Santarém is a city on a plateau above the right bank of the Tagus, about 80 kilometres north-east of Lisbon, facing the flat farmland of the Tagus floodplain. The historic centre on the plateau holds most of the churches, and the riverside quarters of the Ribeira and Alfange lie below it.

This page covers how to reach Santarém, the areas of the city, and the food and events of the Ribatejo.

Getting to Santarém

By train: Intercity trains from Lisbon Santa Apolónia and Oriente reach Santarém in about 45 minutes, and regional trains take longer. The station is below the city, about 2 kilometres south of the centre.
By road: the A1 motorway passes Santarém on the way from Lisbon to Porto.

Areas of Santarém

Historic centre: the streets of the plateau, from Praça Sá da Bandeira to the Portas do Sol Garden, with the churches of Graça, Marvila and the Santíssimo Milagre.
Ribeira de Santarém: the riverside quarter north of the Dom Luís I Bridge, below the plateau.
Alfange: the riverside area south of the Dom Luís I Bridge.

In and around Santarém

Museum of São João de Alporão: the archaeological museum of the city, in a Romanesque and early Gothic church founded by the Knights Hospitaller.
Torre das Cabaças: a medieval clock tower in the historic centre, used as a museum of time.
Dom Luís I Bridge: the iron road bridge over the Tagus between Santarém and Almeirim.
Aldeia das Caneiras: a riverside village near Santarém, with houses on stilts built by fishing families of the Avieiro tradition.
Casa dos Patudos: the house museum of the politician José Relvas, in the neighbouring municipality of Alpiarça.

Food and events in Santarém

River fish: shad, eel and mullet from the Tagus, in dishes such as fried shad with açorda and eel stew.
Sopa da pedra: the bean and meat stew of Almeirim, across the river.
Feira Nacional de Agricultura: the national agricultural fair of Santarém, held each year in early June.