Arrival at Lisbon Airport. Meet and greet. Transfer to your hotel.
Afternoon at leisure
Bus to pick up the group at hotel.
WELCOME DINNER:
Restaurant “A Casa do Bacalhau”.
Menu 1
***
Couvert (bread, butter, pate)
Crispy Goat Cheese with Honey and
Pumpkin Jam
Cod with Crust of Maze Bread with
Turnip Tops in Rosemary Olive Oil
Chocolate Mousse with Pistachio Ice
Cream
White and red wine
Coffee / Tea / Water
Return to your hotel by private bus. Night in Lisbon.
Breakfast
Lisbon Full Day City Tour
On the right bank of the broad Tagus river estuary, the capital of Portugal graciously reclines over rolling hills. This is a spectacular geographical location and does much to explain the cosmopolitan history of the city.
Its exceptional natural light, which has long inspired writers, photographs and filmmakers, the brightly coloured buildings straddling the slopes, the striking ochre of the roofs, the tiling on so many facades and the narrow twisting alleys of the medieval districts bestow Lisbon with the peculiar atmosphere of a city perched somewhere between the European north and the Mediterranean south.
Throughout millennia, the superb natural harbour of the Tagus was used by traders and seafarers. Lisbon’s long history begins under the Phoenicians as Alis-Ubbo, before becoming the Roman settlement of Felicita Julia Olisipo in the second century.With the arrival of the Moors from the 8th century, it was renamed Aschbouna. The city fell to the Portuguese in 1147, when conquered by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques. It became the national capital in 1255.
Wandering its distinctive neighbourhoods, taking the tram through historic neighbourhoods, riding the century-old lifts up and down the steep slopes, taking a boat ride on the Tagus, or even jumping on the metro, itself a veritable underground museum of contemporary Portuguese art, there are so many means to discover the great diversity and cultural depth that Lisbon has to offer.
To the west, close to the mouth of the Tagus, visit Belém with its gardens and monuments to the Lisbon of the Voyages of Discovery now declared UNESCO World Heritage. Much was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. A regular, symmetrical plan was established for the “Baixa (Downtown)” opening it up to both the light and the river.
There, you will come across the traditional commerce.
There is also the seductive appeal of the Chiado; a neighbourhood evoking the bourgeois tastes of 19th century Lisbon.To the east, the Parque das Nações (Park of Nations) concentrates a huge range of leisure facilities and features the Oceanarium.
National Tile Museum Admission included:
This museum is housed in the Convento da Madre de Deus, a convent built in 1509 at the orders of the queen, Dona Leonor. The building today is an interesting combination of some remarkable 17C architecture and exuberant 18C Baroque decorations. The visitor to the museum is able to walk around the whole of the convent, including the church, choir and cloisters
“azulejos” (tiles) includes a description of their historical, technical and artistic evolution in Portugal,
from the 15C to the present day.
Some of the highlights amongst the exhibits are the “Panel of Our Lady of Life” (c. 1580); the Altar
Fronts with their oriental influences; the panels of hunting scenes (c. 1680); the “Dancing Lesson”
(1707); the 18C tiles that line the walls of the Capela de Santo António; the “Panoramic View of Lisbon”
before the earthquake in 1755; the “Hatter´s Story” (c. 1800); as well as some 20C ceramic pieces and
azulejos by artists such as Júlio Barradas, Maria Keil, Júlio Pomar, Cargaleiro, Querubim Lapa, amongst
others
time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes, such as friars
and nuns’ religious habits. It was quite common for monasteries and convents to use the leftover egg
yolks to make cakes and pastries, resulting in the proliferation of sweet pastry recipes throughout the
country.
In the aftermath of the Liberal Revolution of 1820, following the dissolution of religious orders and in the face of the impending closure of many convents and monasteries, the monks started selling pastéis de nata at a nearby sugar refinery to bring in revenue. In 1834, the monastery was closed and the recipe sold to the sugar refinery, whose owners in 1837 opened the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém. The descendants own the business to this day
Night in Lisbon
Breakfast
Within a walking distance from the hotel, you will arrive to “Cooking Lisbon” with activity
from 9.30am to 2pm
Lisbon Market Visit
An experience that leads you to get to know some of the products and ingredients that are used in traditional Portuguese cuisine. A visit to the local market, guided by our chef, who brings you up to date with everything you need to know in order to find the best and freshest ingredients for our dishes.
