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, this stage will lead you to the Vasco da Gama Bridge (built by the time of the Expo ’98 world exhibition) heading south to Almourol, dominated by its medieval castle built in a small islet placed 18 meters above Tagus River.

The road that will take you to the next stop is plenty of curves of all kinds, after which will be possible to visit Lousã, right in the middle of the Route of the Shale Villages (whose houses are built in shale) in the centre of Portugal. Following the road to Arganil is also possible to contemplate an almost lunar landscape plenty of windmills fully integrated in the view, after which the stage ends in the incomparable village of Piodão, also known as the “Crib Village”. This is due to the disposition of its houses (with shale walls and window frames and doors made of wood painted in blue) over the mountain, and to how they look at night when lights are lit, making the all village look like a delightful giant crib.

More than a mountain. More than a mountain range about 100 km long and 30 km at its widest point that includes mainland Portugal’s highest point, located 1999m/6539 ft above sea level (named “Torre”, has the unusual feature of being accessible by paved road once is not a summit but rather de highest point in a plateau). Serra da Estrela is all about history, natural beauty, culture and tradition… and gastronomic highlights!

This unique area is more than worth to be paid a visit and is the first stop after leaving Piodão. The delightful and exciting roads that take there allow to contemplate an area that ranks among Portugal’s most outstanding scenic attractions due to bizarrely shaped crags and gorges, mountain streams and lakes, beautiful forests and magnificent views. Once Portugal’s south border, the region as even its own dog breed (named after the mountain itself), the only Portuguese ski resort and an extremely rich gastronomy that includes probably the most famous Portuguese cheese.

Next stage leads to Guarda, the highest Portuguese town made famous for the purity of its air and also for its historical importance. In the region, that includes the most important catchments areas that supply potable water to the Lisbon area, are made the most famous and delicious cheeses of Portugal – being considered unforgiven not to taste them!… Castelo Rodrigo follows in the journey, being this one of the most ancient places in Portugal where man settled and a village of great historical importance due to the role played by its castle in the defence of the Portuguese territory in the early days of its foundation.

After that will be time to enter the International Douro Valley, so named due to the fact that this is the area where Douro River is the border between Portugal and Spain. The site of Penedo Durão – an enormous rock located near by the Spanish dam of Saucelle, whose top is accessible through a stone stairway - offers a unique opportunity to observe the mountains, the river and numerous bird species. The trip will ride along beautiful and exciting mountain roads until the end of the stage is reached in the village of Pinhão.

Classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO the landscape around Pinhão is one of the most beautiful and of major economically importance for Portugal. This is the centre of the demarcated region of Oporto Wine, and where are located the most f6223 ftamous farms where maybe the most famous Portuguese wine is produced since the 18th century with indisputable quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.

The roads that lead to next stop in the journey will pass by the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, made famous in Portugal for being the most difficult and demanding hill climbing of the most famous professional cycling event in the country. After that will be time to visit the dam of Alto do Rabagão - the one in Portugal with the biggest wall, no less than 1897 meters (6223 ft) long – and numerous “lost villages” where almost no one lives, or only the old people was left behind, nevertheless still famous by its houses fully built in stone.

This is the forgotten and desert interior of Portugal, with its beautiful plains and roads with none or almost no traffic that strongly contrasts with the location of the stopover of the day – the unrivalled Gerês Mountain where nature and biodiversity is the richest patrimony of the region.

Created in 1971 due to its national and international scientific interest, with the aim to protect the soil, water, flora, fauna, and landscape, while preserving its value to the existent human and natural resources, the Peneda-Gerês Natural Park is the only natural park in Portugal. Besides encompassing an important area of natural forest, that integrates the European Network of Biogenetic Reserves, in this natural were identified approximately 235 vertebrate species, which make it the perfect spot to observe wild horses and birds, as well as three species of bat under pressure, the Red Squirrel or the Wild Cat and the Roe Deer, amongst many others.

