Castles of Portugal

A pousada is not just a 5 star hotel characterized by its hospitality and personal approach. It´s a type of accommodation that allows you to travel through time (castles, palaces, and monasteries – historic pousadas), to appreciate different forms of architecture and stunning interior designs (charming pousada), to be in complete harmony with nature and surrendering to the charm and magic of Portugal´s landscape (nature pousadas) and to enjoy a variety of gastronomic works of art of Portugal´s cuisine.

Arrival in Lisbon, accommodation at the Pestana Palace 5* Dinner not included)

Breakfast at the hotel. The tour will take you through of the most distinctive cities in Europe where you will travel not only in space but in time. The narrow streets of the Alfama district, around a Cathedral, will immerse you in a middle age atmosphere.

The Baixa will take you to the XVIII century, the aristocratic district of Chiado with its bookshops and famous “literary” Café Brasileiro will take you back to the XIX century or the beginning of the XX century. Finally the Belem district, where Portuguese caravels set sail to Africa and India and where the famous Monastery “Mosteiro dos Jeronimos is located, also known as the burial place for discoverer Vasco da Gama and poet Luis Camões. In Belem you will feel the “wind of wanderings” and the “spirit of adventure” of the Age of Discovery. Dinner reservation at a typical restaurant in Lisbon, lamb stew and dry Alentejo wines, upon request and at an additional cost.

Breakfast at the Hotel. Discover the north. Coimbra is mainly known for its university, a gift by Portuguese King Dinis as he gave his palace, and a unique library of the XVIII century, which became one of the most beautiful libraries in the world.

Piglet Dinner in Mealhada - "Portugal´s suckling pig capital", a dish that got to number 7 of the gastronomic wonders of Portugal accompanied with sparkling wine from the Bairrada region. Drive through Buçaco (Marvelous park / forest, where a Royal Palace was built at the end of the XIX century on the site of a Carmelite convent) and then travel to the city of Viseu, located in the province of Beira, actively developed in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, one of the favorite cities of Portuguese king D.Duarte, the city where the most famous Portuguese artist worked from -Vasco Fernandes ...

Breakfast at the pousada. Drive to Lamego, a town in the Douro province with an ancient and rich history. You will pass through the historic centre of the city where you will get a chance to see the cathedral, a unique granite staircase and tile panels leading to the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios church. Next is Regua, “the capital of Port Wine” It is here, in this picturesque valley of the Douro Region, (listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO) that grapes used to produce port wine are grown. Here you will get to know the manufacturing process and taste the wine.

Next, visit Guimarães, the first capital of the kingdom of Portugal, the town where “Portugal was born” an a medieval ensemble which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. You will pass by traditional residential houses on the granite bridge of the old town from the castle to the St. James square and pilgrimage church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira. Feel the spirit of the Middle Ages. In 2012 Guimarães was declared the European Capital of Culture. Accommodation at the Pousada de Sta Marinha – Guimarães.

Breakfast at the Pousada. Day trip to Galicia (one of the most picturesque regions of Spain) to visit the city of Santiago de Compostela. Amazing city, covered in granite medieval streets that where built around the cathedral, which was built after the miraculous discovery of the remains of the apostle James. Pilgrims from around the world visit the cathedral every day. Tour and free time. Return to Portugal and accommodation and gourmet dinner at the Pousada Monte de Sta Luzia - Viana de Castelo

Breakfast at the hotel. This day will be spent at the Douro Valley, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Half of the grapes grown here are used in the production of Port Wine. The famous Port wine is sometimes referred to as the ambassador of Portuguese wines, produced from grapes grown along the slopes of the Douro Valley in the vicinity of Mesão Frio.

The history of Port Wine begins in the second half of the XVII century, when the whole world has a rapid trade development and expansion. In 1703 Portugal and England signed a contract in which Portuguese wine is given preferential treatment when importing into Misty Albion. This gives rise to vintage wine exports to the foreign market and contributes to rapid international Vign Vindimas_9recognition. Port Wine – A fortified, aged wine, whose production is strictly limited by the boundaries of the special wines of the Douro region. Its method of preparation has a number of features relating mainly to a short period of fermentation and maceration.

Before exportation, Port wine is aged for a certain period of time in a barrel or bottled and stored in the caves of Vila Nova de Gaia. Our next stop is Régua (in the Douro Valley). Accommodation and lunch at the Quinta de Pacheco – sardines, corn bread and Quinta da Pacheco white wine. Here at the Quinta de Pacheco will be the culmination of our tour. From 14h30 to 16h30 you may participate in the harvesting and treading of grapes in a winepress together with members of the local vineyards and of the estate. Accommodation and dinner (Grilled meat and house wine) at the Quinta de Pacheco. Quinta do Pacheco was reserved solely for our group. In the morning we will head north.

Breakfast at the hotel and a tour of Porto. The "Wonders of Portugal", an amazing ensemble of the monastery of Alcobaça and Batalha will surely impress your imagination: the ascetic Alcobaça XIIV and the delicate XIV-XV cc Batalha have been both declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Obidos, a tiny picturesque town within city walls is often a "live" setting for theater, concerts, festivals and holidays.

The palace and park of Queluz (XVIII century), though created based on the model of Versailles, absorbed the Portuguese tradition of interior decoration and landscaping. "Earthly paradise" is what XIX century poets, writers and travelers called Sintra.

A fabulous town situated on a picturesque hill, became the residence of the Portuguese kings and aristocracy. The "City Palace" (XIV century) with its famous chimneys, the Pena Palace (XIX century) a mixture of architectural and decorative styles, the mystic mansion Quinta da Regaleira wonderfully inscribed in the landscape of Sintras forest are not all the attractions of this amazing city. From here you will go to the "ends of the Earth", Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, and then, along the coast, past the beautiful beaches and famous resorts - Cascais and Estoril – you will return to Lisbon. Transfer to the airport for the flight home..