The Market Tour also starts at our facilities, where our chef will give you some useful information about the market to visit and the products that will be bought for the cooking class. The market is about 5 minutes’ walk from Cooking Lisbon and on the way we will exchange some information about the city and give you some tips on places of interest to visit. In the market, the passage is made by practically all the stalls, from the fish to the vegetables and the participants can take advantage to do some shopping.
Portuguese Cooking Class
In order to make known the traditional Portuguese gastronomy to all those who choose to visit our country, the Portuguese Cooking Class allows a first contact with some of the most typical recipes of Portugal. Having always as main rule the use of fresh products for the best result, the dishes prepared in our kitchens will awaken in a very special way the senses of all participants. This class lasts 3 hours because 3 dishes are always cooked, from the starter to the dessert, and what makes it so pleasant is the fact that everything happens in a relaxed environment, without haste or pressure. Because here everyone is invited to participate actively in the preparation of the dishes, so that they can take with them some techniques and tips to reproduce the recipes in their own homes.
Any balance of the day at leisure.
Night in Lisbon.
Breakfast.
SINTRA, CABO DA ROCA & CASCAIS FULL DAY TOUR
A beautiful town at the foot of the mountain range of the same name, its unique characteristics have led UNESCO to classify Sintra as a World heritage site.
It was even necessary to create a special category for the purpose – that of “cultural landscape” – taking into account its natural riches as well as the historic buildings in the town and mountains.
Endowed with luxuriant vegetation, the mountains are part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
Much appreciated by kings and nobles as a country resort, and praised by writers and poets like (inevitably) Lord Byron who called it “glorious Eden”, Sintra has a wealth of cottages and manor houses, some of which now provide accommodation in the form of country-house tourism. The palaces, too, are outstanding, such as the Pena Palace, built in the Romantic period on one of the mountain peaks, and the 18th century Palace of Seteais, now converted into an elegant hotel, and the Palace of Monserrate, famous for its beautiful gardens with their exotic species that are unique in the country.
Located at latitude 38º 47´north and longitude 9º 30´west, Cabo da Roca is an important coordinate for those sailing along the coast, as it is the westerly point of mainland Europe, a fact borne out by the certificates that visitors take away as a souvenir. Around 150 meters above the sea, here you can have a panoramic view over the Serra de Sintra and the coast, which makes it worth the visit.
Situated close to the sea and traditionally a fishing village, Cascais enjoyed an important period of development in the 14th century, when it was a major stopping off point for boats on their way to Lisbon, turning it into a very busy port at that time.
Particularly recommended is a stroll through its streets, where you will find shops of the highest quality, or perhaps you might prefer to enjoy a few moments’ rest at one of the many outdoor cafés and restaurants scattered about the town.
The beaches continue to be one of Cascais’ greatest attractions, and it is possible to choose from amongst those that are situated in the town’s sheltered bay or those a little further away in the area around Guincho, (already forming part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park), where there are excellent conditions for surfing and windsurfing. The Boca do Inferno (literally the Jaws of Hell), an inlet along the coast that is surrounded by steep rocks and caves, continues to be a natural curiosity attracting many thousands of visitors to marvel at the brute strength of the sea
Night in Lisbon.
VISIT TO Herdade das Cortiçadas
On the way to São Sebastião da Giesteira, the eye wanders to the imposing winery at the top of the hill. At its feet, the typical Alentejo hill and the 240 hectares of vineyards and pastures.
We’ve arrived! Here, it seems that time has not passed, in the best of senses. The animals, the houses, the flowers and fruit trees and the friendliness of those who receive us move us and transport us back to our roots. Casa da Malta has been revitalized and continues to house the estate’s seasonal workers and visitors.
It’s a cozy and intimate space, where you feel like staying… and staying… and listening to all the stories these walls have to tell.
