Wonderful Portuguese historian as escort, local cooking class, outstanding wines and foods, friendly locals, picturesque villages and great historic cities, the real Portugal.
With a charming native Portuguese historian as our guide and companion, we are going to see some fascinating, out-of-the-way sights that represent the true Portugal so little known—the least explored corner of Western Europe. From the rolling plains of the Alentejo to the ornate medieval monasteries of Estremadura to the mountains and romantic castles of the Beiras; from the Douro River Valley with its famed port wine to the rural green hills and valleys of the Minho region of Northern Portugal—we will see Portugal as it has changed through the centuries. We will meet today’s vineyard owners, olive farmers, and craftspeople creating beautiful azulejos ceramic tiles as they have been made for centuries. We’ll learn about yesterday’s kings and queens and explorers. We will see beautiful Manueline-style palaces and monasteries and tiny Baroque churches. Hearing stories of Portugal’s fascinating history, we’ll explore medieval castles and fabulous palaces. We’ll see ancient cities and tiny hilltop villages. We’ll learn about (and taste) Portugal’s best wines and dine on her most delicious regional specialties and freshest fish.
Staying in elegant Pousadas and wonderful regional manor houses, we’ll travel by minivan with a small, friendly group. Each evening dinner is a special occasion that will feel like a delightful dinner party of friends. Throughout our two-week gourmet travel adventure, you will be pampered, wined and dined, and treated as our guests. You’ll see a Portugal you will never forget!
Your Itinerary:
Day 1: From the Lisbon Airport we drive north to the lovely town of Tomar, where we check into our manor house, our home for two nights. Tomar stretches along the banks of the Nabão River at the foot of a wooded hill crowned by a fortified castle built in 1160 by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar. After lunch we take a tour of the impressive Convento de Cristo. Dating from the 12th century, this outstanding group of buildings represents a museum of different Portuguese architectural styles. Back at our manor home we relax before a delicious home cooked dinner of Estremadura specialties, served in the family dining room.
Day 2: In the morning our guide, Carla, takes us to visit the famous monastery of Batalha, a masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic architecture. We enjoy lunch at the seaside resort of Nazaré and in the afternoon visit the site of the miracles of Fatima. Upon returning to our villa, our hosts treat us to an entertaining cooking class where we learn to create delicious regional specialties.
Day 3: Today we head north to the wonderful city of Coimbra, birthplace of six kings and home of Portugal's oldest university. A local guide leads our tour and takes us to his favorite pub for lunch. Next we drive along the beautiful Douro River and check into our luxurious Relais et Châteaux hotel in Pinhao and enjoy a gourmet dinner.
Day 4: Today we visit the Vila Nova de Foz Côa archeological site, the largest Paleolithic open air site in the world, where we see 20,000-year-old prehistoric rock drawings. In the afternoon, we take a cruise along the Douro River in a “Rabelo”—the traditional wooden sailing ship used in days gone by to transport barrels of port up and down the river. We stop along the river at a quinta for a port wine tasting. Back at our hotel we enjoy a “class” to learn which port wines go best with the world’s finest chocolates.
Day 5: A visit to the flamboyant Solar de Mateus shows us an excellent example of Portuguese Baroque architecture. The palace is surrounded by gardens, tree covered walks, and allegorical statues. In the afternoon we have free time to relax at our hotel with a glass of port before dinner.
Day 6: After stopping in the picturesque town of Amarante, we drive to Guimarães, Portugal's first capital and home of the first King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques. After checking into our charming Pousada inn, we have a guided tour of the historic town and then free time for shopping before a wonderful dinner at the Pousada.
Day 7: Today we take an excursion to the colorful city of Porto, Portugal's second largest city, named for port wine. After a tour of the historic center of the city we have lunch overlooking the river, followed by a visit to the famous Offley Port winery. On the way back to Guimarães we visit the spectacular Baroque monument, the Santuario do Bom Jesus do Monte. The “Stairway of the Three Virtues” is an amazing sight—and to think the pilgrims used to climb it on their knees! We have dinner tonight in Guimarães and spend a second night at the Pousada.
Day 8: Today we drive south through the Beiras, Tras-os-Montes, and Estremadura regions into the Alentejo. Our fabulous Pousada for the night is in Marvão, a fortified medieval village perched high on top of a granite wall on a peak of the Serra de São Marmede mountain range. Marvão is exciting to explore, with its narrow streets and covered alleys climbing up to the 13th century castle. From the castle the view of the surrounding countryside is outstanding. We can easily see across the border into Spain.
Day 9: In the morning we visit the charming village of Castelo de Vide and then the famous royal stud horse farm of Alter do Chão. In Portel we check into a lovely villa, our home for the next two nights. Elegant but rustic, this manor house is also a cooking school. A tour of the Herdade do Esporao wine estate is followed by a tasting of excellent Alentejo wines. We enjoy a gourmet dinner at our villa in Portel.
Day 10: Today we have a cooking class at our villa and then take an excursion to visit the medieval walled town of Monsaraz, perched high on a hill above the River Guadiana. We return to Portel to enjoy a wonderful gourmet dinner of regional recipes we have prepared ourselves.
Days 11 & 12: In the morning we’ll visit the Roman city of Evora with its perfectly preserved Roman temple, its unusual cathedral, and the macabre Chapel of Bones before driving to Sintra. We spend the next two days in beautiful Sintra, an enchanting hillside village of castles, quaint streets, and beautiful villas and palaces. On our last night we have a grand farewell dinner in an outstanding local gourmet restaurant.
Day 13: We drive to the Lisbon Airport for the flight home.
Notes:
Airfare is included in the tour price.
Single supplement TBD.
Price Includes:
- Roundtrip airfare from Boston or New York (airfare price can be deducted)
- 12 nights deluxe accommodations
- 12 breakfasts, 12 gourmet dinners, some with wine
- All wine tastings
- Services of a charming Portuguese guide, who is both our minibus driver and an expert on Portuguese history
- Visits to Setúbal, Portel, Moura, Monsaraz, Evora, Marvão, Vila Vicosa, Castelo de Vide, Portalegre, Alter do Chao, Monsanto, Almeida, Vale do Coa, Douro River, Porto, Guimaraes, Coimbra, Batalha, Tomar
- Tours of interesting local sights: ancient monasteries, castles, a horse stud farm, several wineries, an olive orchard, an archaeological site with prehistoric drawings
- Boat cruise along the Douro River
- Cooking class at a beautiful country hotel
- All tour guides, all museum and monument entrance fees, tips and taxes.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Portugal
Local Culture
Food & Wine
Archeology/History
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