Portugal and the Azores Departs 13Th April 2021
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a Portugal and the Azores Departs 13th April 2021 Itinerary correct as at Sep 9, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au $14,950 pp Ex Syd/Mel, twin-share, economy class flights. Single supp $1,990 PORTUGAL AND THE AZORES Portugal is a traveller’s dream come true. You’ll find fortified towns with cobblestoned streets, well preserved castles dating back to the medieval period, glorious beaches, food and wine to die for and magnificent coastal and inland scenery. It has no less than 15 UNESCO-listed cultural and natural sights! All-the-more fascinating when you consider this tiny country is just 92,000kms - meaning it can fit into Australia over 82 times. The fact that it is a small country, means getting around and seeing the core sites is easy. You don’t need to spend long days travelling from place to place. In the morning you can be on a beach, by lunch time in the mountains and in the afternoon, a vineyard! Plus, Portugal is relatively inexpensive in comparison with some of her European neighbours – especially the wine. Once a medieval super power due to its superior navigational skills, Portugal has history at every turn. It was visited – invaded – by the Romans, the Celts, The neighbouring Moors and Christians. Today, the country is primarily a Catholic society with over 80% of the 10.5 million inhabitants, identifying as being Catholic. Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world. This is mainly due to the colonisation of countries like Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and even parts of India and the sub-continent. On our small group tour to this fascinating country, you will not only visit the best on offer on the mainland, you’ll also visit some of the Isles off the coast in the Atlantic - Madeira, Sao Miguel, Faial and Pico in the Azores. The scenery on these volcanic islands will take your breath away, as will the fresh seafood at the numerous fishing villages on the coast. Grab your camera, hat, sun glasses, bathers and appetite! Itinerary correct as at Sep 9, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au Day 1, Tuesday 13th April of a style and epoch IN TRANSIT in which theatricality; Depart Australia for flight to Lisbon (flights to be appearance and open confirmed). Meals in flight spaces were revered. The Palace is Day 2, Wednesday 14th April sometimes compared LISBON to Versailles, because Welcome to the sunniest city of Europe – Lisbon. On of its elegant facades, arrival, transfer to the hotel for a rest after a long journey. its beautiful gardens Then, we’re off for a brief tour of the city and its and baroque environs. We’ll visit the Belém district for afternoon tea fountains, statues and secluded locations. Queluz where we can admire the Jeronimos Monastery a fine Palace is nevertheless uniquely Portuguese in its scale example of the most characteristic style of Portuguese and artistic spirit. We return to the hotel in Lisbon late in architecture. After trying the famous “Pasteis de Belém” the afternoon and head to dinner with a show in a typical custard tart, we will stop to view Belém Tower and the Fado house called “Faia”. Overnight in Lisbon. B/D Monument to the Discoveries. Tonight we will enjoy a welcome dinner. D Day 4, Friday 16th April LISBON – EVORA – LAGOS Day 3, Thursday 15th April After breakfast we’ll make our way west, through the LISBON – SINTRA – CABO DA ROCA – world’s largest cork tree region, for a journey into the QUELUZ – LISBON past. In Evora, capital of the province of Alentejo, we’ll We’ll begin the day with early breakfast and departure visit to the ruins of the Roman Temple, the Romanesque for Pena Palace, an astonishing castellated building of Cathedral, the St Francis church with its Bones Chapel the 19th century. Firstly a walking tour of the fairytale and the University. A walk around the streets is a village of Sintra, an opportunity to wander the streets of wonderful way to enjoy this UNESCO-listed town. Enjoy the picturesque town and enjoy lunch in one of the local a lunch in a café of your choice in the quaint shopping cafés (own cost). After lunch we’ll head to Roca Cape, precinct. After lunch we’ll travel south to the Algarve the westernmost tip of continental Europe. We continue region, the southernmost region of Portugal where the towards Queluz to visit Queluz Palace a prime example Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. We will stay in the Itinerary correct as at Sep 9, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au ancient and picturesque resort town of Lagos. We arrive Day 7, Monday 19th April