Further up, the cellar, overlooking the entire Estate. The supporting structure of its roof is still in wood, and the old wine presses and the distillery have also been preserved.
The old cement deposits were also maintained and given a creative new use as a laboratory. Come in and sit down… really sit down! These walls, these mills know what they want:
they want to create unique wines, carefully and without haste, allowing the full expression of their terroir. The winery therefore maintains its original design, having only been optimized (but not distorted) by modern technologies. The olive oil press is, today, a beautiful tasting room-museum.
The pond and the old ponds cool off on such hot summer days. Around the mountain, there are vineyards and pastures. Wild rabbits, partridges and wild boars also roam around here… and Alentejo is as far as the eye can see.
Continue to Corval town (1-hour drive)
Portuguese Pottery workshop:
António Marques Bulhão, founder of Olaria Bulhão, learned the art of being a potter with his godfather, having started his activity at the age of 11.
Later he started to work in other potteries, having made his way in this way until 1975, the year in which he founded his own pottery – Olaria Bulhão. Olaria Bulhão is a pottery with an artisanal history for over 40 years, based on its artisanal products, such as: regional and utilitarian decorative tableware, which is manufactured and decorated by hand.
Initially, the pieces were cooked in artisanal wood-fired ovens, becoming ready to be used. Pottery currently has two more ovens, one gas and the other electric.
Pottery has been kept as artisanal as possible, so they continue to make the bulk of production using the artisanal potter’s wheel, still conserving the clay tanks and jars. Today, they still use the spinneret and the press as a form of aid. 20 years ago, the daughter named Manuela Marques joined the Pottery, namely in its management.
Manuela Marques embraced this activity with enthusiasm and intends to take this noble art of her land further
The city, with its narrow streets of Moorish origin contrasting with squares where the light floods in, holds two millennia of history.
Conquered in 59 B.C. by the Romans, they named it “Liberalities Julia”.
In this period, Évora gained great importance as can be witnessed from the remains of that time: the ruins of a fine temple dated towards the end of the second century, various parts of the wall and the gateway more recently called Dona Isabel in addition to the remains of thermal baths below what is now the Municipal Council building. Little remains of the Visigoth period (5th – 8th centuries).
There then followed the Moorish period begun with the city’s conquest by Tárique. This lasted through to Christian recon quest in the 12th century. Yeborah, as it became known, had already received an indelible Moorish influence, most clearly seen in the Mouraria neighborhood. After the Reconquest, in addition to between the inner and outer walls, urban development moved beyond the city’s walls.
The city was home to the court of various Portuguese kings of the first and second dynasties. During this period, it was endowed with various palaces and monuments, particularly during the reigns of kings João II and Manuel (15th and 16th centuries). Wander its streets and absorb the secret soul that a diverse range of cultural influences has laid down in this city of the World. There are also excellent restaurants and bars, esplanades, arts and handicraft stores and the youthful nature of those attending its university all adding up to a dynamic of the present with its roots very firmly in the past. Night in Lisbon.
Breakfast. Departure to Marvao [250 KM]
OIL TASTING
With a fruity, slightly thick aroma, golden or greenish yellow in colour, bitter, spicy or sweeter, mild or intense. This is Portuguese olive oil.
In a country so strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate, the olive tree has been a feature on the Portuguese landscape since time immemorial.
The quality of the soil and the climatic variations determine the varieties of the olives and consequently the quality and diversity of the olive oils produced.
You can therefore set out to discover each of the six regions with Protected Designation of Origin in the production of olive oil, such an essential ingredient in Portuguese cuisine: Trásos-Montes, Beira Interior, Ribatejo, Moura, Alentejo Interior and Norte Alentejano.
In Trás-os-Montes, in the far northeastern region of Porto and North of Portugal, olive cultivation and olive oil production are concentrated mostly in the so called “Terra Quente” (Hot Land), which extends through the municipalities of Valpaços, Mirandela, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Vimioso, Izeda (Bragança) Murça, Alijó, Alfândega da Fé, Mogadouro, Vila Flor, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Tabuaço, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Nova de Foz Côa and Freixo de Espada à Cinta. After the Alentejo, this is the region that produces the most olive oil in Portugal, in a land made of mountains and schist plateaux, which is harsh but has great beauty, such as in the valleys where scenic rivers, such as the Douro, flow.
