capela das Almas, contains a significant section of the former royal palace. The chapel itself stands at the highest point of the settlement and dates from the 17th century.

Another glimpse into history awaits you at the Casa Senhorial D'El Rei D. Miguel. The museum area is located in a manor house belonging to minor landed noble families of the Ribatejo, whose foundation dates back to the 14th or 15th century. The Caminho dos Candeeiros adds a longer travel idea to these destinations: this religious and cultural route, certified by the Centro Nacional de Cultura, is around 63 km long, begins in the Município de Rio Maior and leads through the areas of the Municípios de Porto de Mós, Batalha and Ourém to the Santuário de Fátima.

Local cuisine is also part of a trip to Rio Maior. Lapardana is made from bread and boiled potatoes with olive oil and garlic, and served with baked cod or fried pork. Pão de Rio Maior is made without additives, using only flour, yeast, water and salt. At Costa & Ferreira, you can take a free factory tour; during the guided tour, you follow the production process and finish the visit with a tasting. Azeite Fonte da Bica offers tours of its olive mill and museum, including an olive oil tasting. As a special salt delicacy, Queijinhos de Sal are shaped in moulds, baked in a wood-fired oven and used as a seasoning.

Which Location Suits Your Trip?

For the old and central areas of Rio Maior, a walking tour is recommended. The car may be useful for the Complexo Desportivo and the salt pans. When looking for accommodation, it is therefore helpful to consider whether you mainly want to experience central history and local trails or connect the salt pans, longer routes and other destinations flexibly. The town can be reached via the EN1/IC2 or the A15, taking the Rio Maior Oeste exit.

Parque do Rio has walking and picnic areas, playgrounds, an amphitheatre and green spaces, as well as direct contact with the Rio Maior. Every year, the salt pans are also transformed into the Aldeia dos Presépios de Sal; since 2012, visitors have been able to see salt nativity scenes and small Christmas houses there. To explore further options in the area, you can open the pages for Rio Maior, Marmeleira, Casais dos Monizes and Alcobertas.

For the overarching travel overview: Santarem.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Cartaxo, Abrantes, Mação, Mação.