The tour will next enter Spain briefly and will be back to Portugal to visit the villages of Ponte de Lima and Ponte da Barca, home of the famous Vinho Verde, a “young wine” (by opposition of the most traditional and known mature wine) slightly sparkling that can be white (the most consumed), red or rosé, meant to be consumed after one year of bottling and exclusively produced in this region, characterized by its many small growers, which number more than 30,000 and give a unique look to the surroundings.

Braga is the following stop. Founded by the romans more than 2000 years ago as Bracara Augusta, is the most ancient Portuguese town and simultaneously one of the most dynamic ones. Full of history and monuments, it has also a notorious catholic religion tradition proved by its numerous churches, the most famous ones being the Cathedral and the Good Jesus of the Mont sanctuary, a perfect example of the baroque architecture and where the most impressive parts are the enormous stairway that intends to replicate the Passion of Christ.

Before the day ends in the magnificent Oporto, by the margin of Douro River and its traditional Rabelo boats (used to carry the Oporto Wine from the farms to the town, where it was stored and sold) there will be time to pay a visit to Guimarães, the place where Portugal was established and because of that named as the “birthplace of the Portuguese nationality” – and that’s why locals and known as the “conquerors” once was there that Portugal began to be conquered to the Spanish in the 12^th century. Amongst its numerous monuments and many interesting places to see and visit, the most famous one is probably the statue of the first king of Portugal and its founder, Afonso I of Portugal.

The last day of a magnificent trip is the longest stage of all our tours and connects the two biggest towns of Portugal – Oporto and Lisbon. Oporto is located in the Douro River estuary and is one of the oldest European centres, being a town full of cultural, gastronomic and sport traditions also famous for its intense nightlife – for that the perfect place to taste the rich cuisine of north of Portugal (including some local and exclusive specialities) in one of its hundreds of restaurants.

Next stop in the journey will be Aveiro, known as the “The Portuguese Venice” due to its system of canals and boats similar to the Italian city – and that’s why our trip includes a boat trip in a Moliceiro, the traditional boat of the region and one of its ex-libris originally used to catch and carry “Moliço” (a kind of algae then used in agriculture to fertilize the soils). Impossible to miss also the local delicacy: the delicious “Ovos Moles” made of egg yolks and sugar in a very special manner.

The roads that go along the north shore of Portugal will carry us south passing through Figueira da Foz (literally “Fig Tree of the mouth of the river – accordingly to the legend, the place’s name is due to a fig tree which stood at a quay near the mouth of Mondego River where the fishermen used to tie up their boats). The beach with its purely white sands, the fishermen village of Buarcos and the casino (one of the biggest and most known in Portugal) are some of their main attractions. Almost the same applies to Nazaré, another fishing village famous by its beach and the following stop in the journey.

The day will end with the return to Lisbon but not before passing by some of the most beautiful sites on the west of Lisbon. Baleal is a unique place by itself due to the existence of a peninsula with two beaches at the eyesight of eachother; the same applies to Praia D’El Rey, one of the new preferred golf destinations in Portugal with its courses located near the shore. The beaches of the region – like Peniche, Vimeiro, Ericeira, and Azenhas do Mar are amongst the best of Portugal.

There will be time also to visit the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site – the beautiful Sintra Mountains, anciently known as Lunae Mons (mountains of the moon) and full of paranormal myths and events. Here is possible to find an extremely reach flora, superb landscapes and exciting roads, some of them used in the glory days of the Portuguese Rally in the 1980’s.

And then Cascais, whose settlement began in the 12^th century and is for ages one of the most famous and appreciated tourist destinations in Portugal and one of the best places to live in the Lisbon region. Beside its humble origins, soon its mild climate and beautiful beaches made of Cascais a unique place, where tradition (most of its monumental patrimony is due to the coastal defence) meets modernity, being considered nowadays one of the most elegant and luxury villages in Portugal, where many of the most notable Portuguese citizens choose to live. Most of them work in Lisbon and the trip back will be made along one of the most impressive roads of this journey that can’t be forgotten – the one that goes along the ocean and then the Tagus River!