Portugal – Gardens & Vineyards of Porto & the Douro Valley 2022

Independent arrivals into Porto (transfer from the airport not included in the tour price but can be arranged for you).  Airport is approx.. 11 kms from city.  http://www.porto-airport.com/transportation.html  check here for alternative transport into Porto from Airport.

Check in at your city centre hotel Carris Ribeira 4* CHECK in Time is 3 pm

https://www.carrishoteles.com/en/hotels/hotel-carris-porto-ribeira-porto/

Your Carris Room… Pleasant and comfortable, with everything you need so you can fully enjoy your stay. Room equipped with air-conditioning, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, infusions kit and an en-suite bathroom with toiletries and hairdryer. Cosy. Comfortable. Modern decoration.  Free wifi

Welcome Dinner at “O Comercial” restaurant (inside the Stockmarket Palace within walking distance).

Night: Porto, Carris Ribeira

Porto History  https://www.introducingporto.com/history

Meet your guide at the hotel and explore the city of Porto in a guided tour with visits to São Francisco Church, Ribeira, the Cathedral and other landmarks of this UNESCO city.

São Francisco Church

The Franciscan Order established the Church of São Francisco in 1245. It was initially a small church and convent, which in later years was altered extensively. In 1832, a fire destroyed a part of the church and in its place the Stock Exchange was built. Even though the church’s origins are Romanesque, it was later transformed into one of the most prominent examples of Gothic architecture in Porto, as well as bearing some elements of the Baroque style. São Francisco has three naves coated in golden carvings. It is believed that over 300 kilos of gold dust were used to decorate the church’s interior. The ornamentation was for a time considered too extravagant for the poverty that surrounded it, so it was closed for a few years. One of the most beautiful altarpieces of the Church is located in the North aisle. The “Tree of Jesse” is a wooden sculpture by Filipe da Silva and António Gomes depicting the family tree of Jesus, considered one of a kind. There are also catacombs.

Located on the riverbank of the Douro, Ribeira is one of the most important areas when getting to know Porto. What’s more, it’s one of the most beautiful and liveliest districts in Porto’s historic centre. It is one of the most authentic and picturesque parts of the city in the heart of the old town. As its name suggests, the district is situated on the riverbank (Ribeira in Portuguese stems from the word river). Its colourful and wonderfully decorated façades are noteworthy and you’ll also find quaint terraced houses on the waterfront that reflect on the Douro River.

The Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto in Portuguese) is an important religious edifice in the city and has been declared a National Monument. It is situated in the upper part of Porto. The Cathedral is in Batalha, very close to the walls that once protected the city. The building looks a bit like a fortress with crenels from the outside. The construction of the Cathedral began during the twelfth century, but it was rebuilt and renovated numerous times throughout the centuries. This explains why the Cathedral is a mix of architectural styles. The temple is predominantly Baroque in style, although its façade and the nave are Romanesque and its cloister and one of the chapels are Gothic in style. Inside, the large pillars make the nave seem narrow with a high ceiling. It has a restrained decoration with bare walls and only the high altar and some of its chapels are decorated in a Baroque style. The entrance to the cloister is located inside the Cathedral, through a door to the right of the temple. The cloister dates back to the fourteenth century and is decorated with tiles painted with some of the scenes from the Bible.

Lunch at leisure

Afternoon visit Serralves Park

In Serralves we come upon an unmistakable landmark of Portuguese architecture – a very fine example of early 20th-Century gardening art and the only garden laid out in this era in the manner of landscape architecture. The work of Jacques Gréber in 1932, it is characterised by a subtly Art Deco, modern classicism influenced by French gardens of the 16th and 17th centuries. In the south of the garden we find a water garden of multilayered, interconnected water features, while in the western portion an avenue of liquid ambers stretches out. With the birth of the Museum of Contemporary Art, in 1996, a new landscape was laid out in harmony with the new building and includes species native to the north of Portugal, including birch, holly, oak, yew, hawthorn and heather.

Port wine tasting at Sandeman wine cellars

Founded in 1790, Sandeman is not only famous for its quality wines but also to the mysterious man on its logo, known as ‘The Sandeman Man’, created in 1928 to represent the brand. It has a magical component, which is probably linked to the Sandeman Don, the company’s enigmatic and inspirational icon. This curious figure has a long black Portuguese cape and a Spanish hat that covers his face. The icon is stamped on all the companies products.

