2 Best Hotels in Caldas da Rainha, Estremadura and the Ribatejo

A knight serving King Dom Filipe I built this large manor house in the 16th century, and 20-some generations later it is still owned and operated by the original family. The complex includes stables and a corral for the family's prize Lusitano stallions. The guest rooms—with luxe touches like underfloor heating—are large and comfortably furnished, and a few downstairs have French doors opening to the back terrace; from upstairs there are views of the Óbidos Lagoon. Ask to visit the on-site chapel, with an inscription in old-world Portuguese on the floor dated 1592.

A famous Victorian-era showplace once favored by Portuguese royalty but then neglected for decades has been transformed into the most highly rated hotel between Lisbon and Leiria. Decoration throughout is modern—black, gray, and white, with blocks of bright color—with historical touches. The Lisbonense restaurant serves reliably good international fare and also old-fashioned afternoon teas. Don't miss the landau next to the bar: it is identical to the one the king, Dom Carlos I, was riding in when he was assassinated in Lisbon in 1908.