Discovering Portugal

From Lisbon to the north of Portugal, through the Alentejo region and south to the Algarve, for 13 days your small group, limited to 24 travelers, navigates the gentle charms of this country rich in history and blessed with natural beauty, staying in three unique pousadas, Portugal’s famed historic lodgings.  A three-night sojourn in Lisbon, one of the world’s oldest cities, offers highlights aplenty, from Belém Tower and the iconic Monument to the Discoveries to traditional fado music and the colorful Baixa district.  Experience stunning Pena Place, once royalty’s abode, and seaside Cascais with its old-world air.  Traveling north, visit the classic fortified town of Óbidos en route to the historic town of Oporto, our home for the next three nights.  Oporto’s rich history unfolds on a tour of the medieval city center, a UNESCO site; then on a private “six-bridge” Douro cruise to a port lodge for a tasting of this region’s renowned wine.  Further explorations include lovely Guimaraes, Portugal’s “birthplace”; 2,000-year-old Braga; and historic Coimbra’s 13th-century university. Spend two nights in a pousada set in a 13th-century castle in the pastoral Alentejo region, and witness the Roman and Moorish influences in charming Evora, another UNESCO site.  Continuing south, visit a cork factory then enjoy lunch at a country estate. Encounter Portugal’s maritime legacy in Sagres and Lagos during a two-night stay at an intimate pousada overlooking the Atlantic.  Take a cruise along the grotto-dotted coastline.  A night in a restored 19th-century Lisbon palace provides a fitting tour finale.