ADD TEXT FOR PUGLIA Come find out why Travel & Leisure Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and many others are falling in love with Portugal. With the UNESCO World Heritage town of Évora as a base for 6 nights, we will venture in all directions exploring the gastronomic and cultural treasures of the Alentejo.
We will visit the fairytale walled village of Monsaraz, the marble town of Estremoz with its bustling Saturday market, a pre-historic megalith that pre-dates Stonehenge by 2,000 years, all the while discovering the wines and dishes that are putting Alentejo on the map.
Our private group bus will meet you at our pickup location in central Lisbon at 10am and to take us to Évora (approximately 1h20m minute ride).
Prior to lunch, we will visit the famous Bone Chapel of Évora. We will then wander the maze of narrow streets of Évora before arriving at our lunch destination.
Wine tasting & lunch: We will dine at one of our favorite restaurants in Évora. The family has been serving traditional Alentejo gastronomy for close to 40 years.
After lunch, we will visit the 800 year old Cathedral of Évora followed by the 1,800 year old Roman temple, before making our way to your hotel – a 5-star property located within the walls of the town.
Each evening you can enjoy the common areas of the hotel with its commanding view of the 16th century aqueduct or wander the streets of Évora.
Fala Português? If you like, you can begin each morning with a fun informative half hour Portuguese lesson.
Cultural stop over: You will learn why cork is such an incredible sustainable resource.
We will visit a cork forest led by the always jovial, interesting Andreia. You will never look at a wine cork in the same way again!
Lunch & wine tasting: We will then stop at Senhor Daurindo’s for a super traditional Alentejo feast accompanied by some very local wines.
More culture: On the way back to our home base, we will stop by at the pre-historic megalith, Cromeleque dos Almendres: a stone circle that predates Stonehenge by 2000 years.
Cultural stop: A guided visit to the royal summer palace in Vila Viçosa.
Wine tasting: Howard’s Folly. Funny name, serious wine. Lead winemaker David Baverstock is better known for running the wine operation at Esporão. But Howard’s Folly is a new, small venture by David’s good friend, Howard who lived for 30 years in Hong Kong.
Lunch: Innovative Chef Bernardo creates perfect dishes to pair with Howard’s wines.
Cultural stop over: the fairytale village of Monsaraz. One of the best-preserved villages in the country. If it were anywhere else, it would be mobbed with tourists year-round. We will stop in the pottery town of São Pedro do Corval along the way for some shopping.
Lunch: We will have a lovely lunch on the covered patio facing the lake and the Spanish frontier at good friend Joao’s family restaurant in Monsaraz.
Wine: Visit our friends at Quinta do Quetzal who love both art and wine. Our visit will be led by winery head, Reto Jorg.
Lunch: João Mourato, head chef at Quetzal, may receive a Michelin star one day. You will not believe he is only 26!!
Cultural highlight: the Roman Villa of São Cucufate has been standing for over 1,800 years.
Cultural stop over: We will visit one of the oldest outdoor markets in Europe in the marble town of Estremoz.
Winery tasting: Owner, winemaker Luis Louro of Monte Branco was practically born into the wine business. Luis has strong opinions about winemaking and looks forward to sharing them with you. It also helps that his tasting area overs a glorious view of the countryside.
Lunch: We will have a lovely lunch in the barrel room while continuing to try some of the Monte Branco wines.
On Sunday, we will drop you off at Lisbon airport at 9:30 am. We can help you arrange a different drop off location and/or time.
Ready to book your tour with Tinto Travels?
Get Started by letting us know you’re interested!
