Santarém
A story of freedom
This ancient city was in contact with Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. The foundation of the city of Santarém refers to the Greco-Roman and Christian mythology, recognizing in the names of Habis and Irene, their mythical origins. The earliest documented traces of human occupation date back to the 8th century BC.
The population of the village would have collaborated with the Roman settlers, when they docked in 138 BC. During this period it became the main trading post of the Tagus River and one of the most important administrative centers of the Lusitania province. From the Romans it received the name of Escálabis or Scallabi castro.
It passed on to the Moors in 715, until D. Afonso Henriques conquered it definitively in 1147, in an audacious blow, perpetrated at night with a small army. It was, from that time on, the headquarters of the Order of the Templars, before it passed to Tomar in 1180.







How to Get Here
By Car
From Lisbon: 1 hour drive and the main access is A1 motorway.
From Porto: 2 hour drive and the main access is A1 motorway.
By Train
CP Station is about 2 km from the historic center.
By Bus
A estação rodoviária fica mesmo no centro (cerca de 200m do Teatro Sá da Bandeira).
By Plane
The nearer airports are: Liboa (1h), Porto (2h), Faro (4h) and Madrid (10h).
Other tips
Accommodation
We recommend the following accommodations: Hostel N1, Tagus Host, Santarém Hostel, Hotel Vitória e Hotel Santarém.
They can search on sites like booking, trivago e airbnb.
There is a park for motorhomes and vans.