This walk organised by Caminhando will take you along a route of great beauty, with breathtaking views of the bay of S. Martinho do Porto and the sea. But the biggest challenge will be climbing the famous Dune, which is around 50 metres high. Another event not to be missed!

The Dunes of Salir do Porto

At over 50 metres high, the dunes of Salir do Porto are the highest in Portugal and also one of the largest in Europe. Climbing the dune is a great challenge. It's a steep climb, with only sand on the surface and you have to stop at least once. The dune is 50 metres high and it's rare to see anyone who manages to reach the top without stopping at least once and almost always at a slow pace. No rush.

“The Salir do Porto dune is the largest in Portugal and is said to have once been the largest in Europe. Seen from afar, from the bay of S. Martinho do Porto, we have a more concrete idea of its length, around 200 metres, and its surroundings with the mouth of the River Tornada, where the dune becomes a cliff all the way to the ocean, until it closes the shell of S. Martinho do Porto.”.

Part of the dune is made of granite and its size was probably reached around 100,000 years ago when the winds carried sand from the lagoons that existed between Óbidos and Nazaré.

There is a transition from fresh to salt water, but next to the cliffs, on the side of the dune, there is a spring of fresh and sulphurous water that is said to have medicinal properties. You can access it when the tide is out.

Chapel of St Anne

It is the oldest religious building in the municipality of Caldas da Rainha, built in the 12th century. Various legends and stories circulate around the chapel. For example, that it was the Crusaders, devotees of St Anne, who erected the chapel and gave the same name to the hill. Another suggests that this was the place where fishermen and their families said goodbye. A place of worship, religious celebrations were also held here.

As the population of Salir do Porto has always been dedicated to fishing and sailing, the relatives of the fishermen would go to this chapel to say goodbye and also to see their loved ones arrive, praying to Our Lady. It used to be a tradition to hold a procession from the centre of Salir do Porto to the Chapel of Santa Ana, something that is no longer practised today. It has recently undergone a restoration and refurbishment project.

- Salir do Porto - Natural viewpoints - Duna de Salir (the highest in Portugal) - Salir Beach - Tornada River - São Romeu Beach - Monte Santana - Mills - Chapel of Santa Ana - Alfândega Velha - Natural landscapes -