Tomar Santarém (Templar Route) Private Tour

Started in the 12th. century, inside the Medieval Templar castle by Gualdim Pais, Tomar is one of Portugal's historical jewels. Especially important in the 15th century, it was a centre of Portuguese overseas expansion under the order of Henry the Navigator, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Templars in Portugal. At the time, Tomar had also a jewish community established in the downtown, where nowadays it's still possible to see some traces and the Museum synagogue. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

This monumental ensemble, begun in 1160, spans the entire Templar presence in our country and was the central command point of the fortified defense system, made up of various castles and watchtowers. After the establishment of the Order of Christ with Henry the Navigator, this monumental construction saw several improvements and additions and keeps several examples of Medieval, Gothic, Manueline and Mannerist architecture. World heritage from Unesco since 1983 it has now attracts people from all over the world researching more and more about the mysterious Templar brotherhood. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

Located in the main square of the town, in front there is a modern statue of Gualdim Pais, the founder of Tomar. The church was built between the 15th and 16th centuries and has many interesting artistic details, like the Manueline portal, the tower with a 16th-century clock and several panels painted by the Portugal's best Renaissance artists. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

The main square of the old town of Tomar. Between the City hall and the São João Baptista church you find a modern statue of Gualdim Pais, the city founder. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

Built over the ruins of a Benedictine convent from the 7th century it's one of the great examples of gothic architecture in Tomar After the 15th century it became the major church of the Order of Christ, to whom all the other portuguese dioceses in Africa, Asia and America reported. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

Around 1170, this castle was erected on a small island about 20 meters above water level, having a strategic importance in the so-called Tagus Defensive Line. From here it was possible to view and communicate with Castles and Watchtowers in the surrounding areas, making the defense line almost unbreakable. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

Since prehistory, this area has been habited by different civilizations. From Greeks, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and later the Portuguese, Santarem holds a mix of influences and is considered the portuguese Gothic architecture capital. From it's elevation you can see the plains after the Tagus river, that are actually still used for agriculture due to their rich soils. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

Located on a high slope over the Tagus river and the surrounding landscape, the site of the old castle of Santarém is now a park. Since the conquer by the first portuguese king D. Afonso Henriques, it gained a crucial importance as a military defense above the plains after the river. From various construction campaigns over the centuries a big part of the walls and towers of the castle are still preserved. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.

This tower is, in fact, a Clock tower; the popular designation calabash tower comes from the clay calabashes that served to amplify the bell sound. Although the mechanism of the clock has been modernized, this tower is set on the first generation of clock towers in Portugal. From the top of its 126 metres it is possible to see the urban net of Santarém and the fields surrounding it. Nowadays it shelters the Núcleo Museológico do Tempo. This is a private tour, all of our suggested timings and stops can be adapted to your preferences or needs, just let us know and we do it.