Program (approx 3 hours)
• Presentation of the brand Azeite Castelo de Marvão and Olivotourism in Galegos.
• The natural park of Serra de São Mamede and the traditional olive grove.
• Visit to a traditional Galician olive grove.
• Visit of the old press mill from 1953 and explanation of the process of making olive oil.
• Olive oil tasting in the old kitchen of the Lagareiros / Merenda do Lagareiro. Continue to Coimbra
COIMBRA TOUR Coimbra was the most important city to the south of the River Douro, it was for some time the residence of the Count Dom Henrique and Dona Teresa, the parents of the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, who was born here.
It was the latter king who integrated the city into the Portuguese territory in 1131. Dating from this time are some of the city´s most important monuments: The Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) and the churches of São Tiago, São Salvador and Santa Cruz, representing the religious authority and the various orders that became established here.
Coimbra was the capital of Portugal during the Middle Ages, but it was the Renaissance that transformed the city into a place of knowledge, when Dom João III (1521-57) decided to move the University to the city on a definitive basis, whilst at the same time numerous colleges were created to provide an alternative to the official form of teaching.In the 17th century, the Jesuits arrived in the city, immediately announcing their presence with the building of the Sé Nova (New Cathedral). In the following century, the royal work instituted by Dom João V (1706-50) was to enrich some of Coimbra´s monuments, including the University.
Dom José I (1750-77) also introduced some alterations into the city through the influence of his minister Marquês de Pombal, particularly in the field of education.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the French invasions and the Portuguese liberal wars were to mark the beginning of a period of great agitation that brought no great developments to the city. Since then, it has been the students who have brought most changes to Portugal’s quintessential university town.
There are several routes that you can.
follow to discover more about the heritage to be found in Coimbra. Following the layout of the city until the 19th century, we suggest that you begin with two walking tours, one through the Upper Town and the other through the Lower Town.
Continue to Oporto [130 KM]
Night in Oporto
Breakfast
OPORTO COOKING CLASS
We welcome the participants with typical appetizers and a White Port wine cocktail. We include in all experiences, first course, main course, and dessert, always accompanied with wines from the Portuguese demarcated regions and duly presented by the Chef.
We highlight our best seller, specifically the Market Tour & Cooking Class, for the very positive feedback given by the participants, identifying it as out of the box. Specifically, we pick up the participants at their accommodation and start the tour to the Matosinhos Market. The selected route is along the Douro River and the Atlantic Ocean coast, while we talk about the city and identify some of the places with history among other subjects.
When we arrive at the Market we buy the ingredients to produce the first and main course, according to the suggestion and agreement between the participants and the Chef. I note that the experience highlights fresh fish as the main ingredient, since we are in the country with the largest coastal area and the most fish consumed in Europe (per capita).
OPORTO HALF DAY TOUR
On a brief visit to Porto, there are some places that cannot be missed. In the words of many visitors, this city has something mystical that is difficult to describe and which varies according to the place, time of day and light. Whatever it is, it certainly has to do with its people, known to be generous and easy-going, as well as the River Douro and its heritage on both banks, with its bridges and monuments, the tiles, the flowering balconies and the shopping streets.
The historic center of Porto and the River Douro on the Gaia side, where the Port Wine lodges are located, are classified as World Heritage. S. Bento Station, with its atrium lined with tiles, is an ideal starting point. Just ahead is the Cathedral, not to be missed, whose precinct offers the first view of the river, the cascading houses and the opposite bank.
From there you descend by steps and mediaeval streets to Ribeira, with its café terraces and picturesque corners. It’s worth staying a little to get a flavour of the atmosphere and take in the river with the D. Luís Bridge and the opposite bank, before going on a cruise under Porto‟s six bridges.
Once you‟ve seen the outline of the cascading houses and church towers, you will want to see the gilt interior of the Church of S. Francisco. Nearby, you can see more tile-fronted churches and monuments, and visit the Palácio da Bolsa (former Stock Exchange palace).