Back to hotel with rest of the evening at leisure

Night: Porto, Carris Ribeira

Breakfast included with lunch and dinner on own

We meet our guide this morning and drive 1.5 hours to Santar Garden Village. Located at the heart of the Dão Wine region, Santar is a small village of 1000 inhabitants, known for its beautiful manor houses and centuries-old palaces. It offers a unique combination of religious and noble architecture, terroir, wonderful natural landscapes and winemaking traditions. Here granite marks its presence and transforms itself in a profusion of walls, fountains, tanks and noble, agricultural, rustic and religious buildings. Behind these walls, supported by walls, lie gardens on terraces and kilometers of hedges in carved boxwood – including the beloved “carreiras” of Beira – hide tanks. It is also home to a constellation of magnificent historical gardens around the main estates– Casa dos Condes de Santar e Magalhães, Casa das Fidalgas, Casa Ibérico Nogueira and Casa da Magnólia, among others – which have been restored and united under a single landscape plan designed by the celebrated Spanish landscape architect Fernando Caruncho.

A manor house associated with an agricultural and winery estate, the house of the Condes de Santar and Magalhães is a good example of Mannerist civil architecture where they also punctuate baroque and neoclassical characteristics.

Although much was altered by successive reforms – especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – the House of Fidalgas had a medieval origin and started by being a manor tower.

Located in the heart of the village of Santar, Casa dos Linhares or Casa Iberico Nogueira is a good example of an urban house for Beira with an agricultural past. Built in granite, it has two floors and attic.

Property of the family Pinto Amaral Homem, the Magnolia House, named after its penultimate owner, Maria Adelaide Portugal, who thus intended to pay double homage to a centenary magnolia grandiflora that existed in her garden.

https://santargardenvillage.com/

Lunch at “Paço dos Cunhas de Santar” with Dão wines

The Beira Alta, the upper mountainous region, which is where Dão wine comes from is what we will be tasting with our lunch in this area at the Paco Dos Cunhas. For an important wine region like this it comes as a bit of a surprise that vineyards don’t dominate the landscape. Just 5% of the region is under vine, with pockets of vines planted in clearings in the pine and eucalyptus forests clothing the hilly terrain.

https://vinhadocontador.pt/o-paco-dos-cunhas/

En route to Porto stop at Viseu historic center all built in granite stone. In the Center of Portugal, surrounded by mountains and rivers Vouga and Dão, stands the city of Viseu, birthplace of Vasco Fernandes, and milestone of sacred art and religious architecture, as evidenced by the numerous churches that adorn the historical center.. It’s not possible to separate Viseu from the history of the country, but the arts also owe much to the birthplace of Vasco Fernandes whose works are a symbol of the scholarship and excellence of Portuguese Renaissance. This famous 16^th century painter is the figure who left the greatest artistic heritage in Viseu. Viseu Cathedral is actually a great starting point for a visit to the city. In the cathedral churchyard, one of the most interesting places in the old town, you will find, apart from the Cathedral and the museums, Misericórdia Church, the pelourinho and Passeio dos Cónegos. Here you will often find dark granite, typical in the region, surrounded by contrasting white and seemingly immaculate façades.

Back to Porto and rest of the day at leisure

Night: LAST NIGHT in Porto, Carris Ribeira

Breakfast and Lunch Included with dinner on your own

After breakfast we will leave Porto with our guide.  Less than an hour’s drive for our first visit.

Quinta da Aveleda is a wine estate that is an integral part of the vinho verde region. Here the vines encircle a landscape created by Ju Janson that includes a wooded garden of immense botanical variety crisscrossed by narrow avenues and winding paths. We wander between lakes and pavilions, with our attention drawn to the architectural follies that bear testament to the artistic daydreams that were very much part of the Romantic era. Every corner at Quinta da Aveleda tells a story and it’s a journey for the senses. Among the rare species of century-old trees like the Japanese Cedar, the Swamp Cypress Tree or the American Sequoia, the 100-and-so species of camellias paint the lush green scenery in red hues. The central lake, the Manueline window – an elaborately carved 15th century stone window from which Dom João IV was proclaimed King of Portugal and originally part of the house where Prince Henry the Navigator was born, now sits, surrounded by flowers, on one of three islands in a lake. You can admire it from the unusual summer house that overlooks the lake, its fountains and swans., the tea house on the lake and the Nossa Senhora da Vandoma fountain are part of an ancient legacy that has been preserved in every corner of this garden hidden in the middle of the Vinho Verde Wine Region. The vineyards hold the gardens at Quinta da Aveleda in a tight embrace. The passion and dedication to wine are reflected in the lush, beautiful and healthy vineyards that are precisely spaced and organised. A symphony of forms and textures that delights the viewer. At the core of the property, the main house is the very heart of Quinta da Aveleda. Still inhabited by the Guedes Family today, it’s an iconic symbol of the estate with its walls covered in vines and its architectural extravaganzas.

https://www.aveleda.com/en/wine-tourism/winery Visit of the gardens followed by a wine tasting.

