Porto and The “Portucalense” County

Porto and The “Portucalense” County

There is no way to escape Porto’s charm. Every corner of Portugal’s “undefeated” city is full of surprises that you will discover through all your senses. Understanding the history of this colorful city and its surroundings, is understanding Portugal’s history. Having a glass of green wine & grilled sardines in the streets of Matosinhos, is delving into one of the most basic elements of Portuguese cuisine. Listening to a lost fado, is the beginning of getting a feeling only Portuguese have a word for: “saudade”. Walking the alleyways of Miragaia with a local, is the way to see the hidden “simple wonders” that rushed tourists, miss. Riding a tram or a bus to Gaia or Foz do Douro to enjoy the beaches and sunsets, is living how locals do. And of course, sipping a Port wine in one of its family-owned shops is embracing the culture of a city like no other - Bem vindo ao Porto!

Itinerary

Day 1: Porto: Welcome to the city

Stop At: Porto, Porto, Porto District, Northern Portugal
Today our adventure begins. This afternoon you will meet your localhost, your fellow explorers and settle into your new home. As you will soon discover, we choose comfortable flats/houses in convenient locations (away from the crowds), as we want you to enjoy the time you spend home and we want you to be able to move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters. After freshening up, we will go for some drinks to one of our hidden spots, before heading for an included welcome dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants, where you will get to know your new friends (yes, we already call them friends - welcome to Portugal) a bit better and indulge yourself with some Portuguese delicacies! Tonight is all about breaking the ice, sharing, having fun and having your first encounter with the local cuisine. Our culinary journey will begin with traditional Portuguese food (we hope you are hungry and thirsty). Portugal is known for its grilled sardines and having 1000 recipes for codfish, but don't be naive, there is a lot more to be discovered. And when it comes to wines, you will not be disappointed either. From the refreshing green wines of the Minho region to the beautiful reds of the Douro Valley, there is a whole world of colours and flavours. Your first Portuguese lesson begins today - Bem vindo ao Porto & saude!

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Welcome dinner

Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner: Traditional and tasty is what you can expect tonight. Cheeses and cold meats. Douro and Vinho Verde wines, fish and meat
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 2: Porto: Discovering your New Home

Stop At: Porto, Porto, Porto District, Northern Portugal
Our first full day in Porto will begin with a nice cup of coffee or tea if you prefer. Remember there will always be coffee and tea at our accommodation for you to begin the day with the right foot! It is up to you to have breakfast at home (as you will have a fully equipped kitchen and supermarkets nearby) or you can go to one of the many cafeterias the city offers. We have a lot of suggestions and the digital map we have provided you with, too.
After breakfast, we will head out and start exploring the "Undefeated City". Today we will cover the historical centre but we will leave the busiest areas for a late-night visit when we can enjoy them at our own pace. We will start with the obvious and see the main landmarks, so you know where they are (and understand how important they are when it comes to the history of the city) and you can then decide what to visit during your free time. What we really want to show you today are the little alleyways, the different views of the Douro river, the colours of Porto, the rooftops, the tiles and all the stories that hide behind. This will not be your typical walk where you get dates and names that you will forget after a couple of hours. This will be a more intimate walk where you will find out what is not in the Wikipedia. We want you to understand how the history of the city has shaped its culture and reality. We would love you to join us for lunch at our favourite “petiscaria” and enjoy some “Portuguese tapas” (so you understand the concept but forget “tapas”, we are in Portugal). The afternoon is free for you to further explore. Porto is walkable but you can always use the transport card we have given you and take the tram, subway or a bus. What about tonight? Who knows! We love spontaneity. Remember, travel is an art, not a science!

