São Martinho do Porto is a civil parish in Alcobaça Municipality and in the Oeste region of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. The population in 2011 was 2,868, in an area of 14.64 km². It was a town and county seat until 1855.

History

The region constituted by the Serra da Pescaria and by the Bouro mountain constituted, in

geological Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

times, a single

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

. When it was divided it gave rise to the

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

of São Martinho do Porto. In historical times, the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

was mentioned for the first time in a letter passed in 1257 by Friar Estevão Martins, 12th abbot of the Monastery of Alcobaça. The bay was the sea port of Alcobaça, where activities related to

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

were developed. It had, in 1801, 932

inhabitants In law and conflict of laws, domicile is relevant to an individual's "personal law", which includes the law that governs a person's status and their property. It is independent of a person's nationality. Although a domicile may change from time ...

. In 1839 the parishes of Alfeizerão, Salir do Porto and Serra do Bouro were annexed. It had, in 1849, 3,596 inhabitants. Given the local development and the construction of the

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

, already around 1885 the

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

of the

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

came to remember a second village. It was constituted has a seaside

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...

frequented by the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

and the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...

since the end of the 19th century, becoming known as the "bidet of the marquees". Currently the village is constituted by two distinct nuclei: * The lower part, near the beach, directed for the

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

activity; * The upper part, where the traditional

dwellings In law, a dwelling (also known as a residence, abode or domicile) is a self-contained unit of accommodation – such as a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, recreational vehicle, or other "substantial" structure – used as a home by on ...

and the

Mother Church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral church, or ...

reside;

Visitor attractions

The parish has one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal, a bay shaped like a

scallop Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related famili ...

with calm waters and fine white sand. According to the travel booking site eDreams, the "natural bay of clear and calm water and surrounded by diverse shops and restaurants offers the ideal conditions for a relaxed family day" and São Martinho do Porto is "perfect for the baths of children, while adults relax in the sand or have a drink on a terrace overlooking the sea". Although the commercial importance of the

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

has diminished, its tourist activity is dynamic during the summer season. The bay is only connected to the sea by an opening only a few meters wide, so the waters are quiet, great for children and better still for competitions of

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

. The road by the sea, where parking is difficult, has numerous cafes, restaurants and terraces. A narrow pedestrian tunnel gives direct access to the ocean from the dock area. In the summer of 2014, São Martinho was visited by a

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

, probably coming from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. The animal became known as "Martinha" and was the "mascot" of the village that summer. Visitor attractions include Mother Church, a temple from the

18th century The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to ch ...

. In its interior stands out, behind the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, a large

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

, painted with oil, with the image of the

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

of São Martinho. At the Chapel of Santo António, there is a small temple on the top of a hill. Its interior is simple, decorated with only two images: The patron's and the Virgin's. Outside, blue and white tile panels, representing the legend of the miracle of the formation of the "lake", the cove that forms before the entrance of the access bar to the bay of São Martinho do Porto.

Points of interest

Viewpoint Viewpoint may refer to: * Scenic viewpoint, a high place where people can gather to view scenery In computing * Viewpoint model, a computer science technique for making complex systems more comprehensible to human engineers * Viewpoint Corpora ...

- Located on the Santo António

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

, offers a privileged view to the bay. *

Lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

of the Santo António hill - In remote times next to a

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

that defended the entrance of the bay, it is part of an orientation system for the sailors that includes two headlights located in the dunes, in front of the bar. *Tunnel - It is a pleasant walk and the contemplation of the opposite sides of the tunnel provides a sublime experience. On one side, the calm waters of the Bay, on the other the rough waters of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

that hit with violence in the rocks. *Garden of the Engineer Frederico Ulrich Square - Green leisure space dedicated to children. *José Bento da Silva School - Inaugurated in 1883 with the purpose of training primary and secondary education, today it is the seat of

Town Council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...

, Culture House José Bento da Silva,

Library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

and

Environmental Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...

Defense Association of São Martinho do Porto. *Viewpoint of the José Bento da Silva Square - Privileged view over the Bay and direct access to the Outeiro Elevator. *Ruins (Salir do Porto) -

Ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

of the artisanal

Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

where the

caravels The caravel ( Portuguese: , ) is a small sailing ship developed by the Portuguese that may be rigged with just lateen sails, or with a combination of lateen and square sails. It was known for its agility and speed and its capacity for sail ...

that participated in the discoveries and conquests were built, in the reigns of D. Afonso V and D. João II. Here were also built part of the ships that took D. Sebastião to Alcácer Quibir. *Little Slop (Salir do Porto) - It is a spring of fresh water that is born near the ocean. It is believed to be a miraculous water for many diseases, namely to have properties beneficial to skin problems. *Dune (Salir do Porto) - Once the largest of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, the Dune of Salir stands out in the landscape of São Martinho Bay, with an altitude of approximately 50m and 200m in length. The core of the Dune consists in part of a red sandstone, vestige of an older

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

dune.

References

External links

São Martinho do Porto websiteTravel Guide to Sao Martinho by Author Colleen Mariotti
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Martinho Do Porto Seaside resorts in Portugal Freguesias of Alcobaça, Portugal