The tram leaves from next to the river for a trip that goes to Foz (the mouth of the Douro), where you can take a stroll and fill your lungs with the sea air. Avenida da Boavista starts here, and not far away is Serralves, with its gardens to stroll or rest in and its contemporary art exhibitions. The museum is the work of Álvaro Siza Vieira, one of the foremost architects of the Porto School of Architecture, and winner of the Pritzker Prize.
The architecturally imposing Casa da Música, with its full programme of cultural events, is on Rotunda da Boavista, an area that is good for shopping.
There are also good shops to be found around Avenida dos Aliados.
In between are the Crystal Palace gardens, with another panoramic view of the river, and the Soares dos Reis Museum. Another garden, full of sculptures, is Cordoaria, surrounded by churches and other monuments. It‟s worth climbing the Clérigos Tower for a different view of Porto. Continue walking towards Aliados, past the shops and art nouveau buildings.
After exploring this broad avenue, it’s worth strolling along the pedestrians-only Rua de Santa Catarina for more shopping.
Then pop in to the Café Majestic for a break. There’s still a visit to be made to the south bank of the river to go to a Port Wine lodge and taste some Port in its unique setting.
From Ribeira, cross the D. Luís foot bridge and you’ll see them. One of the most beautiful views over Porto can be had from Gaia. And you can also take the chairlift, which follows this side of the river.
Afternoon at leisure
Night in Oporto.
Breakfast
Departure to Serra da Estrela (150 km)
In summer or winter, mainland Portugal‟s highest mountain is the perfect scenery for a few relaxing days in contact with nature.
At 1,993 metres at its highest point in Torre, Serra da Estrela is an area of rare landscape beauty, with striking mountain drops, where you can have a deep experience of the silence of the heights.
Take advantage of those moments of communion with nature to observe it, discovering the diversity of plants and birds and the flocks of sheep herded by Estrela dogs from the breed named after the Mountain.
You can also follow the course of some major Portuguese rivers from their sources: the Mondego at Mondeguinho, the Zêzere at Covão de Ametade and the Alva at the Rossim Valley are breathtaking places. Or you can admire glacier valleys at Loriga, Manteigas or Covão do Urso and Covão Grande.
In the warmest months, the best suggestion will certainly be the 25 Lagoon Itinerary, leading you to some refreshing locations.
In cold weather, Serra da Estrela is the only place in Portugal where you can try ski, or go sledging, snowboarding or ride a snowmobile. There are several pistes with support infrastructure, as well as synthetic snow pistes for skiing at any time of the year.
This natural park is excellent for trekking, horse-riding or mountain biking. It boasts some 375km of marked trails of varying degrees of difficulty, so you’ll no doubt find one fitting your physical condition. And who has not dreamed of flying like a bird? You can experience the sensation para-gliding in Linares da Beira, soaring over this historical village – which you shouldn’t miss exploring on foot either.
To recharge batteries, you must taste the most famous product in the region – the Serra da Estrela cheese. With its buttery texture, it goes ideally with traditional bread. It can be tasted all over the region, but in the Solar do Queijo (Cheese Manor House), in Celorico da Beira, the tasting will be accompanied by an explanation about the manufacturing process. In Seia, it is bread, however, that has museum status, and in Covilhã, woollens. The most popular roads to cross the Mountain link these two cities and will take you to mountain villages such as Sabugueiro, Alvoco da Serra and Loriga, and to many other unmissable places: Penhas Douradas, Penhas da Saúde or Torre, at the summit of the Mountain.
The diverse landscape of the nine municipalities that make up Serra da Estrela – Belmonte, Celorico da Beira, Covilhã, Fornos de Algodres, Gouveia, Guarda, Manteigas, Oliveira do Hospital and Seia – constitute since 2020 the Geopark Estrela, recognized by UNESCO for its geological value. Another good reason to visit the Natural Park. Another good reason to visit the Natural Park. For a tour around the region we suggest an itinerary across the mountain, but since there is so much to see and do in the largest Portuguese protected area, it is best to start by asking for information at one of the Natural Park‟s Information Centres, so as to make the most of your stay.
