The beautiful village of Dornes has less than 800 inhabitants, but it attracts thousands of visitors each year from all over the world.

Dornes is a peninsula on the shores of the Castelo do Bode lake.  One of the main attractions is the pentagonal Templar tower. It was built by Gualdim Pais for defence of the line of the River Tagus. It guaranteed safety for the people who explored the Zêzere for gold.

The tower is built out of local 'schist' stone and limestone and the medieval marks of the stonemasons who built the tower can still be seen.

The village is a maze of narrow, cobbled streets, which cling to the hillside above the Castelo do Bode lake. There are several cafe bars, hotels and artisan shops.

The views from Dornes are stunning - hills covered in pine and eucalyptus trees which slope down to meet Castelo do Bode.

Tower of Dornes

Views from a Cafe Terrace

Rooftops of Dornes 

Dornes is a small village, but does have several cafe bars, an art gallery and a shop as well as a guest house. Most residents of Dornes shop in nearby towns of Ferreira do Zezêre and Tomar. There is a regular bus service which runs to both of these towns from the village.

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