Monastery of the Holy Cross Mosteiro de Santa Cruz
The Monastery of the Holy Cross is a Catholic temple and cultural heritage site in Coimbra, Portugal, featuring Manueline architecture. Established in 1131, this National Monument is part of the Universidade de Coimbra – Alta e Sofia. It is one of the 45 most looked-up sights in Portugal on this site.
Planning a visit
The monastery is open Monday to Saturday from 11:30 to 16:30, and Sunday from 14:00 to 17:00. For travel, the site is 178 km from Lisbon. The nearest airport is Viseu Airport, 73 km away, and Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport is 117 km from the location.
The summer months of July and August are the driest, with highs of 28 °C, lows of 16 °C, and about 1 or 2 rainy days per month. The wettest period is from October to January, with rainfall between about 122 mm and 151 mm. During the winter months, daily lows range from 5 °C to 9 °C, while spring months like May see highs of 21 °C.
Nearby, visitors can reach the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, located 0.3 km away, or Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, which is 2 km from the monastery.
Weather by month
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 29 °C. The wettest is December, with about 151 mm of rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 14 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 14 |
| Average low, °C | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 |
| Rainfall, mm | 122 | 97 | 72 | 98 | 77 | 35 | 14 | 17 | 54 | 122 | 130 | 151 |
| Rainy days | 11 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
