Parque dos Monges (Monks' Park)

Parque dos Monges is a family park at Quinta das Freiras, in Chiqueda, a little over two kilometres east of Alcobaça Monastery. It opened in 2011 on land that belonged to the Chiqueda grange, one of the farms worked by the Cistercian monks of Alcobaça, close to the source of the River Alcoa. The estate covers 24 hectares, of which 8 are open to visitors, and the park is themed around the way those monks lived and farmed.

The environmental side is the core of the visit. An educational farm keeps native Portuguese livestock breeds, and in guided activities children sow seeds, tend vegetables and help feed the animals. Lago das Freiras is edged with rushes and reedmace and shaded by limes, poplars, oaks and stone pines; carp, terrapins and frogs live in it, and the birds seen through the year include mallard, kingfisher, grey heron, little egret, hoopoe and nightingale. A small river aquarium, the Fluviário Mãe d'Água, explains the Alcoa, its species and how the monks managed its water. The park is licensed as a zoological park.

Around this, a recreated medieval village presents the trades and daily life of the Middle Ages, and a set of low-key outdoor activities is on offer: a zip line, climbing, canoeing on the lake, archery and a tree-climbing course for children. There are picnic areas, a shop selling regional products and glamping cabins beside the lake for those who want to stay overnight. Pets and bicycles are not allowed inside, and a wheelchair and adapted toilets are available. School and group programmes need to be booked in advance.