Private tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Program
Travel northwards and arrive at the beautiful and very ancient walled town called Obidos - medieval city surrounded by the castle
with picturesque narrow streets, whitewashed houses, iron balconies, flower pots in every window. Inhabited by Romans and
Arabs, this was the dwelling place of the Portuguese court for more than 500 years.
Drive to Alcobaca and stop in this charming ancient town. Free time to visit the XII century Alcobaca Monastery. It has the
longest church in Portugal, an amazing construction which resisted time and earthquakes and where you can see how Cistercian
monks used to live. See also the tombs of king Peter and Ines, the 2 lovers of the most dramatic Portuguese love story. The
cloisters are worthwhile a stopover: wander around the garden, kitchen, cellar, refectory, chapter house, dormitory, Kings’ hall of
this centenary dwelling place of friars.
Free time for lunch in Nazare, the most colourful of Portuguese fishing villages and the richest fishing region of Portugal, where
one can see fishermen and their wives wearing traditional clothes. This seaside resort is also famous for its beautiful handicraft.
After lunch, go up to the cliff near the beach, for a superb view of the village and coastline.
Proceed to Batalha Monastery, a XIV century masterpiece in Gothic style. Here you can admire the highest church in Portugal,
the Royal Pantheon of the Portuguese “Conquerors of the Sea” – the so-called “Magnificent generation”, the beautiful manueline
cloister, the chapter house with the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Unfinished Chapels.
Finally Fatima - the Center of Christian faith and a local of world's pilgrimage. See the chapel where Our Lady appeared to the
shepherds, the Basilica and the vast square where people crawl on their knees towards the heart of the shrine, in a impressive sign
of faith and devotion, lightning a candle, praying and making a vow to Our Lady or fulfilling a promise. Religious services can be
attended. Visit also Aljustrel with the humble houses where the shepherds lived.
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...Perched on a hill rising out of an agricultural plain, Óbidos is one of Portugal’s picturesque gems. From its lofty centre
one gazes upon expanses of vineyards speckled with whirling windmills and terracotta-roofed homesteads. Nearer, narrow
cobbled streets, lined typically with whitewashed, bougainvillaea-draped houses, wind up to the walled interior. The region
was the westernmost limit of the Roman Empire. Under Portuguese rule, Obidos flourished into a major trading port.
Every Portuguese queen was given Obidos as a wedding present. Obidos continues to be a popular destination during the
summer, when tourists jam the streets to explore the city’s medieval charm....
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...The city of Alcobaça became notable after the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, decided to build there a Monastery to
celebrate the conquest of Santarém. It’s one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country and was the first Gothic
building in Portugal, started in the 12th century. Over the centuries this monastery had an important role on Portuguese culture.
The Cistecian monks in Alcobaça dedicated their lives to meditation, working and teaching. They created the first public school in
Portugal, which was begun in 1269, and the use of the land for farming purposes, providing a genuine agricultural training
ground, the fruits of which are still visible today...
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…Possibly the most famous fishing town in Portugal, Nazaré is unique in many ways. It has an atmosphere of times gone
by, contentment and traditions, which continue to thrive, which make it a special place to visit. Along the seafront of Nazaré,
people still dry their catch of fish in the sun and mend their boats alongside sunbathing holidaymakers. A throng of craft
shops and cafes stretches the length of the Avenida Marginal, as well as restaurants serving a great variety of the local
speciality, which is of course fish. Until not too long ago, fishermen were still seen using oxen to pull their brightly painted
boats from the ocean and even today many locals still wear their characteristic traditional costumes: the fishermen have
check shirts and trousers, and the women wear several layers of petticoats. The fishing boats are Phoenician in design with
bright colours and eyes painted on the vessels, supposedly with the magical power to avert storms…
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...In the XIV century, king Ferdinand died without a male heir to the throne; this originated the most significant civil war in
Portugal, involving England and Spain. The winner, king John I, ordered the construction of this Monastery in homage to his
victory and to be his Royal Pantheon. In fact, he started also what would become known as the “Magnificent Generation”, those
Monarchs who gave the impulse and consolidated the gigantic Portuguese Empire. The Monastery was to be the Portuguese
monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly
influenced by Manueline art...
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...The Catholic Church regards the three parts of the Fatima Secret and the total Fatima message to be important and of
great value to the spiritual lives of its people. It consists only of prophecies about the new condition of the Church in the
world.... Fatima and its Secret do present us with something deeply serious, for they bring us face to face with the mysteries
of eternal life. Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions. Faith and prayer are forces which can
influence history and that in the end prayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than armies...
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