Caldas da Rainha is a city in western Central Portugal, about 10 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Absent from most international visitors' itineraries, but charming nonetheless, Caldas da Rainha is an excellent place to experience the real Portugal without hordes of tourists. Caldas offers visitors countless experiences to savour: a lovely park, a bustling farmers' market, museums, shops, appetiz ing dining, and nearby beaches. Caldas da Rainha is an artistic city, and artworks aren't confined to its several museums. Caldas's main park contains many statues and sculptures, as do most of the city's roundabouts. The city is home to a college of art and design, as well as a vocational school devoted t o ceramics. Caldas's centre has many excellent examples of Art Nouveau architecture, with beautiful titled exteriors. You can even take art home with you, in the form of world - renowned ceramic creations from the Bordallo Pinheiro factory.