Visit to a Cheese Factory:
It is said to be the king of Portuguese cheeses. For hundreds of years it has been made by the mountain shepherds of the Serra da Estrela, in the Beira region.
Today it is made by small dairies, which used to coagulate sheep’s milk with the flowers or leaves of a wild thistle. With this the cheese acquires a subtle but particular character that contributes to creating the texture of the final product. The curd is broken by hand – not cut -, and the cheeses mature in caves. The cheese is so soft and voluptuous that it is almost spreadable.
As a result of excellent grazing it has a rich and fragrant intensity of character, with the fragrant and subtle flavor of burnt milk caramel typical of sheep’s milk which, although appreciable, is not as intense as it might seem.
When the cheese matures, the rind hardens and the paste becomes denser and more tender;
this allows it to be easily cut.
This cheese has the European PDO since June 21, 1996. It is advisable to take it on cheese boards, or as a cake.
• Serrada Estrela DOP Cheese Tasting (buttered)
• Estrela DOP Velho Serrada Cheese Tasting (with minimum maturation of 4 months)
• Serrada Estrela DOP Curd Cheese Tasting
• Pairing with Valeda Estrela artisanal jams (Pumpkin or Blueberry)
• toast
• waters
Visit to a Wool Factory:
Burel Factory is the factory of Burel Mountain originals and a record in the history of the village of Manteigas and in the Portuguese Wool Industry It all began in 1947, the year that saw the birth of Lanificio Império, the most important wool factory in the region of Serra da Estrela.
In 2010 the factory was discovered by two mountain explorers, João Tomás and Isabel Costa, who, after realizing the heritage and the cultural value of the space, decided not to let Burel die and proceed with the recovery of the factory that becomes Burel Factory.
Today it continues to produce using the same machines and traditional equipment, from the time the industry was still made by hand, thus ensuring the production of unique, different and high quality fabrics, preserving the past, reinterpreting it and making it into a story of the future.
Here we create a space for design and production of burel, the most traditional wool fabric in the local wool industry, now used in a very different and innovative way.
Inside, there‟s also a Factory Store where you can find the products that you just saw being produced.
Visit to a Bread Museum:
Museu do Pão (Bread Museum) is one of the most important references of museum practice in Portugal
and the largest complex dedicated to this theme in the world.
The Bread Museum offers a multi-sensory experience regarding the heritage associated with Portuguese
bread. This space is for all ages: for those reliving memories and enjoying the nostalgia of past times,
and for those who love history and activities, cultivating their desire to learn.
Bread as inspiration
Endless delicacies served at the table of the Restaurant at Museu do Pão invite you to share and revisit the memories of flavours from the past.
Here, we bring back traditional recipes from our cuisine through a menu presented in bread dough, rich with authentic dishes, many of them starring bread as the main ingredient.
Return to Oporto.
Night in Oporto.
Breakfast
Departure to Aveiro
AVEIRO TOUR
The capital of the Ria, a vast lagoon where the freshwater of the River Vouga joins with the sea, Aveiro is intersected by canals, genuine streets of water, along which can be seen gliding the brightly coloured boats known as barcos moliceiros.
Originally founded in the time of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Aveiro is now one of the most interesting cities on the Portuguese coast.
Due to the large numbers of web-footed birds that once inhabited this lagoon area, the city’s first
name was Aviarium.
D. João I (r. 1383-1433) gave Aveiro to his son, Prince Pedro, who ordered the city’s first walls to be built, although these have since disappeared. Later, D. João II (r. 1481-1495), gave the city to his sister, Princess Joana, a lay sister at the Convento de Jesus, which now houses the Museu de Aveiro.
In the 16th century, the development of the salt industry, agriculture and fishing and the first codfishing expeditions to the distant Newfoundland in 1501 brought Aveiro a period of great prosperity,
which led to its being awarded a charter by D. Manuel I in 1515.
However, in the winter of 1575, heavy storms destroyed the deep channel that had once linked the Ria
to the sea, this was where the great ocean-going vessels would dock in Aveiro thereby destroying the
maritime trade, fishing and salting businesses.
