São Pedro de Moel is a beach community dependent on the city, ''

freguesia (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Portuguese over ...

'' and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

Marinha Grande Marinha Grande () is a municipality in the Leiria District, Portugal. The population in 2021 was 39,032, in an area of 187.25 km². The city itself has a population of 32,330. It is located right in the middle of the 700-year-old Leiria pine ...

in the District of Leiria,

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 ...

. According to the 2011 Portuguese Census, it has 389 inhabitants. It is located within the Pinhal de Leiria, south of the mouth of Ribeira de Moel. It is a seaside village, west of the cities of Marinha Grande and Leiria. In 146,3 Afonso V gave São Pedro de Moel to the Count of Vila Real. The family had a palace in Leiria and several houses in São Pedro de Moel. They lived on this beach until 1641, when the last

Marquis of Vila Real Marquis of Vila Real (in Portuguese ''Marquês de Vila Real'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 1 March 1489, by King John II of Portugal, and granted to ''Dom'' Pedro de Menezes, also known as Peter II of ...

and his son,

Duke of Caminha Duke of Caminha (Portuguese: ''Duque de Caminha'') was a title created by royal decree, dated 14 December 1620, by King Philip III of Portugal (also known as Philip IV of Spain) for ''Dom'' Miguel Luís de Menezes, 6th Marquis of Vila Real and ...

, were executed. The widowed Duquesa de Caminha mourned the death of her husband on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, which is named in his honour - Penedo da Saudade - at the top of which there is a lighthouse of the same name. The legend of the Duquesa de Caminha also claims that the rock still resonates with her lament. Overlooking the beach is the home of the poet Afonso Lopes Vieira which includes a chapel overlooking the ocean and a sun-clock. The house was donated by the poet to the City of Marinha Grande for use as a resort for local children. Nowadays it is also used as a museum. In the 19th century São Pedro de Moel was the location of a thriving

resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...

factory, using the resources of the abundant local pine forests. The entire beach was originally part of the Portuguese ''Mata Nacional do Pinhal do Rei'', but in 1923 was reorganised into the Marinha Grande ''município''. It is denoted by a central statue of King Dinis and Queen Santa Isabel. Points of interest include Praia Velha, Praia da Concha, Penedo da Saudade and its

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 ...

, and Ribeira de Moel, all slightly to the north. In the pine forests there are several parks. The ''Volta dos Sete'' ("Around the Seven") is a beautiful route running for approximately 7 km, passing sea, beaches, pine forest, parks, fountains and streams.

Climate

São Pedro de Moel has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

with cool to warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The local climate is strongly affected by summer

upwelling Upwelling is an physical oceanography, oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted sur ...

events. 1974 was one of the coldest years on record, São Pedro de Moel registered its all-time low of October, November and December of that same year. Farol.JPG, Lighthouse "Penedo da Saudade" Sao pedro de moel 04.JPG, The sea viewed from the coast Sao pedro de moel 03.JPG, The beach of São Pedro de Moel Limestone cropping.jpg, Limestone cropping near São Pedro de Moel beach São Pedro de Moel 564.jpg São Pedro de Muel - Portugal (1453203431).jpg, King D. Dinis and Queen Santa Isabel

References

Villages in Portugal Municipalities of Portugal {{Leiria-geo-stub