IT IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE OF ONE OF THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITIES IN PORTUGAL, WITH 430,7742 SQUARE MILES AND APPROXIMATELY 20 000 INHABITANTS, SUBDIVIDED INTO SIX CIVIL PARISHES.
Aerial view
The scenery is populated with fields of oak and pine trees, the montados, decorated at points by striking examples of popular architecture, that reflect the weight of tradition and faith. Auto proclaimed “Cork World Capital”, five million bottle corks leave this place daily; it is also where the Oak Tree and Cork Observatory is located, installed in a building shielded with cork, in tribute to this very Portuguese tree.
A tributary of the Tejo, the Sorraia river irrigates the lezíria flood plain where the best Portuguese rice variety is grown. The village’s south side entry is done by means of seven metal bridges, setting a curious play of colors between the yellow and the dark red.
The Municipal Museum recounts the village history since its origins. It’s set around three specific thematic hubs: Bull Fighting, Rural and the Museum School Salgueiro Maia. On the hill overlooking the village is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo (Our Lady of the Castle), the departure point for the religious procession that passes by the churches of St. Pedro, St. António and of the Misericórdia.
A reputed rural region, where the wild bull meat, the fried petinga (sprat) fish, the honey cake, the pine nuts cookies, or the Sorraia’s campinos (the bull men) complete the menu of the local gastronomy.
Ballooning certainly allows for a more romantic view of the region, but to breathe it really close there is nothing better than to adventure through the montado, exploring lodgings in rural spaces or at one of Ribatejo’s farms, or following the trails with different degrees of difficulty either on foot, mountain bike or motorized vehicles. Water sports on the Quinta Grande artificial lake, angling, and bathing on the Fluvial Beach of Sorraia River are experiences not to be missed.
