Visiting Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

After stopping at Obidos, we had some free time and decided to visit the spa town of Caldas da Rainha.

Once we found free parking in Caldas da Rinha, we strolled through the Parque Dom Carlos I, which overlooks a small lake with rowboats and large hospitals.

If we had time, we would have liked to stroll through the park and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the little pond overlooking the hospitals.

Being pressed for time, we decided to see the downtown and explore the nearby shops. One of the streets was lined with cute umbrellas.

Caldas da Rainha is a cute little spa town with interesting shops.

According to Wikipedia (see Caldas da Rainha):

Caldas da Rainha is a medium-sized Portuguese city in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the district of Leiria. The city serves as the seat of the larger municipality of the same name, and the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste (OesteCIM, Intermunicipal Community of the West). 

At the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 51,729 in an area of 255.69 square kilometers (98.72 sq mi), with 30,343 residing there. Although the city lies about 10.5 kilometers (6.5 mi) inland, three of the municipality's civil parishes lie on the Atlantic Ocean. Caldas da Rainha is best known for its sulfurous hot springs and ceramic pottery.

The settlement was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor (Rainha Dona Leonor), who established a hospital and a church at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Spring Water Hospital, or Thermal Hospital) is the oldest purpose-built institution in the world, with five centuries of history. The city's name, often shortened to simply "Caldas," can be translated as "Queen's Hot Springs," "Queen's Spa," or "Queen's Baths."

Caldas da Rainha is a UNESCO Creative City. It is home to many cultural institutions. The city's nine museums cover art, history, and cycling. Cultural and sports venues include Centro Cultural e de Congressos (CCC, Cultural and Conference Centre), a center for performing arts, exhibitions, and conferences; Expoeste – Centro de Exposições do Oeste (Exhibition Centre of the West), which hosts exhibitions and festivals; a bullring; several football (soccer) pitches; and a multi-sport municipal complex. 

Caldas hosts six professional and higher-educational institutions, including a significant arts and design school and a school devoted to ceramics. In 2014, Caldas da Rainha had the best public secondary school in Portugal based on national test scores.