During the annual Pintar e Cantar dos Reis, Cabanas de Torres is shaped by a local tradition on the night of 5–6 January. A group gathers spontaneously: the painters lead the way with paints, brushes and lanterns, decorating house facades with traditional drawings of the Three Kings. Singers then follow, along with a lead singer and choir; they sing for several houses at strategic locations. The sequence brings facade painting and singing together in a shared annual tradition. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, check the event dates in advance.

Tradition and year of foundation

A local tradition has it that Cabanas de Torres was founded in the 13th century by residents of Torres Vedras. They had fled an epidemic, settled on Monte Santo and built the first huts there. They also built a small chapel with an image of São Roque, which they had brought from Torres Vedras. Cabanas de Torres was founded in 1608 when it separated from the parish of Ventosa.

Chapels and azulejo tile panels

The Capela de São Gregório de Magno is located in the village of Cabanas de Torres. The Capela de São João Baptista offers a different perspective: it is small, has thick walls and seems to nestle against the rocks of the Serra de Montejunto. Its features include figurative 18th-century azulejo tile panels. They depict scenes from the life of its patron saint, São João Baptista; some of these panels are badly damaged. Thus, the location is the focus for one chapel, while the other stands out for its architectural form and pictorial program.

Paths and cultural landscape

The ALQ PR2 – Carreiro da Senhora hiking trail follows narrow, steep paths to the summit of the Serra de Montejunto. Both the destination and the character of the route are specific: the summit is the goal, and narrow, steep trails define the climb. This is a different focus from the chapels or the tradition tied to a January date.

Further afield in the parish of Cabanas de Torres, numerous windmills stretch along a ridgeline. It marks the edge of the settled area and the beginning of the slopes of the Serra de Montejunto. In the Alenquer region, windmills are regarded as living witnesses to time and history; old legends shaped by tradition and mysticism are associated with them. For planning purposes, the themes can be distinguished as follows: the tradition has a set annual date, while the focus of the Carreiro da Senhora is the nature of the climb.

Discover more destinations: Aldeia Gavinha, Alenquer, Ribafria, Pereiro De Palhacana, Vila Verde Dos Francos, Carnota, Aldeia Galega Da Merceana

Go to the main travel overview: Alenquer.