Continue to Casa de Juste – a private manor house, including home made lunch and wines

Five hundred years of heritage and family history are embodied at Casa de Juste, a beautiful home and garden framed within the vineyards and hills of northern Portugal. ‘It is our privilege and pleasure to share with you the atmosphere and values that underly all that we do here. Join us to explore the sights and sounds, fragrance and feel of our extensive gardens. Learn about the centuries of history hidden behind the massive granite architecture, so typical of the region. Relax and savour the flavours of the area, taste fine wines and delicious, authentic local cuisine, freshly prepared here from the finest of ingredients.’ Visit and you will discover for yourselves what makes Casa de Juste so very special.  https://www.casadejuste.com/index.html

Visit of the gardens with the owners and enjoy homemade lunch with the wines of the house.

Continue to Guimarães, Unesco medieval city

Guimarães is a very pretty destination and is a great example of a traditional and peaceful northern Portuguese city. Found within the compact centre are narrow cobbled streets, fine examples of medieval architecture and delightful plazas filled with open air cafes. The number of important historic monuments were recognised by UNESCO who declared the city a World heritage site in 2001. The Portuguese consider Guimarães as the birth place of Portugal, as it was here that the first king of Portugal (Afonso Henriques) was born. Afonso was baptised in the ancient Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo, the small church that is situated in front of the castle. The battle which founded Portugal as an independent country was fought within the vicinity of Guimarães and was the battle of São Mamede, fought in 1146. After this victory Guimarães became the capital of the fledging country but within 20 years the capital was relocated to Coimbra due to logistic reasons.

Check in at Hotel da Oliveira 4* in the town center

The Hotel da Oliveira is a sophisticated hotel, surrounded by history, offering a personalized quality service, and where all guests will be welcomed in a refined atmosphere, with the typical intimacy and charm of a private house. The project, developed by Interior Designer Paulo Lobo, transformed an old Pousada de Portugal into a contemporary hotel in the heart of the historical center. The Hotel presents a concept developed around the topic “Feel Guimarães”, following the recent dynamics connected to Guimarães 2012, European Capital of Culture. The main goal is to promote the city, using the information given and felt by the guest at the Hotel. The city of D. Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, was the inspiration for the concept “one room, one story”. Thus, each of the 20 rooms will have a light box with an artistic creation about the main events, activities and personalities associated to the local History, Culture, Industry and Religion. The purpose is to organize itineraries inspired by the experience and the direct contact with the topic of each room, inviting the guest to find more about it and this way giving more meaning to the whole stay.

http://www.hoteldaoliveira.com/

Standard double room with twin beds or double bed, overlooking the courtyards and alleys of the historic area.  These comfortable accommodations offer a perfect urban retreat combining original pieces of furniture with contemporary, author-designed décor. The rooms are equipped with private bathroom, Air Conditioning, Hairdryer, Safe, Minibar, TV, Telephone, Free Internet (Wireless) and a tablet for the exclusive use of the guest.

Dinner at “HOOL”, the hotel ‘s restaurant

Night: Guimarães, Hotel da Oliveira

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Visit Braga with our guide (30 minutes driving) which is specially known for the baroque architecture and Bom Jesus spectacular staircase

Braga is a wonderful tourist destination that combines history and culture, with numerous outstanding tourist attractions. The city is often regarded as the religious centre of Portugal, and this is confirmed every hour when a cacophony of different church bells ring-out. Braga is home to the oldest cathedral in Portugal, and a day’s sightseeing can provide a glimpse into the importance and extensive history of the city. Within the maze of narrow streets, Gothic churches back onto modern shopping streets and grand baroque buildings surround peaceful plazas. Even though Braga is the third largest city of Portugal, it does not have a hectic pace or crowded atmosphere and is a joy to explore.