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Free Wander About - Getting to know Porto.
*Meals not included

Alternative Wander Abouts: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.
Duration: 5 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 3: Escapade #1: Geres National Park: Roman trails & Nature

Stop At: Geres, Geres, Braga District, Northern Portugal
Today after breakfast, we will head north to the beautiful National Park of Peneda Geres for our first “Escapade”. Although we always encourage the use of public transport, today we will be taking a van for logistical reasons. Our 1.5-hour drive to Portugal’s only National Park (considered by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve) is one you will not forget. The panorama will quickly change from the charismatic urban appearance of Porto to the picturesque Portuguese countryside. Once we reach our destination and our lungs fill up with the cleanest air, we will meet our guide for the day (warning: one of the most endearing characters you will cross paths with). From here we will venture further into the park where we will be learning some fascinating secrets about the local fauna and flora. It may sound simple, but as we also follow a 2000-year-old Roman path, nature and history will connect and will give you a whole different perspective on our place in this world. At the end of our path, the most epic “picnic” ever will take place. The selection of local Portuguese delicacies and the forest & lake view from high-above will not disappoint you! After our adventure in nature, we will head back to Porto. This activity takes around 6 hours in total, so we should be back with enough time to relax and plan our next move. Remember that late-night walk we mentioned before? Tonight might be the night! Do you want to join us for a walk and see the lights of the impressive Luis I bridge? We could take some wine with us and sit down by the Douro river. Just saying.

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Escapade #1 - Peneda Gerês.
*All included

Alternative Escapades: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.

Cannoying at a different part of Peneda-Gerês
Exploring Matosinhos with included lunch & Arrabida Bridge Climb
Cycling and wine tasting in the Minho region in one of its traditional “Quintas”
Market experience and Cooking class in the Galician town of Vigo
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 4: Gaia & Fado: Get your Senses Ready

Stop At: Porto, Porto, Porto District, Northern Portugal
Shall we plan an easy day like locals do (that’s what we are)? What about taking our beach gear and first heading to our favourite breakfast place. It doesn’t matter - sweet or savoury, you will love it! Once we are done, we will get on a train and head towards the neighbouring town of Gaia (15-20 minutes). This time, Miramar could be our chosen location - Here we can go for a swim, a stroll through its iconic sand dunes, and witness the impressive “Capela do Senhor da Pedra”, a 17th-century chapel built on a rock surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic (yeah, it is pretty amazing - Google it if you do not believe us). After recharging our energy at the beach (and eating some grilled codfish), we will head back to Porto to freshen up. Tonight we want to invite you to experience some traditional fado at a local tavern. Live fado is the perfect way to understand a deep Portuguese feeling, “saudade”. Even if you do not get the words, you will immediately understand what inspires this music genre. Wine and some “pataniscas” & grilled Chouriço will complement our music night. Boa noite!

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Free Wander About - Gaia & Fado.
*Meals not included

Alternative Wander Abouts: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.

Coimbra: Fado & Student Life
Vila do Conde: “Naus” and Aqueduct
Braga: Cathedral & Bom Jesus
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Matosinhos, Matosinhos, Porto District, Northern Portugal
Part of the same activity - Please refer to text under "Porto"
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Praia de Miramar, Arcozelo, Vila Nova de Gaia 4400-603 Portugal
Part of the same activity - Please refer to text under "Porto"
Duration: 5 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 5: Guimarães: Back to Origins

Stop At: Guimaraes, Guimaraes, Braga District, Northern Portugal
Bom dia! It’s time to dig a bit further and understand the roots of Portugal. There is no better place to do that than Guimarães. A UNESCO World Heritage site with an impressive medieval old town! To get there we will get on a train from Porto Campanha and after 1 hour we will be in the hometown of the first king of Portugal, Afonso I “the Conqueror”. Here you will understand how the County of Portugal (yes, county and not country) achieved independence from the Kingdom of Galicia and how family disputes between Afonso and his mother Teresa played a key role in this. Its castle, the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, the twisted little streets, charming squares, and its stone and metalwork are only some of the ingredients that make this city fascinating. Its food and wine scene will not be overlooked and we will pop into one of its traditional restaurants for some northern delicacies. Once we are happy with our Wander About in Guimarães, we will head back to our base in Porto. As you already know, we have lots of suggestions for the evening. Join us or explore at your own pace.

