4 Best Sights in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

One of the region's best small winemakers, Encosta da Quinta is known above all for a prize-winning organic red that goes by the earthy name of Humus. To arrange a visit to the estate outside of town (parts of which date back to the 16th century), ending with a tasting with four organic wines—a combination of whites, rosés, or reds, according to visitors' preference—and regional cheeses, all for €25, email  [email protected] well in advance.

This museum in the Romantic-style former house of the Viscount of Sacavém contains ceramics by the noted 19th-century artisan and artist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, as well as works by his Caldas da Rainha contemporaries. Some of his most famous figurines, done in gaudy colors, are the peasant Zé Povinho, wet nurse Ama das Caldas, and English aristocrat John Bull. Other amusing figures include a pig's head on a platter and leaping frogs. The museum has a gift- and bookshop and a cafeteria as well.

The expansive wooded park surrounding the town's spa is home to the country's largest collection of works by Caldas native José Malhoa (1854–1933), one of Portugal's most prominent Naturalist painters, as well as sculpture, drawings and ceramics from the 19th and 20th centuries. A handheld audio guide with English commentary is available.

Across the mouth of the Óbidos Lagoon, a large spit of sand juts out into the brackish tidal water. The broad expanse of sand here and the calm waters of the lagoon make it popular with families with young kids, not least because the beaches here have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag (for water quality, safety, and access) several years running. As well as the public facilities, there are several lively esplanades along the promenade. Amenites: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming; windsurfing.