FOZ DO ARELHO
39.431° N; 9.226° W
Most of the local inhabitants work in industry and services in Caldas da Rainha, but there is also a considerable number dedicated to touristy activities, seafood fishing (bivalve mollusks), and agriculture.
Foz do Arelho is located 8 km west of Caldas da Rainha, in the northwest end of the council, and is limited north by the Atlantic Ocean and by the parish of Serra do Bouro. By South is delimited by the ocean basin of Lagoa de Óbidos (Óbidos Lagoon) and the parish of Nadadouro. East by the limits between the parishes of Serra do Bouro and Nadadouro and West by the ocean basin of Lagoa de Óbidos and the Atlantic Ocean.
Landmarks
Quinta de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe is an ancient manor house and farm, dated back to the 16th century. It includes a chapel, built-in 1580 which can be seen, engraved in stone over the main entrance door, the chapel also has a stone bearing the "Medeiros" arms. Inside there is a polychromatic wood sculpture, dated back to the 16th century, representing N. Sra. do Carmo.
Foz do Arelho has several magnificent beach spots between the confluence of Lagoa de Óbidos and the Atlantic Ocean. One can choose between swimming and sailing in the calm warm waters of the saltwater lagoon, or surf and swim in the colder waters of the Atlantic.
Watersport
With miles of coastline and the stunning waters of Óbidos lagoon, the Silver Coast is heaven for watersport enthusiasts. Surfing is the major activity but it is not the only one. With its mild climate and good winds, there is something here for almost every type of watersport.
The inland waters of Óbidos lagoon provide a sheltered location for sailors of all abilities. There is a sailing center, Escola de Vela da Lagoa, on the Foz do Arelho side which caters to experienced sailors by providing a range of equipment for rental, and beginners through its sailing schools. Here it is possible to learn a watersport such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing (including catamarans), canoeing, wakeboarding, and water skiing, all in a beautiful landscape where forests roll down to the water’s edge and the Atlantic pounds on beaches at the entrance to the lagoon. For those who are expert and daring enough to venture out into the waves, the lagoon offers an ideal launching place and a safe harbor to return to.
LAGOA DE ÓBIDOS
39° 24′ 34.88″ N, 9° 12′ 27.9″ W
It is located in a shallow depression, with irregular contours and very unstable by the sea, whose natural barrier of separation from the marine environment is formed by a cordon of coastal dunes.
Its connection to the sea is made through a channel of variable width and positioning, locally called "open". Sometimes, this transition site closes, making it necessary to resort to interventions in order to keep the bar open.
It is a lagoon system of enormous ecological importance.
The Óbidos Lagoon is the most extensive coastal lagoon system on the Portuguese coast. It has a total area of approximately 6.9 km2 and an average depth of two meters, with levels ranging from half a meter to five meters.
It extends upstream essentially through two channels, to the West by the Arm of Bom Sucesso, and to the East by the Arm of Barrosa.
The Óbidos Lagoon is on land border with the municipality of Caldas da Rainha to the north (parishes of Foz do Arelho and Nadadouro) and the municipality of Óbidos to the south (parishes of Vau and Santa Maria).
On the south side is Poça do Vau and on the west side it is connected to Poça das Ferrarias. It has a maximum length of 6 km and a width that oscillates between 1 and 1.5 km, with a preferential NW-SW orientation. However, this configuration tends to oscillate considerably, being a direct consequence of the sediments pushed by the sea into the lagoon.
In a natural way, the Óbidos Lagoon, like the coastal lagoons, in the medium or long term, would turn into swamps if their sedimentary regime were maintained. However, human intervention accelerates the silting process through the constant changes it causes in the hydrographic basins that lead to greater sediment production. On the other hand, the population tries to reverse the situation by intervening through dredging with the aim of increasing the depth of the system, thereby prolonging the life of these aquatic environments.
According to ancient reports, the Lagoon was much more extensive, reaching the foot of the hill where the town of Óbidos now stands, bathing the castle walls on the Westside.
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