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A beautiful town steeped in history, Batalha is located almost 2 hours from both Porto and Lisbon. The name ‘Batalha’ translates to ‘battle’, so when it comes to things to do in Batalha, Portugal, you won’t be surprised to hear that a lot of it revolves around the historic events that happened here.

It’s always high on our places to take family whenever they visit us in Portugal, so let’s take a look at some of the best things to do in Batalha, Portugal and explore its history.

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Where Is Batalha Portugal

We practically stumbled upon Batalha when driving from Lisbon to Leiria, so it’s no surprise we’re often asked this question when we talk about Batalha.

Batalha is almost exactly in between Lisbon and Porto, with drive time being roughly 2 hours from each city. It’s slightly more inland than Nazaré and makes a great choice for a day trip from pretty much anywhere along that stretch of coast.

Batalha Portugal Map

Things To Do In Batalha Portugal

Some of the best things to do in Batalha, Portugal revolve around its history. If you’re a fan of museums and beautiful architecture, Batalha is definitely worth adding to your Portugal itinerary.

Batalha Monastery in Portugal

An iconic building in the centre of Batalha, and the key reason that most people visit. Batalha Monastery is a stunning example of the gothic architecture that can be found scattered all over Europe, and perhaps the most impressive religious building in the whole of Portugal. It really is a must if you’re passing this way between Lisbon and Porto.

Built to commemorate the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, it took over 30 years to complete and became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1990. 

While the outside is beautiful in its own right, we encourage you to explore inside too, setting aside at least an hour or two to do so.

Once you step through the arched doorways, you’ll be greeted with a great expanse of even more intricate detailing, especially in the octagon chamber where the Tomb of King John and his wife, Queen Phillipa, rest.

On a sunny day, the preserved stained glass windows cause a multitude of colours to dance along the walls.

As you wander through the wide, highly decorated, hallways you’ll come across the sombre memorial of the unknown soldier. Here you’ll see two guards watching over the burial grounds of 2 unknown soldiers from World War 1, accompanied by ‘Flame of the Mother Country’.

Periodically through the day they have a change of guards ceremony, if you ask at the ticket desk I’m sure they’ll be able to give you the times. We happened to stumble upon it by accident but it’s a really moving thing to experience.

One of my favourite parts of Batalha Monastery is the central courtyard surrounded by detailed arches and a water fountain where the Monks used to wash their hands. We sat there for quite a while admiring the ancient artwork we were surrounded by.

Batalha Monastery Tickets

The main church hall is free to visit but the true beauty lies in the wings that are €10, so we really recommend purchasing Batalha Monastery Tickets and planning your day around it. You can purchase Batalha Monastery tickets at the Monastery itself, or as part of a guided tour that visits several of the nearby historic towns.

If you’re not hiring a car in Portugal (or driving your own, of course) and want to visit Batalha Monastery from Lisbon, there are a lot of guided tour options. We highly recommend this one because it also includes a visit to Nazare, Fatima and Obidos. 

Ponte da Boutaca

Once a major route across the river, this now forgotten neo-gothic style bridge, built in 1862, there’s a lot of history hidden in the stone arches so it’s worth the short walk out of the centre of Batalha, even if to only grab a few photos.

Museu da Comunidade Concelhia da Batalha (Batalha Community Museum)

This is a great addition to your list of things to do in Batalha. A small, but well designed, interactive museum that’s home to religious, architectural and natural artefacts from the region. Alongside a visit to the Batahla Monastery, it gives you a great insight into the history of the area. 

Centro de Interpretación de la Batalla de Aljubarrota (Interpretation Centre Of The Battle Of Aljubarrota)

As with most of the activities on our list of things to do in Bathala, the interpretation centre is all about the history of the area. This one, however, was built where the battle of Aljubarrota took place.

Inside the building you’ll find 3 interactive rooms that will walk you through everything you want to know about this famous piece of Portuguese history. From bones and armoury that are over 600 years old, to films with reenactments of what happened all those years ago.

Adult tickets are €13 including a visit to the battle ground, map and audio guide. There are restricted hours for this museum so if you’re short on time you’ll want to book in advance. You can do that here.

The Coin Caves

I went back and forth on whether to include this natural wonder on our list of things to do in Batalha because it isn’t technically in the town, but it’s such a unique attraction with few others like it in Portugal that I had to include it somewhere.

