Portugal's Seaside, Soul & Saudade
European Collection

On arrival at Humberto Delgado Airport, Lisbon you will be met by your driver for your private transfer to the resort.  

After check-in, the rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the facilities at the resort before joining together for a welcome dinner together this evening.

This morning we will visit one of most beautiful regions in all of Portugal - Sintra. In the pine-covered Sintra mountains sits a magnificent medieval village with its 14th century Royal Palace. Sintra served as the summer residence for Portuguese Kings and nobility for centuries. After some time spent exploring this UNESCO World Heritage town, we will enjoy lunch together.

This afternoon we continue towards the famous Guincho beach  Guincho Beach This wild, rugged stretch of Atlantic coastline is part of the spectacular Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. It's dramatic sand dunes, vast golden sands, and crashing ocean waves makeit a popular beach for surfing and for strolling along taking in the view. We will enjoy some time here before ollowing the coastal road to return to Cascais for an evening spent at leisure. 

We will enjoy a panoramic city tour before exploring Lisbon further together on foot. We will visit the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site in the area around Jeronimo's Monastery. A short walk along the waterfront leads us to the iconic Belem Tower wheere we will learn more about Lisbon's Moorish history. There will be some free time for lunch and for further exploring your own interests.

This afternoon we will learn some of the secrets of Portugal's most famous dessert- the Pastel de Nata. We will join a cookery class to produce our own versions of this legendary egg custard tart, rolling the laminated pastry, making the custard from scratch, and torching them in high-heat ovens.

Today's itinerary is the ultimate Portuguese cultural day trip. It perfectly balances spiritual history, amazing architecture, wild coastal nature, and a medieval fairytale village—all located within a day's travel of our resort.

We begin in Obidos, exploring together inside the fully intact town stone walls.  Óbidos is a town that was traditionally gifted by Portuguese kings to their queens. Here we wander down cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed houses draped in vibrant bougainvillea.

Next stop will be in the picturesque and colorful fishing village of Nazare with its traditions and legends. After a short walking exploration, here will be some time here for a lunch together to enjoy the seafood and scenery before continuing on to Batalha,

We come to Batalha to admire the Batalha Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece built to celebrate a historic victory over Castile in 1385. Bring your camera for specacular shots of the soaring gothic architecture against the blue sky.

Final stop for today is in serene Fatima, where the massive plaza is twice the size of St. Peter's Square in Rome. Here we can view the sleek, modern Basilica of the Holy Trinity to enjoy the peace and serenity of fatima beofre we return to Cascais for an evening at leisure. 

Évora is a stunning, open-air museum city and the historic capital of Portugal’s sun-drenched Alentejo region. This beautifully preserved ancient city is enclosed by 14th-century medieval walls and boasts a rich tapestry of history stretching back over 2,000 years.

We will spend some time exploring that history together on foot this morning before enjoying lunch together and local wine-tasting. Alentejo is a world-class wine region celebrated for producing some of Portugal’s richest, most full-bodied red wines. 

This morning we haed our from the harbour at Cascais to enjoy a coastal cruise for an exclusive and relaxing perspective away from the crowds before an afternoon spent at leisure.

This evening, we will experience one of Portugal's most famous musical genres- dining out at a Fado & Folklore Show, combining Lisbon's UNESCO-listed Fado with vibrant, energetic folk dances from all across rural Portugal.

Sadly, it's the end of our Portugal exploration. You will be transferred to Lisbon airport for onwards travel this morning. Why not travel a little further with the Big Journey Company and join us on our 4 day tour extension to Porto? 

For those quests joining us on the 4 day tour extension to Porto, we will be met at the resort this morning for onwards travel together.