Beginning in one of the newest and best design hotels of the Portuguese capital, located in historical Lisbon where the Discovery started, just over the river Tagus and near to the iconic Belém Tower, first stage will lead you to the 25^th of April bridge – an iconic attraction of Lisbon that looks alike San Francisco’s Golden Gate but in a smaller scale and was built during the Estado Novo dictatorial regime (originally called after the dictator himself, Oliveira Salazar, was later renamed with the day of the Carnation Revolution of 1974 and offers a very special and a unique view of both margins of the Tagus River estuary).

The trip will also pass through Arrábida Mountain, declared a Natural Park in 1976 to protect many flora species existing there and where an incredible natural landscape is combined with a wonderful sea coast throughout 35 km (22 miles) – all of this along thrilling curvy roads! Sado River will be passed by a short ferry-boat trip to enter the Tróia Peninsula, one of the most distinguished Portuguese resorts, totally rebuilt in the past years.

The plains of Alentejo by the coastline follows in the journey, allowing to pass by incredibly long beaches, the town of Grândola (another icon of the revolution of 1974), the Vale do Gaio’s dam and the village of Portel and its castle – of major importance during the wars with the Moors and the Castilians. The day will end at at Monsaraz, a medieval town in the right margin of Guadiana River that always occupied an important place in the history of the region, having been occupied by different peoples since the pre-historical record (the castle or the hundreds of megalithic monuments are two of the many attractions as it is the fine and extremely rich cuisine of Alentejo region) – but before that will be possible to know the Alqueva dam, named after a small Portuguese village and today the largest artificial lake in Western Europe with no less than 250 km2 (96 sq miles).

A long stage crossing Portugal from one side to the other, from the border with Spain to the west coast passing by several interesting sites, like the mine of São Domingos where romans mined in tunnels for about 400 years for gold, silver and copper. Mining stopped since romans left until 1855 when it became an open-pit mine – being finally closed in 1996and becoming a famous tourist attraction.

The trip will follow the Portuguese border along some of the most beautiful roads of the country, with magnificent and rare landscapes, and during the journey the Alentejo/Algarve border will be crossed and it will be possible to drive through the almost unknown area of the Portugal’s most touristic region, passing by many “lost villages” – uninhabited places (or almost...) from where young generations left to seek a better life in the coastline and only old people remained. Going along the mountain roads, including the one with as many curves as the days of a year – 360! - will be time to discover a town probably founded during the roman period, and dominated by the muslins after 713 – indeed, Silves and its castle must be paid a visit, after which the shore will be reached.

The night will be passed in the inimitable Sagres, a location inseparable from the Portuguese Age of Discovery due to Prince Henry, The Navigator (1394-1460) who lived and died there and there established the famous nautical school. Sagres Point (a windswept shelf-like promontory only 4 km East and 3 km south of Cape St. Vincent, usually taken as the Southwestern most tip of Europe) and the fortress are other of the main attractions of a village that will remain in the memory of those who visit it also by the incomparable view of the sea that it offers.

Third and last day of this trip will be totally spent driving along the coastline, sometimes (not few…) in “off-tarmac” roads. This journey offers the perfect opportunity to see the most beautiful beaches of the Portuguese south coast – and, in some cases, some of the less known. Guaranteed names like Zambujeira, Mil Fontes and Cabo Sardão won’t be forgot by those who have the chance to visit these beautiful locations, with their white sands and blue crystal clear waters.

The stage will pass by through beaches of Algarve and Alentejo regions, but also by the very popular ones of the south Lisbon area. In the end, Tagus River will be crossed for the last time (this time by Vasco da Gama Bridge, built by the time of the Expo ’98 world exhibition) until Belém is reached again – after all, like the discoverers 500 years ago, it won’t be easy to find a better place as starting and arrival point for a Portugal’s discovering trip!…