| This October, the ITAA Conference 2025 will take delegates to one of Portugal’s most atmospheric regions, the Centro de Portugal, with its crown jewel, the historic town of Alcobaça.
At its heart stands the Mosteiro de Alcobaça, a vast 12th century monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by Cistercian monks and famed for its soaring Gothic architecture and legendary royal tombs. Inside lie King Pedro I and Inês de Castro, whose forbidden love story has become one of Portugal’s greatest legends. Today, part of this monument has been reborn as the Montebelo Mosteiro de Alcobaça Historic Hotel, where conference guests will stay. It is a rare chance to sleep inside history itself.
Yet Alcobaça is far more than its monastery. The town is known across Portugal for its convent sweets, recipes first perfected by monks and nuns, and its streets brim with cafés, craft shops and a genuine local spirit that offers a true taste of Portuguese life. For something different, visitors can explore local distilleries, where traditional sour cherry liqueur and innovative Portuguese gin, infused with Alcobaça apples and cardamom, showcase the creativity of local producers. For wine lovers, Alcobaça is also part of Lisbon wine region, producing light, balanced reds that mellow with age, and fresh, fruity whites with aromatic persistence.
A short journey south brings you to Óbidos, a perfectly preserved medieval town wrapped in ancient walls where whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and bright bougainvillea create one of Portugal’s most picturesque settings. The nearby monasteries of Batalha and Tomar are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites that reveal different chapters of Portugal’s golden age.
Just beyond Alcobaça lies a world of discovery. Nazaré, a short drive away, has become legendary for its record-breaking waves that draw surfers from every corner of the globe, yet it remains a traditional fishing town at its core, alive with the scent of sardines grilling by the shore. Further south, São Martinho do Porto offers a gentler pace. Its calm horseshoe bay, sheltered from the Atlantic, is lined with golden sand and makes for an inviting retreat, especially for those seeking a quieter seaside escape. |
