Towns and Villages

It was the Master of the Templars Dom Gualdim Pais who, in the 12th century, ordered the building of the Pombal Castle (which the town developed around), in a region that was then the dividing line between the territory already reconquered by the Christians and that still in the power of the Moors.

By order of the Marquis of Pombal, who in the 18th century spent the last years of his life here, the lower part of the town was planned and a number of public buildings constructed. At the end of the 18th century, with the building of the Lisbon-Oporto royal road, which passed through the middle of Pombal, the whole region gained a fresh impetus in terms of development.

Nowadays the road no longer passes through the centre of Pombal, but the region has excellent accessibility, making it easy to travel round the surrounding area and to visit the Serra de Sicó, with its caves, and the typical villages where they still produce the traditional cheeses and cakes, as well as the handicrafts, especially carpets, wicker baskets and mats, ceramics and weaving.

Going down to the coast, crossing the Mata Nacional do Urso (National Bear Wood), quiet beaches can be found where one can practise all kinds of water sports.