Why this ride
A 265 km round trip from Tomar - roughly 3 h 37 in the saddle. The stops in between: Monastery of Batalha, University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia and back through Monastery of Batalha. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Convent of Christ in Tomar and University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 265 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 37
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Convent of Christ in Tomar
The Knights Templar chose the hill above Tomar in the twelfth century, building a castle to defend the new kingdom of Portugal against the Moors, and at its heart they raised a round church, the Charola, modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. When the Templars were suppressed in the fourteenth century, the Portuguese king transferred their property to a new order, the Order of Christ, which went on to finance much of Portugal's maritime expansion; Henry the Navigator was its governor. Over the centuries, the order added cloisters, chapels and dormitories, and the Convent of Christ became one of the great monuments of Portugal, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1983.
Read the complete Convent of Christ in Tomar write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Convent of Christ in Tomar is where the day begins. Next is Monastery of Batalha.
2. Monastery of Batalha
On 14 August 1385, near the village of Aljubarrota, a Portuguese army led by King João I defeated a much larger Castilian force, securing Portugal's independence. Before the battle the king had vowed to build a great monastery to the Virgin Mary if he won, and he kept his word. The Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, known simply as Batalha, which means battle, rose over the following century and more, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture in pale limestone, with flying buttresses, pinnacles and intricately carved portals. It was listed by UNESCO in 1983.
Read the complete Monastery of Batalha write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Monastery of Batalha comes up 71 km in. Next is University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia.
3. University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia
Coimbra's university is one of the oldest in Europe, founded in 1290 in Lisbon and finally settled in Coimbra in 1537, when King João III installed it in the old royal palace on the hill. The Alta, the upper town, grew around it, and the whole hill, along with Rua da Sofia below, is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Students still walk the lanes in black capes, and the city is built around them in a way few other towns in Europe still are.
Read the complete University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
143 km in you reach University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia. Next is back through Monastery of Batalha.
4. back through Monastery of Batalha
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Monastery of Batalha write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Monastery of Batalha, late in the day. Next is Convent of Christ in Tomar.
5. Convent of Christ in Tomar
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Convent of Christ in Tomar write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Convent of Christ in Tomar. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Convent of Christ in Tomar to Monastery of Batalha
Convent of Christ in Tomar → Monastery of Batalha is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Monastery of Batalha to University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia
Monastery of Batalha → University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia is 95 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia to back through Monastery of Batalha
University of Coimbra - Alta and Sofia → back through Monastery of Batalha is 95 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Monastery of Batalha to Convent of Christ in Tomar
back through Monastery of Batalha → Convent of Christ in Tomar is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.