Along with being an enthralling city, Braga is also the setting for one of the finest monuments of Northern Portugal, the Bom Jesus do Monte. This beautiful church and much famed baroque staircase, which depicts the ascent to heaven. In the unexpected layout of the Sacramento do Bom Jesus, the design fuses naturally with the difficult topography of the hillside to create a staircase of gardens on different levels reinforcing the typically baroque effect of a multiplication of spaces and views.

After lunch on your own a visit to the private garden of Paço de São Cipriano. A short distance from Guimarães, stands the imposing Paço de São Cipriano, a building dating from the 15th century. It is a garden of the “French type”, where the “topiary’ expresses itself. The box takes on unusual dimensions with characteristic shapes, predominating also the camellias – a hedge of about eighty meters – and the azaleas. In the foreground the mirror lake of water with, in the background of the Tower. The gardens of the Paço de S. Cipriano are an exceptional example in the north of the country, due to the absence of large fountains, replaced instead by the mirror lake of water. A narrow alley connects the central terrace with the border of the house to a lake against the wall surrounding the garden. Sober Tuscan columns, of seventeenth-century design, identical to those on the porch of the entrance, fit this lake by referring to the whole for the 17^th century. The lake of Paço de S. Cipriano, has affinities with great lakes of Bacalhôa, Torres or Fronteira. In the garden, we can observe the beautiful art of topiary, traditional in the gardens of Northern Portugal, applied to boxwood, myrtle and camellias. Since 1446, this magnificent residence has belonged to one of Portugal’s oldest families, the Santiago Sottomayors. https://pacoscipriano.com/

Back to Guimarães

Remainder of the day at leisure

Night: LAST NIGHT Guimarães, Hotel da Oliveira

Breakfast Included with lunch and dinner on own

After breakfast leave with luggage to Douro Valley (aprox 2 hours driving)

Stop at one of the most breathtaking Vantage points of the region and continue to the spectacular Quinta do Crasto where some of the best wines of the region are produced. We will be met at the estate by our guide for our visit of the estate and vineyards followed by private lunch with presentation of the wines.

Located in a prime spot in the Douro Demarcated Region in Northern Portugal, Quinta do Crasto has been in the family of Leonor and Jorge Roquette for more than a century. Like all the other great Douro estates, Quinta do Crasto dates far back into ancient times. The name Crasto comes from the Latin castrum meaning “Roman fort”. The earliest records mentioning Quinta do Crasto and its wine production date back to 1615. It later received Feitoria status (the highest vineyard classification of the time), together with the other noteworthy estates of the Douro Valley. Between 1758 and 1761, the Marquis of Pombal ordered the installation of 335 granite markers – each standing two metres high and 30 x 20 centimetres – to delineate the first ever Demarcated Region in the world. One of these stone pillars, or “marcos pombalinos” in Portuguese, dates back to 1758 and can still be seen today at the Quinta do Crasto nearby the century-old farm house. In the 1940s, all of these markers were inventoried and declared property of national interest. Family owned, fourth generation. Quinta do Crasto today has a full range of products, from white and red Douro wines, to premium Port wines and Extra Virgin Olive oils.

https://quintadocrasto.pt/welcome-note/?lang=en

https://quintadocrasto.pt/swimming-pool/?lang=en

Continue to Pinhão and check in at Vintage House Hotel 5*

In the heart of Douro Valley’s Demarcated Wine Region, considered World Heritage by UNESCO, you will find The Vintage House Douro, right on the Douro River. On arriving at your room, your first instinct will be to walk to the balcony to take in the unique landscape before you, already thinking how wonderful it is and how hard it will be to leave.

https://www.vintagehousehotel.com/

All Standard rooms have balconies providing breathtaking views over the Douro River letting you enjoy the sunlight and the amazing sunset. They all feature twin beds that can be joined together to create a king size bed, en-suite bathroom with shower over bath, working desk with lamp, LCD TV, telephone, dryer, safe, satellite channels and minibar. Free wifi

Dinner at Vintage House restaurant “Rebelo”

Night: Pinhão, Vintage House

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included

Walk to the pier (just outside your hotel) and discover Douro Valley UNESCO landscape on a cruise in a traditional wooden boat. The landscape of the Douro is very much a part of its history and heritage, and our exploration continues with a boat trip – on a traditional rabelo – that lazily transports us through a vision of step slopes covered in vines and punctuated by cypresses, all part of a landscape of terraces shaped by man almost as if it were a series of gardens.

