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Day 1
In the morning we shall head to the elegant coast of Estoril and Cascais, the charming areas of exiled
kings, and twentieth century spies, not forgetting the companion of the large and wide Tagus River. On
the way to Estoril the Atlantic Ocean will be right by your side, the final scenic pretext that will prepare
you to visit the Westernmost point of Continental Europe - the Roca Cape. The natural elements will
always be present, while living the maritime coast, to enter in the natural reserve of Sintra and Cascais,
being welcomed by the luxurious vegetation, of an uneven green, developing the perfect conditions to the
romantic ambiance of Sintra, the UNESCO World Heritage, with palaces, stories and legends. To fully
appreciate this atmosphere, we'll visit the Pena National Palace on the top of the Sintra's mountain range.
Sintra will also be the location of your first gastronomic and wine experience (lunch included). This will
prepare you to visit the Portuguese capital, "the Seven Hills City "- with references that go back to the
times of the nation's birth (12th century), throughout the glorious age of the Portuguese Discoveries
(16th century)-best present on the glorious Jerónimos Monastery and the quaint Tower of Belém- all the
way to the modern 21st century present on the busy life of Lisbon's downtown- the Baixa.
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Accommodation in Lisbon:
Pestana Palace - "Located in Lisbon
city but only a short drive from the
Estoril Coast and its beaches, the hotel
incorporates a nineteenth century
palace, now fully restored to its
former glory and classified as a
National Monument. The Pestana
Palace looks over an inner private park
lush with many subtropical trees and
plants and enjoys panoramic views
over the Tagus River."
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Day 2
We will continue our journey discovering Portugal. We will depart from Lisbon towards the Alentejo
region, where you'll visit one of the most interesting cities of this region: Évora ( World Heritage City,
classified by UNESCO). A "rendezvous" with Portuguese history and genuine house styles from the
South of Portugal with their white washed façades. Free time for Lunch in Evora (not included). Then, it's
time to arrive at the memorable village of Marvão. This small town stands at more than 800 meters high
and it's surrounded by the old castle walls from (13th -17th century) Since this will be the day dedicated
to discover the deep countryside of Portugal, you'll also pass through the beautiful and ancient
Portuguese village of Castelo de Vide. This will be a completely different scenery from the other days of
this tour. Bring your camera along, or you'll regret it forever...For an idyllic ending of the day in
Belmonte, you'll rest at the Pousada do Convento de Belmonte (dinner included).
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Accommodation in Belmonte:
Pousada do Convento de Belmonte
"Very near Belmonte, where Pedro
Álvares Cabral (Brazil discoverer) was
born, the Belmonte Pousada results
from the reconstruction of the ruined
Convent of Nossa Senhora da
Esperança, where there is also a small
13th Century chapel. The Belmonte
Pousada preserves all the historical
architecture of the convent, including
an amphitheatre in the woodlands."
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Day 3
We'll start the day visiting Belmonte, a beautiful small village where one of the oldest Jewish
communities in Portugal still survive. Belmonte is also the birthplace of the navigator who discovered
Brazil, Pedro Álvares Cabral. After a visit to its Castle and its narrow streets of the Jewish quarter, we'll
continue to another important city of this region: Viseu. Here you'll enjoy its historical town centre with
the traditional commerce. Viseu will be perfect place for another wonderful experience regarding the
Portuguese gastronomy (lunch included). Then, the journey will take us to the Douro region. We'll enter
in a region where the Douro river represents the soul of the natives and where the wine production is
decisive to this population. And since we´ve mentioned the internationally renowned wine of this region,
we'll visit one the many Wine Estates that exist in this area, where you'll have the opportunity to learn
about the producing methods and to enjoy a wine tasting at the end of the visit. The tour will continue
towards Vila Real for a visit to "Solar de Mateus". Here you´ll find the delicate Barroque Style decorating
a traditional building. The construction of this Manour House was possible due to the wealth that Port
wine brought to ancient and traditional Portuguese families. Then we will continue to Amarante, where
we will stay on this third day on another beautiful Charming Hotel, Casa da Calçada, who belongs to the
prestigious "Relais & Chateaux" Hotel Chain. Amarante has an impressive but yet romantic small
historical centre, just in front of this hotel, which will be perfect for an evening promenade. On this night,
you'll also have the opportunity to have dinner at this hotel's restaurant for another excellent gourmet
experience (dinner included).
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Accommodation in Amarante:
Casa da Calçada "Located near the old
bridge over the River Tamega, in the
historic heart of the small town of
Amarante, Casa da Calçada is an
impressive refined, hotel set on a
XVI century Palace, former residence
of the Counts of Redondo.
Magnificent gardens, gold coloured
walls, and elegant lounges with very
comfortable seating in romantic style,
welcome guests as they arrive to this
beautiful manor house. Rich colours
and objects d'art, enhance the
ambiance, in a quiet atmosphere of
luxurious comfort.
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Day 4
After a visit to the historical centre of Amarante, we´ll continue towards Braga, an important religious
capital that exhibited its power and importance in the past times, through the original sanctuary of "Bom
Jesus of Braga", with its magnificent baroque staircase (with a story to tell on its artistic chapels). Then,
the destiny will be the lovely scenic town of Ponte de Lima. Comproving the ancestral human occupation
of the region and the economical significance of the town until the 18th century, strolling in Ponte de
Lima town centre you'll come across with several traces of of this wealthy past. Here, you will be able to
enjoy an unique gastronomy and the singular locally produced Green Wine (Vinho Verde) - free time for
lunch. The tour proceeds to Viana do Castelo, the capital of Minho region with a lovely panorama over
the Atlantic (a visit to the Santa Luzia Belvedere is mandatory). This is an excellent city to explore its
rich historical centre and have a look at the beautiful local embroideries. The day will end at Guimarães,
the "cradle" of Portuguese nationality. We'll proudly present you the historical centre of Guimarães, the
first important city, of the kingdom of Portugal with references that illustrates more than 800 years of
history. In Guimarães, we'll invite you to dinner (included), and try the tasty cuisine, of Northern
Portugal.
