All posts tagged: "Best Tours in Portugal"

Are you wondering what to do on your next vacation?

Discover the best tours in Portugal during the month of January. At this time of year, Portugal is truly a Winter Wonderland. Read what follows and find out why this is!

These are some of the tours we recommend:

• Lisbon Tour
• Sintra Tour
• Fátima Tour
• Serra da Estrela Tour
• Évora Tour
• Porto tour
• Algarve Tour

Lisbon Tour

This tour will provide you with a fantastic experience in Portugal’s capital. Lisbon is a city with great spots that will astound you. January is a good month for you to visit the city, as the cold weather leaves the city even more charming.

Don’t let the weather affect your holiday plans! This time of the year there’re fewer tourists, so you’ll enjoy a more peaceful visit. Get your coat on and hop on this tour through the beautiful Lisboa!

Park of the Nations, Parque das Nações is one of the places you’ll be visiting. It was here that the acclaimed Expo ‘98 took place. This was a great exhibition that highlighted the 500 years anniversary of the Great Discoveries made by the Portuguese.

There you can hop on a cable car ride and enjoy the often sunny landscape, despite the current season.

Other tourist attractions include the Baixa Pombalina, which was rebuilt by the Marquis of Pombal, an important figure of Portuguese culture which gives its name to the Downtown Historic Center. The reconstruction happened after an earthquake wrecked the city center, in 1755.

Continue your hike and arrive at Parque Eduardo VII, a pop of green in the city, which allows you to walk amongst nature or take a sit and enjoy the marvelous views of city life.

Lisbon is a very historic place, so you’ll stumble upon many essential elements of the country’s History. Tower of Belém is one of them. It’s a symbol of the Portuguese and world heritage. This once protective piece during war times is now a reminder of Portugal’s importance on the business world of yesteryear.

Another example of the historical nature of the city is The Cristo-Rei statue, in Almada, which took inspiration from the Christ Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Every day hundreds of people visit this site to have access to an exceptional view of Lisbon’s north and south banks, united by the 25 de Abril Bridge.

To end this day of touring take a stroll through Chiado and Alfama historical neighborhoods. These two are well representative of Lisbon’s aura, which will be highlighted by the winter glow.

Sintra Tour

Sintra looks like a cinematic dream, but we can guarantee you it’s real. The village’s situated on top of Sintra’s mountains, Serra de Sintra and this is a strong factor regarding the site’s aura. You’ll see some fantastic buildings there, namely the Pena National Palace, Pena’s Park. The Regaleira Villa and Palace of Queluz.

To stand at a majestic building on top of the mountain and surrounded by all colors of nature is a fantastic feeling. The season can change one’s view of the place and turn it into a completely different experience. Winter time in the Sintra mountains is for sure a grand moment with its various shades of green and blue.

There are several astonishing sites in the village for you to visit and where you can seize the beautiful day. The Pena Palace, for example. It was built on the steep ground, on top of a rock, and has a dense forest that surrounds it.

Here you’ll get a great view of the landscape and the sea, all the while having access to a museum which is home to countless objects of Portugal History.

This tour happens to take part in some of the prettiest buildings in the village, and the Regaleira Villa is one of those. The Villa is supposed to represent one man’s idea of a microcosmos on earth, in this case on Serra de Sintra. The lavish wintery gardens wait for your visit!

And for another natural monument, you have Cape of Roca -Cabo da Roca. This is the westernmost point of continental Europe. Here you have a wide view of the Mountains in Sintra you have just visited and get to see the fantastic coast.

Fátima Tour

Fátima is a town in the center of Portugal, which is known for its Shrine and as the most famous pilgrimage place in the country. In 1907, three little shepherds claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in Fátima. The town became a pilgrimage place ever since.

You’ll be surprised to find other exciting locations near the Shrine, the Ourém Castle and Vila Medieval de Ourém, the city’s medieval village.

The Nascente do Agroal, Spring of Agroal is a speck of quiet amidst life’s chaos. Visit the caves -in Portuguese grutas- Grutas de Mira d’ Aire, Grutas de Alvados and Grutas de Santo António!

Serra da Estrela Tour

Serra da Estrela is the most famous mountain in Portugal. It’s a great location whether you’re a fan of Winter Sports like skiing, snowboard, and sledding or just a nature lover.

April is a tricky month, given the fact that it’s already Spring, but there’s still a lot of rain! There’s a Portuguese famous saying -Abril águas mil- which means it rains cats and dogs during April. But don’t let this get in the way of you getting a fantastic trip to the Serra!

Put your raincoat on and visit the Cheese Museum and Bread Museum, where you’ll get to know two of the region’s specialties: cheese and bread.

Get to know nearby towns: Seia is known for its delicious food, such as honey, sausage meats, and cheeses; Covilhã is a bigger town, but it still maintains its rural look, because the great mountains are always there in sight.

Visit the University or take a tour through the Festival of Street Art, where many graffiti and visual artists have painted abandoned city buildings; make a sprint through petite Manteigas (its name means butter). While you’re there, you have to make a stop at a tiny café for a hot bowl of soup to keep you warm!

Climb the Serra’s highest point -The Tower and go for a hike on the many tracks at your disposal! The Serra has a different glow during warmer times!

Évora Tour

This tour to Évora will you offer the quietness you’ve imagined for your vacation. During summer this town, located in a region in the south of Portugal named Alentejo, is one of the country’s hottest places, so you’ll be lucky to avoid the heat, as you’ll visit it in April!

Your tour we’ll probably be blessed with some refreshing rain.

Don’t let this discourage you from embarking on this journey. Évora has beautiful natural landscapes as well as historical monuments, the most acclaimed being The Roman Temple of Évora, situated at the town’s historical center, Largo Conde de Vila Flor.

There are other interesting sites in the area: the Cathedral of Évora’, the Museum of Évora, the Public Library or the Centro de Arte e Cultura Eugénio de Almeida.

You’re going to wander the charming streets and squares of Évora, for example, Giraldo’s Square, which is an excellent example of the iconic Portuguese sidewalk.

A wine tasting at Fundação Eugénio de Almeida and a visit to Cork Factory -Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork- represent an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the Portuguese culture.

Porto Tour

The city of Porto was built alongside the hillsides and overlooked the beautiful Douro River.

If you book this tour, you’re going to visit the following tourist attractions: the solemn Tower of Clérigos and the great Carmo Church; Lello Bookstore, the world known bookstore; Aliados, the long avenue where people come to celebrate several events; Mercado do Bolhão, one the most cherished markets in Portugal;

Santa Catarina Street, the heart of the local commerce and where you can visit the famous Majestic Café; the São Bento Railway Station and its twenty thousand tiles and Vila Nova de Gaia, a town on the southern bank of the mouth of Douro river, where many of the Porto Wine Cellars is situated.

Algarve Tour

This tour begins in Lisbon and is headed to Algarve, which is a region best known as a summer destination for many Portuguese and tourists. By visiting it in April, you’ll avoid the chaotic days of the high season. Take a relaxing stroll by the beach and take a breath of fresh air.

Before the arrival in Albufeira, a bathing town in the Algarve region, you’ll make a stop at quiet Évora, a town in the Alentejo region.

Unlike the Algarve, Alentejo is a very peaceful place all year long. One of its most famous monuments is the Roman Temple, which still holds its complete podium at the Évora’s Roman Temple, one of the town’s symbols.

Familiar with the Portuguese sidewalk? It’ll be everywhere, on narrow streets, squares…And for a history lesson on Portuguese culture: a visit to Fábrica de Cortiça, a Cork Factory- Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork- and a wine tasting at Fundação Eugénio de Almeida.