The coin caves are a large network of caves about 20 minutes from Batalha towards Fatima that were discovered by hunters in 1971. Similar to the Jenolan Caves we visited in Australia, these caves are decorated with calcified towers and formations in endless shapes.

You need a guided tour to see these caves, tickets are €9 and include entrance to the fossil museum and a sample of the regional sweet wine.

How Long To Spend In Batalha Portugal

Since there aren’t too many things to do in Batalha, you don’t need all that long here. When we first visited, it was for my birthday so we spent the full day and stayed overnight so we could enjoy an evening meal and breakfast with a view of the Monastery. I think a full day is ample, and we routinely do that when family comes too. 

Hotels In Batalha Portugal

There are some great hotels in Batalha, and many Air BnB’s too.

When we stayed, we booked into Hotel Lis which undoubtedly has the best breakfast views of Batalha Monastery and if you pay a little extra you can have that view from your room too.

We found check in to be simple, the beds to be comfy and while we didn’t get a room with a view, we really enjoyed the view at breakfast.

Since this is our only experience of a hotel in Batalha, Portugal, I’ll leave a map of others below so you can see the reviews. If you book through this map, we’ll make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Restaurants In Batalha Portugal

There’s a reason you don’t see many restaurant reviews or posts here… we’re not huge foodies and are creatures of habit. If we find a place we like, we’ll usually go back the next time we visit. And that’s exactly what happened when we discovered T-Bone, a steakhouse within walking distance from the Monastery (although no views).

We’re all for trying traditional food in the countries that we visit, and while this is by no means traditional Portuguese food, T-Bone do the best steaks and burgers. When we lived in Leiria, it wasn’t unusual for us to nip into Batalha for dinner on the way back from Nazare.

We did stop for a drink at a couple of the restaurants surrounding Batalha Monastery and found them to be ok. They catered more to the tourists with cheap beer (although that definitely isn’t the vibe we got from Batalha!) and over priced food – from what we saw coming out. I can’t knock them too much though because we didn’t try the food.

We’re definitely more likely to treat ourselves to local pastries at small cafes than an evening meal somewhere new every night.

Batalha Portugal Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Batalha, Portugal to cover some of those quickies that you might be curious about!

Batalha Portugal Weather

When we visited in August it was hot and beautiful! Winter will see 6c-15c, while summer it will average 15c-25c.

October, November & December are typically the wettest months in Batalha, with July & August being the driest.

If you’re staying at a beachside town, and take a trip to Batalha I would prepare for it to be much warmer. Even if you’re visiting from Nazare. Especially in summer.

How To Pronounce Batalha Portugal

Compared to other Portuguese towns, I think Batalha has one of the easiest pronunciations:

Bat-alia

Is Batalha Portugal Dog Friendly?

We tend to visit Batalha without Lilly, unfortunately. We don’t consider it to be one of the best dog friendly places in Portugal due to the access limitations most of the attractions have.

While you can eat outside in many of the restaurants, and there’s possibly even dog friendly accommodation there, the main attraction is Batalha Monastery which is off limits to dogs. I believe both museums are the same too.

If you’re travelling as a group, and one person wants to sit it out or you’re happy to all take turns then it’s certainly possible to visit Batalha with a dog. Just be mindful that there’s not heaps of shade around the area so you might find yourself taking refuge in one of the nearby cafes.

Is Batalha Portugal Dog Friendly?

We tend to visit Batalha without Lilly, unfortunately. We don’t consider it to be one of the best dog friendly places in Portugal due to the access limitations most of the attractions have.

While you can eat outside in many of the restaurants, and there’s possibly even dog friendly accommodation there, the main attraction is Batalha Monastery which is off limits to dogs. I believe both museums are the same too.

If you’re travelling as a group, and one person wants to sit it out or you’re happy to all take turns then it’s certainly possible to visit Batalha with a dog. Just be mindful that there’s not heaps of shade around the area so you might find yourself taking refuge in one of the nearby cafes.

Is Batalha Portugal Worth Visiting?

Absolutely, yes. Even with the limited amount of things to do in Batalha, the Monastery is iconic and should be an essential on everyone’s Portugal itinerary. Especially if you’re travelling between Lisbon and Porto!

Have you been to Batalha, Portugal? Or is it on your to-do list? Why not pin this for later!