Arrived in Lisbon after 8 am. Checked in to the Olissippo Marques de Sa for two nights. To stay awake, we walked around the neighborhood.
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Portugal 01/11/2024
It is a free day to explore. Our tour with the group starts tomorrow. We found a couple of parks to explore, and walked the seven hills of Lisbon.
Portugal 01/12/2024
Day 1
Spent the morning exploring before officially joining the Trafalgar Best of Portugal Tour.
Later in the afternoon, we met with our tour for a welcome meeting/reception.
We had our first group orientation drive today, passing by some iconic sights. A sea of pastel pinks, yellows, and blues dot the seven hills of the romantic Portuguese capital before meeting our fellow travelers and Rui, our Travel Director, at the welcome reception.
Portugal 01/13/2024
Day 2
The sites we visited:
- Monument “Discovery” pays tribute to the brave men who set off from these shores to discover the ‘New World’.
- The iconic suspension bridge spanning the Tagus was built by the American Bridge Company which also built the Golden Gate and Sunshine Skyway.
- Belem Tower was built as a fortress protecting the city of Lisbon.
- UNESCO-listed Hieronymite Monastery, an exquisite testament to 16th-century Manueline architecture and art.
Portuguese Fado Evening Of Music & Song With Dinner – Fado is the expressive national song of Portugal, often called the soul of their identity. We visited one of the famed local fado houses for an unforgettable performance and to savor a typical Portuguese meal
Portugal 01/14/2024
Day 3
Today, we checked out of the hotel in Lisbon and moved to the Alentejo. We stopped at a local market and then connected with locals for lunch at a horse ranch. After lunch, we moved on to the hotel in the Algarve.
Portugal 01/15/2024
Day 4
Today’s tour includes the cliffs and beaches of the Sagres Peninsula, Cape St. Vincent, and the resort town of Lagos.
Got the ingredients for the best sangra ever.
Portugal 01/16/2024
Day 5
We checked out of our hotel this morning and journeyed north to Evora. Our tour took us to the elaborate Cathedral, the Roman Temple, and the Chapel of Bones.
Monsaraz And The Deep Alentejo Drive – We followed our Local Specialist through the vineyards and groves of cork oaks to charming Monsaraz, one of the most famous and beautiful villages of the Alentejo. Inhabited since prehistory, Monsaraz has beautiful white-washed houses and a 14th-century castle that overlooks Spain. We also saw the largest artificial lake in Europe before tasting typical local refreshments.
Portugal 01/17/2024
Day 6
This morning, we checked out and ventured to Castelo de Vide, the Serra de Estrela Mountains, and finally to Viseu.
Beira Dinner in a Dão Wine Cellar – Today, we drove into the heart of the well-known region of Dão Wine to find out how the wines are produced and enjoy our Beira Dinner in a Wine Cellar producing some of the best wines of this region.
Portugal 01/18/2024
Day 7
This morning, we traveled through the Duoro Valley. Made stops at the Palacio de Mateus, a 10th-century castle in Guimaraes, and finally settled in a hotel in Porto.
Later in the evening a Duoro Dinner and Cruise (we missed the cruise but the dinner was fun.)
Portugal 01/19/2024
Day 8
Our Local Specialist took us sightseeing in Porto, past baroque churches, and along the winding cobblestone lanes that tumble down towards the Douro River. See saw the remarkable bridges that span the river and the Gothic Church of St.Francis. Visited the Stock Exchange Palace with its splendid Arabian Hall inspired by Granada’s Alhambra, we learned the culture of the centuries-old tradition of local port production at a tasting in a port cellar.
Old Town Braga and Bom Jesus Sanctuary – Spent the afternoon with our Local Specialist traveling through the lush green Minho, Portugal’s most northerly province, stopping at its capital, Braga. We saw Europe’s largest and most magnificent sculpted Baroque staircase which ascends the forested hillside to the ‘Bom Jesus’ sanctuary, a UNESCO heritage site. We arrived using a unique 19th-century water-powered funicular. Finally, we walk through Braga’s historic center seeing the life of this ancient and innovative city.
Portugal 01/20/2024
Day 9
We soaked up the grand atmosphere of one of Europe’s greatest and oldest universities, Coimbra University, with a Local Specialist, then strolled through the ancient streets and squares of Coimbra, before journeying to the Templar city of Tomar. We joined a Local Specialist to visit the Convent of Christ, originally built as a Templar stronghold in the 12th century. Later, we arrived at the pilgrimage center of Fatima, visited by millions of Catholic pilgrims, where three young shepherds famously saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
Portugal 01/21/2024
Day 10
En route to Lisbon, we stopped at the imposing monastery of Batalha, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best example of late Gothic architecture in Portugal. Our next stop was the fishing village of Nazare, which is the world surfing championship site, before we visited the medieval walled city of Obidos with its whitewashed houses and cobblestone streets. Our guide bought Ginja for everyone, a cherry cordial in a chocolate cup with of course a cherry inside. Janet had two, and they were amazing.
We Celebrated our last evening in Portugal at a farewell dinner in a family-run vineyard.
Portugal 01/22/2024
Day 11
We said a fond adeus to our fellow travelers at the end of an unforgettable Portuguese holiday. The Trafalgar tour has now ended, and fellow travelers are departing for home. Not for us, we met Ricardo for a private tour of Sintra, Cascais, and Estoril Coast.
Visited
- National Palace de Monserrate.
- Quinta Da Regaleira – Unesco site, ancient carvings, and tons of history.
- Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe
- Cascais
We had lunch at Azenhas Do Mar a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic. The shrimp risotto was amazing.
These photos were taken by our tour guide, Ricardo.
Video taken by our guide.
More Videos. IMG_9412 – IMG_9425 – IMG_9399
Portugal 01/23/2024
João picked us up and took us on a full-day tour of Aveiro, the Portuguese Venice. We Stayed at the Aveiro Palace Hotel. Walked to the mall, market, shops, and our favorite cafe.
View of the ocean.
Portugal 01/24/2024
Explored Aveiro on your own.
Portugal 01/25/2024
Checked out of the hotel at noon, leaving our luggage at the front desk, and explored Aveiro on our own. We enjoyed the cafe one last time, then later soup and wine for lunch.
At 4:00 the transfer driver picked us up and took us to the Airport Hotel in Lisbon, where we checked in at the Melia Lisboa Aeroporto, where we experienced cold showers. Dinner in the hotel (chicken stew). The food wasn’t the highlight of the trip, although the seafood was very tasty.
Tomorrow is an all-day travel day.
Portugal 01/26/2024
Woke up early for breakfast in the hotel, and then took the 8 am shuttle to the airport.
Fly home on United
- Depart Lisbon flight UA 65 at 10:15 am arriving in Newark at 1:25 pm
- 3 hr layover in Newark-you will go through immigration here
- Depart Newark flight UA at 4:25 pm and arrive in Tampa at 7:30 pm
Yay. It was fun, but good to be home again.