late afternoon and will have dinner at the hotel. B/D COIMBRA – DOURO VALLEY Day 5, Saturday 17th After breakfast, we continue northwards towards historic April Coimbra. We’ll take a panoramic tour of the city LAGOS – SAGRES – including the famous Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas. The FATIMA setting of this remarkable hotel is a wooded, lake-strewn estate, where the romantic memory still lingers of the After breakfast we will tragic love affair between Royal Prince D. Pedro and the depart for Lagos, a beautiful doomed Inez de Castro, put to death by order historical city, fishing of King and, to this day, mourned and sung by the poets. port and important We’ll enjoy a walking tour to see the historic parts of the tourist centre. The town including one of the oldest universities in Europe walls and bulwarks of before stoppingfor a lunch in one of the cities quaint the city date from the 13th century to the 15th century cafes. After lunch we’ll drive to the upper reaches of the and are the longest in the Algarve. There are still Douro Valley, one of the Portugal’s main port wine (modest) remains of the first slave market near the main production regions. We’ll arrive late afternoon. Dinner is square. After visiting the “Santo Antonio” Church at the hotel. B/D magnificently covered in carved Gold and Baroque woodwork we drive on to “Cabo de São Vicente” with its Day 8, Tuesday 20th April lighthouse and then to Sagres Fortress where reality and DOURO VALLEY myth merge in the memories of Infante D. Henrique. Classified as a national monument, the original fortress Today, a boat tour of the Douro Valley travelling on the of the Infante D. Henrique, from the 15th Century, was river from Pinhão to Tua, return. We disembark and destroyed during the raids of Sir Francis Drake from the continue to the spectacular and historic vineyard of southern coast of Spain. It was rebuilt during the 17th Quinta do Seixo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We and the 18th Centuries. Continuing the Southeast coast will tour the winemaking facilities and learn about the tour, we visit Vila do Bispo to enjoy the stunning natural Portuguese wine making industry. The view from Quinta beauty of the coastline before turning north on our way do Seixo is breathtaking - a magnificent landscape to Fatima in central Portugal. Dinner and overnight in shaped by terraced vineyards set against the Douro Fatima. B/D River and overlooking the picturesque village of Pinhão nearby. Our lunch today is in a beautiful riverside setting, Day 6, Sunday 18th where we will experience traditional Portuguese flavours April recreated by hef Rui Paula. After our leisurely lunch, FATIMA – we’ll continue with our exploration of the port wine ALCOBAÇA – making industry and visit the historic and quaint Quinta ÓBIDOS – NAZARÉ do Tedo, located at the southeastern banks of the – FATIMA confluence of the Rivers Têdo and Douro. Late afternoon, there’ll be time to explore some local cafes for After breakfast, we’ll dinner at your leisure. Overnight in Douro Valley. B/L visit Fátima – a world-famous Day 9, Wednesday 21st April pilgrimage site, DOURO VALLEY– BRAGA – GUIMARAES – where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three PORTO shepherds on the 13th of May 1917. After visiting the famous shrine, we’ll continue to Alcobaca to visit the After breakfast, we make our way to the historic city of church and cloisters of the Monumental Cistercian Braga. Founded by the Celts in 300 B.C. Braga later Abbey of Santa Maria, founded in 1152 (UNESCO became a Roman administrative centre in 27 B.C. Heritage-listed). This impressive church is the resting Bracara Augusta, as the Romans named it, is a bustling place of the Royal Prince D. Pedro and Inez de Castro. city which combines religious importance with modern After lunch, we continue towards the fishing village of commercial and industrial prosperity. We will take a Nazare, known for its colourful boats dotted along the walking tour of the historic township to visit the beach and its huge surf! We can admire the views from Cathedral, built over the period between the 12th-18th “Sitio” and see the spot where Garreth McNamara broke centuries), the Treasury and the Sacred Art Museum; the the world record for the largest wave ever surfed. We’ll Museum at the Biscainhos Palace. We then visit the have some free time to enjoy the scenery and to walk sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, which features along the beach, before we head north to the fabulous views of the city and boasts the spectacular picturesque town of Obidos. Completely surrounded by monumental Baroque staircase to the sanctuary.