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Free Wander About - Guimarães: Back to Origins.
*Meals not included

Alternative Wander Abouts: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.

Coimbra: Fado & Student Life
Vila do Conde: “Naus” and Aqueduct
Braga: Cathedral & Bom Jesus
Duration: 5 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 6: Escapade #2: The Douro Valley: The Wine Experience

Stop At: Pinhao, Pinhao, Vila Real District, Northern Portugal
Well, a visit to this part of Portugal would not be complete without visiting one of its most beautiful wine regions. Shared by Portugal and Spain, the Douro river (Duero in Spanish) has blessed us with some of the most beautiful wines in the Iberian Peninsula. Apart from its amazing wines, the Douro region is just breathtaking with its terraces full of vineyards grown along the river. Today we will venture by car (2 hour drive) into the heart of the Douro Valley; let some good music and the views set the mood for the rest of the day. We will then visit a small family-owned winery, where we will get to understand a bit better what makes this region so special and we will obviously start sampling some of its products (yeah, we will be having a lot of wine today). After this little taste we will head towards the river where we will get on board of a traditional vessel to cruise along the Douro, whilst we taste some other local “fermented grape juices” and just admire the sheer magnitude of the valley. At this point we will be loving life, but algo pretty hungry. For lunch, we will visit another winery where our lunch will be served in their patio. Fresh and delicious food is all we are revealing at this point...oh, also some wine. Our lunch will end with a visit to their family cellar where we will taste and learn a bit more about Port wine. Enjoy the most pleasant “siesta” on the way back home and get ready for our last day.

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Escapade #2 - Douro Valley.
*All included

Alternative Escapades: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.

Cannoying at a different part of Peneda-Gerês
Exploring Matosinhos with included lunch & Arrabida Bridge Climb
Cycling and wine tasting in the Minho region in one of its traditional “Quintas”
Market experience and Cooking class in the Galician town of Vigo
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch: Traditional Portuguese food paired with the local wines from the Douro Valley.
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.

Day 7: Aveiro & Farewell dinner: Colours & Tastes

Stop At: Aveiro, Aveiro, Aveiro District, Northern Portugal
A new day, a new plan. Today is our last full day together and we want to make it a colorful one. That’s why we will hop on a train (1 hour ride) to get to Aveiro with its canals and “moliceiro” boats. Let's wander around and have a coffee and some “ovos moles”, a sweet local specialty that will boost our energy levels. We could then get on a bike, as it is the best way to experience the lagoon and if we are lucky, spot some herons and flamingos. We could also head to the stunning beach of “praia da Barra”, located only 10 km away from Aveiro. Here we have both quiet waters for those looking for a relaxing dip and good surfing spots (there is a school for those looking to learn). We will head back to Porto in the afternoon to get ready for our farewell night. Tonight we are going to one of our favorite restaurants (we have many) for a superb dinner. There is only one goal: to have the best possible time and thank everyone for sharing this experience. Drinks and music will be waiting after our dinner to keep celebrating life and say goodbye to Porto the way it deserves!

Note: We do not believe in mass-produced tours. Therefore, we change places and activities to adapt to the time of year and circumstances. We want to provide you with a unique experience!

Inclusions today: Free Wander About - Aveiro.
*Meals not included
* Included farewell dinner

Alternative Wander Abouts: Apart from avoiding doing the same over and over again, we are also prepared for unforeseen weather conditions/events that could prevent us from enjoying this activity.

Coimbra: Fado & Student Life
Vila do Conde: “Naus” and Aqueduct
Braga: Cathedral & Bom Jesus
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner: Farewell dinner in one of our beloved local restaurant
Accommodation included: Comfortable flats/houses in central locations. Move easily through the city whilst discovering less known quarters.