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Accommodation in Guimarães:
Pousada de Sta. Marinha - Near the
historical centre of Guimarães, set on a
hill overlooking the city, we find the
majestic Santa Marinha Pousada, the
XII century Augustin convent, which
after being rebuilt and restored,
received the National Architectural
Prize in 1985. Penha Park, the small
gardens and the interior corners with
granite fountains, the rich Portuguese
glazed tiles, the cloisters, the balconies
and terraces over the city will, together
with the magnificent cuisine and
wines, make you wish to stay for a
very long time.
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Day 5
In the morning, we'll do a tour through Guimarães historical centre and then, we'll proceed to Oporto,
where we would present you the charm and history of this city. When visiting Oporto, a visit to the
Wine Cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia, is something that no one should miss. Here you'll finally visit the
place where Port Wine gains its generous taste, never forgetting a technical explanation on all the
processes involved. Free time to lunch in Vila Nova de Gaia.
After lunch, the historical centre will be visited in detail, comprehending important monuments as the St.
Francis Church, all covered with gold (about 600 kg) in its interior, an extraordinary artistic work of
gilded wood carvings that gains its splendour, with a dimension never seen before. The elegant and
ancient "Stock Exchange Market" with an unique beauty, exhibits the careful and detailed 19th century
taste. Then, we'll see the north historical area of the city, on the most traditional commercial street of
Oporto - the pedestrian street of Sta. Catarina. If shopping is not in your plans, find a table at the
Majestic Café, where elegance is expresse on every detail taking you in a time voyage. As the perfect
conclusion for this day, we'll take a cruise in Douro River, the best place to see Oporto and the Douro
Margins.
At the end of the afternoon, you´ll be welcomed at your hotel. In the evening, dinner included in Ribeira
(the waterfront), the most traditional quarter of Oporto...
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Accommodation in Porto
Pestana Porto - Situated in the Praça
da Ribeira, heart of the historical
centre of Porto and constructed on
part of the mediaeval city wall, the
Pestana Porto Hotel forms part of a
block of town houses dating from the
XVI, XVII and XVIII centuries.
This beautiful adjoining group of
buildings was classified by UNESCO
as part of the World Heritage site
which extends along the Douro River
enjoying a magnificent view and
unique atmosphere.
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Day 6
During the morning, we'll give you free time for personal leisure activities (like some of the most
appreciated tasks while travelling: visiting expositions, museums or shopping). Oporto is excellent for all
of these purposes. After lunch time, the destiny will be the city of Coimbra. It was one of the most
important capitals that Portugal had and it is still a reference considering its beauty. The pleasant city
centre overlooking the Mondego River gives Coimbra a particular charm, known as the Student's Capital.
You'll have a special visit to an extraordinary masterpiece of the 18th century: the library of Coimbra's
University. The decoration expresses a magnitude that almost intimidates. The church of Santa Cruz,
where we're able to admire the tomb of the first Portuguese King - Afonso Henriques, will be visited,
showing also the detailed and beautiful façade that invites us to look inside and forget about the time.
Then,we'll proceed to Lousã, in the surroundings of Coimbra. This place offers the tranquility of a
typical small town of the interior of Portugal, surrounded by the green of the Lousã Mountains. A
perfect spot to rest this night, in one of the most charming new boutique hotels of Portugal, inside an
ancient palace. Their intimate restaurant will be perfect for your gourmet dinner. (Dinner included in
Lousã).
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Accommodation in Lousã
Palacio da Lousã Boutique Hotel -
"The new Meliá Palacio da Lousã
Boutique Hotel (opened 2005) is
located in the idyllic district of Lousã,
23 km from Coimbra, 160 km from
Porto and 230 km from Lisbon. The
building itself is the ancient palace of
the Viscondessa do Espinal, dating
from the 17th and 18th century. Its
location close to historically and
culturally interesting sites as well as
its modern interior make it the perfect
choice for resting in an exceptional
environment."
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Day 7
Today, we'll head south to visit Fátima, considered to be the World's Altarpiece. A chance to understand
the expression of Portuguese faith, in one of the biggest mysteries of Catholic Church. Then the tour will
proceed to Batalha, where we'll visit the Batalha Monastery church, an icon representing the significance
of the religious orders in Portugal and a reference to one of the most important moments of our history -
The Aljubarrota Battle. Free time for lunch in Batalha. After lunch, we'll move to Alcobaça, famous for
its 12th century monastery. This monastery is not only a beautiful architectural example, but it has also
the monuments in memory of King D. Pedro I and D. Inês de Castro (characters of a true romantic
Portuguese story from the 14th century, very similar to “Romeu and Juliet”) made in magnificent stone
handwork. On our way to Lisbon we will visit Óbidos, a small medieval village, with walls surrounding it
and protecting a heritage of narrow streets, whitewashed houses embellished with flowers and whrought
iron windows that once again invite us to travel back in time.
And like all good things come to an end we will have to return back to the capital - Lisbon. After visiting
our beautiful country, that we have proudly shown you, we have the feeling that you'll wish to come
back to Portugal again..
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