Mafra, Portugal

Mafra, a city and a municipality in the district of Lisbon, on the west coast of Portugal, is mostly known for the sumptuous Mafra National Palace. Built in the baroque style, the Mafra National Palace also inspired Portuguese Nobel Prize laureate José Saramago to write his novel Baltasar and Blimunda (Memorial do Convento). Other points of interest around the municipality include the Tapada Nacional de Mafra, an enclosed wildlife and game reserve, and Ericeira's World Surf Reserve, the 2º in the world.