Hi !
We are in Coimbra now, 2 Nights with the kids (5 and 9). We have hard time choosing between those places (Tomar, Alcobaca and Batalha). After Coimbra we have reserved 2 nights in Sao Martinho. At first we thought about making the trip to Sao Martinho via Tomar but it adds 1 hour and 15 minutes. If Tomar is really a must see we can still do it.
On the next Day we want to enjoy a bit the beach of Sao Martinho,.so maybe only one daytrip.
What would you do ?
Thanks
Tomar is a very nice small town but the big draw is the Convento do Christo. It's above the town and is pretty amazing. I've just done a short trip through it and it really deserves a good amount of time IMO. But I don't know about how children would fare in any of the places you mention with the exception of San Martinho. Between Batahla and Alcobaça - chose one based on your interests. Batalha is about a battle, Alcobaça is more about a love story. That said, I saw them both in the same week a couple of years also and can't remember much about the differences other than the tombs of Pedro and Ines. You don't need to do both.
San Martinho is also a nice little town with a great beach for the children. It's very calm and perfect for little ones to play in.
We much preferred Alcobaça to Batalha. The architecture is strong, simple and moving. The royal tombs of King Pedro and his Ines are there. Read their love story which took place in Coimbra.
Did not visit Tomar.