Barra Nova was built in the 19th century. Being opened to the ocean in 1808, it gave rise to the
formation of a wide channel measuring roughly 264 meters across and about 4 to 6 meters deep.
This channel opened the Ria to the sea and restored the source of the region’s life and its very survival.
The Ria is linked to Aveiro via three canals: the Canal das Pirâmides (marked at its entrance by two
stone pyramids), which extends into the Canal Central, the Canal de São Roque, which marks the limits
of the city to the north-west and separates it from the salt-pans; and the Canal dos Santos Mártires (or
the Canal do Paraíso) which leads to the south-west.
Using the Canal Central as the city’s main axis, we suggest two tours of Aveiro:
– On the Left Bank, begin by admiring the graceful Art Nouveau buildings, which are beautifully reflected in the canal, stroll through the Mercado do Peixe (Fish Market), wander around the Beira Mar district and along the canal banks and savour the gentle sea breeze. – On the Right Bank, visit the city museum housed in the Convento de Jesus.
Monuments and churches, as well as the hustle and bustle of city life taking place under the diffuse light of the Ria, all add to the charm of this coastal city.
Evidently, all visitors will also want to discover more about the Ria de Aveiro.
The two suggested itineraries will introduce you to the labyrinth of canals, the white sand dunes by the sea and the vast expanses of salt-marshes with their pyramids of white salt. If you enjoy nature trekking, the Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto is truly irresistible.
VISIT TO AVEIRO FISH MARKET:
It’s a delicious market of very fresh fish. Fish market dates back to late 18th century.
By then Aveiro municipality felt the need to organize fish selling, as well as to care for good hygiene conditions. As far as thorough architectural planning is concerned, Aveiro fish market has surely given a major contribute.
The iron structure has been recently destroyed in order to build a wholly new one.
AVEIRO’S SALINAS
ALT PANS OF AVEIRO
Whether in group or individual, we organize the best guided Tours to the Aveiro’s Salt Works.
The visit to the Salt fields, lasts approximately 60 minutes and is accompanied by a Professional guide that will explain all the history, tradition and secrets behind the salt pans. In addition to the connection between past and present, you will learn about the process, methods and tools used to harvest the salt, the fauna and flora, as well as all the work of the most important character of this space:
The Saltern Worker
Starting from the millenary techniques in the extraction of salt, the guided tour includes a walking
tour inside a salt pan, going through the different tanks and compartments. All the explanation is in
charge of a professional guide and came be arranged in a variety of languages. If you’re lucky, you can
even get to know an authentic Saltern Worker – “O Marnoto”.
OVOS MOLES WORKSHOP:
Visit an exhibition and educational space and come to know the most traditional way of making “ovos moles” (soft eggs). In the “Oficina do Doce” you will have the opportunity to discover all the historical casing associated with “ovos moles” and many other convent sweets from the Aveiro Region. The bravest will have the opportunity to experience the process of filling and cutting the “ovos moles” and then try these delicious sweets.
Besides the renovated exhibition rooms you may visit, as part of the Museum circuit, the Chapel
honouring Nossa Senhora da Penha de França and the Oficina de Pintura Manual [hand painting
workshop] of the Fábrica da Vista Alegre, where you will be able to see the delicate ceramic painting.
Guided Tour of the Museum and Chapel + Workshop Made by You/Painting
Painting workshop with acrylic paints. Includes accompaniment of 1 employee of the Vista Alegre
Museum and 1 painter of Vista Alegre, provision of 16 pieces (Porcelain) to decorate, brushes, paints,
packaging and other materials necessary for its realization. Upon completion of the workshop, each
participant takes the piece made by him/herself.
Return to Oporto
Night in Oporto
Breakfast
Day at leisure
At night,
FAREWELL DINNER:
Taberna Real do Fado
“Coming to Taberna Real do Fado in Porto is not just coming to a Fado House, it is meeting the musical culture of the
Portuguese people in all its essence.
Here, Fado takes place from Monday to Saturday, always accompanied by the good Portuguese
gastronomy and an excellent wine list.
Night in Oporto
Breakfast
Departure transfer to the airport
END OF OUR SERVICES
