Caldas da Rainha

Caldas da Rainha is located 18km south of Sao Martinho do Porto. It is the place to go to shop. Several international chains have locations in Caldas da Rainha, including Mango, McDonald's and Staples. There are numerous supermarkets and hypermarkets in Caldas da Rainha including Aldi, Lidl and Modelo. Several small indoor shopping centres exist throughout the city. Vivaci Caldas da Rainha is an indoor shopping centre. Its four floors contain sixty stores including fourteen restaurants, a five-screen cinema , a bank and a supermarket. Stores at Vivaci include men's, women's and children's clothing, a pharmacist, a bookstore, jeweller's, mobile phone shop, hair care and cosmetics, electronic appliances, hair stylist and sporting goods. CaldasShopping was opened in late December 2008. In addition to the forty or so shops there is a number of dining establishments and indoor and outdoor esplanades with seating for 200 to 250 people. Among the stores are Game Zone (video games), Mhia (women's and men's clothing) and Square Imobiliaria (real estate). When you get tired of shopping there are several churches and museums in Caldas da Rainha worth seeing. The Igreja Nossa Senhora do Pspulo is a gothic church near the thermal hospital. The Ermida da Sco Sebastico is a 16th century chapel and Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceigco is a 20th century church. The Centro de Artes (arts center) hosts three museums of sculpture. The Museu de Cerbmica exhibits ceramic works of art, as does the Casa-Museu de Sco Rafael. The Museu do Hospital e das Caldas features exhibits related to the thermal hospital and the city. The Museu Josi Malhoa is an art museum located in Parque D. Carlos I. For the children Parque D. Carlos I is a large park in the centre of town. The Josi Malhoa Museum sits in the middle of the park. The park contains a doughnut-shaped pond with a small island in the center. Visitors can rent rowboats on the pond. Praga da Repzblica (Republic Plaza) is a public square in the centre of town. The plaza, also known as Praga da Fruta (Fruit Plaza), hosts Portugal's only daily farmers' market. The plaza is surrounded by buildings, most containing shops, banks, and cafes on the ground floor. The plaza is now used for outdoor cafe seating and free cultural events. A parking garage sits underground below the plaza.