Back to Pinhão and drive to the spectacular Quinta da Gricha

Visit of the historic wine Estate and scenic vineyards with the Estate guide. Enjoy al fresco lunch with organic vegetables produced in the estate and Churchil’s renowned wines. Gricha is home to the distinguished Churchill’s Port and Douro wines, which have achieved numerous accolades during the last decades and today rank among the world’s most prestigious wines.

We will take you on a tour, visiting the vineyards and the historic lodge built in 1852, with its unique granite lagares, explaining the importance of the terroir and different grape varieties in our style of wines. A visit to the Gricha Fountain from which the property took its name is also part of our tour. The charm of Gricha continues at the table, for lunch, where the best regional dishes go together with Churchill’s wines. Weather permitting, the Patio das Laranjeiras is the perfect setting for lunch under the orange trees. Should the weather not allow you to sit outside, then the perfect alternative is to lunch inside the caseiros kitchen with its traditional beamed ceilings and original stone oven. Our cuisine is based on traditional dishes from the Douro region and the North of Portugal

https://churchills-port.com/

Visit one of the most spectacular Vantage points of the region and back to Pinhão

Rest of evening at Leisure

NIGHT: LAST NIGHT Pinhão, Vintage House

Breakfast and Lunch Included with dinner on own

En route to Porto visit Mateus spectacular baroque Manor house and Gardens – Casa visit with estate guide and garden visit on own

The Casa de Mateus was built in the first half of the 18^thcentury by António José Botelho Mourão, 3^rd Morgado de Mateus. This replaced the former family house which had stood on the site since the beginning of the 17^th century. In 1910, it was classified as a National Monument. The artefacts on permanent display at the Casa de Mateus constitute an important and unique collection of heritage and artistic value that communicates the history of the Family and the House. The Casa de Mateus is nowadays a living museum which retains the original arrangements and functions of many of its rooms. The Baroque architecture in the Italian taste, is attributed to Nicolau Nasoni in view of its similarity of style to other works by him. According to Robert Smith, a specialist in his work, the architect is likely to have spent the years 1739 – 1743 on the construction of the house, or at least on its central façade and decoration.

The fantasy gardens of the house descend in terraces of box trees complete with a complex arrangements of flowerbeds. A tunnel of cypress trees arrives as a surprise and we head along a magnificent path formed by vaulted, verdant foliage. At the end of our stroll we discover a truly beautiful arrangement of box trees, the shape of which fans out from a Hinoki cypress tree in a series of flutes, arches and arabesques.

http://www.casademateus.com/?lang=en

http://www.casademateus.com/sightseeing-wine-tourism/gardens/?lang=en

Stop at charming town of Amarante. The beautiful scenery that Amarante possesses resembles the colours and textures you would most likely find in a delicate oil painting. The manner in which the trees softly embrace you and the perfect way the sun hits the Tâmega River on a late afternoon, seems to be Amarante’s special way of welcoming its visitors.

Farewell Lunch at Casa da Calçada restaurant with wines from the hotel’s adjoining vineyards.

In Northern Portugal, a short drive inland from Porto, straddling the banks of a gentle river, lies the elegant village of Amarante, which has been described as one of the most beautiful places on earth. With verdant trees drooping into the river and elegant, ancient buildings, Amarante could be the setting for a fairy tale. In its centre, overlooking the Tamega River, the ancient bridge and the Saint Gonçalo Church and Convent, you’ll find a grand and imposing 19th century palace. Completely restored, this palace houses the luxury 5 star boutique hotel Casa da Calçada Relais & Chateaux. Casa da Calçada’s Largo do Paço Restaurant is justly renowned and has been awarded a Michelin star, the only in Northern Portugal. It regularly wins international and Portuguese awards for its modern, innovative cuisine that is steeped in local gastronomic traditions and ingredients. The casa considers supporting local suppliers a duty—without them, the traditional character of its dishes would be lost. When selecting new suppliers, the restaurant’s team takes the time to understand the supplier’s products and facilities; and, conversely, suppliers are invited to the kitchens to see their products in use. The restaurant operates a partnership with local supplier H2Duoro for organic vegetables and supports the region’s honey producers.

Continue to Porto and rest of the day is at leisure.

Night: Porto, Carris Ribeira

Breakfast and Farewell Lunch Included and dinner on own

Your breakfast is included and transfers to the airport on your own or as arranged.

…. Espero que tenham gostado do seu tempo especial em Portugal e desejem-lhe uma boa viagem para casa….