www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
NORTH of PORTUGAL 9 DAYS PROGRAM Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais Óbidos, Coimbra, Porto Braga, Amarante Pinhão, Marvão, Foz Côa
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
NORTH OF PORTUGAL (9 days) BRAGA
PORTO
BRAGA
AMARANTE FOZ CÔA
COIMBRA
GUARDA
ÓBIDOS SINTRA ESTORIL
LISBOA LISBOA
Day 1: Arrived at Lisbon airport transfer to the hotel. Sleep at Lisbon. Day 2: Lisbon. Sleep at Lisbon. Day 3: Lisbon - Sintra - C.Roca - Estoril Coast. Sleep at Lisbon. Day 4: Lisbon - Óbidos - Coimbra - Porto. Sleep at Porto. Day 5: Full-day tour Porto, visit to Porto Wine Caves. Sleep at Porto. Day 6: Oporto - Braga - Amarante. Sleep at Amarante. Day 7: Amarante - Pinhão - Foz Côa - Rapa. Sleep at Rapa. Day 8: Rapa - Marvão - Lisbon. Sleep at Lisbon. Day 9: Free day and departure home
FARO
day 1 LISBON - Arrival at Lisbon Welcome to Lisbon! You'll have wheelchair accessible transportation waiting for you at the Lisbon Airport to take you to the hotel (all included in the price). You may seize the free time to explore Lisbon, depending on your arrival time.
day 2 LISBON In this tour, you will discover what's essential in Lisbon, the city of the seven hills, centre of the maritime discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries. This fact is eternalized in the architecture of the Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery, both of them considered as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 2 (contd.) You will discover all the 18th century Downtown, which was rebuilt by “Marquês de Pombal" after the earthquake of 1755. We will proceed towards Alfama, the oldest quarter of Lisbon, an area of the city that is marked by strong Arab influences. Furthermore, you'll have the chance to visit one of the several belvederes to look over the river Tagus, as well as enjoy the magnificent gardens and monuments of Belém. Here, you'll have to taste the delicious tarts of Belém, the famous Pateis de Belém. At night, as an option, you can listen to and feel a "Fado" show a genuine Portuguese music style, in an excellent restaurant. (please check the price for this optional on end of this page).
day 3 LISBON - SINTRA, ROCA CAPE and ESTORIL COAST After breakfast, we will start the 3rd day of your accessible vacations, visiting the Queluz Palace of the 18th century, built in the year 1747 by the Infant D. Pedro. It was an old agricultural palace belonging to the marquises of Castelo Rodrigo, which was confiscated in 1640. Continuing our journey, we will take you to the more occidental point of Europe - Cabo da Roca. From here, you can observe the spectacular sight of Sintra, our next destination. Sintra is one of the several ex-líbris of Portugal and strongly recommended to be explored if you come to visit Lisbon. Sintra is very inaccessible for wheelchairs, however we selected the best wheelchair accessible places for you to visit in its small downtown. You will easily understand why Sintra is classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its entire natural wrapped landscape seems to have stopped in time decades ago. We will continue to the beach of Guincho, one of the most famous beaches for the practice of windsurf, known to hold several international championships. Here, you will admire the wonderful and natural landscape of the Sintra-Cascais natural park. Then we'll visit Cascais, with it's very typical downtown, and Costa do Estoril, one of the most scenic and attractive routes of Lisbon.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 4 LISBON - ÓBIDOS - COIMBRA - PORTO We will leave Lisbon and travel by the west region of Portugal to start the day with a visit to Óbidos, a spectacular medieval village encased inside the strong walls of a very well conserved castle. Its walls protect a heritage of narrow streets, having the whitewashed houses covered with flowers and iron windows. The shops are piled high with local handicrafts and we can walk around the typical streets, visit churches with more than 500 years old and taste the famous “Ginginha” (typical alcoholic drink). Óbidos represents the typical medieval city and has preserved its original characteristics along the years; however it's accessible to wheelchairs even inside the castle. You'll feel like if you had returned in time to the big castles age. Maybe we will meet a knight in one of its streets... In the afternoon, we'll feel the power of the Portuguese foundation history. The city of Coimbra was one of the most important capitals in Portugal and birthplace of six Portuguese kings. Today it is still a reference considering its beauty, the typical centre and the Mondego River that brings a special charm to the city. Coimbra has Portugal 's first university, reputedly the second-oldest in the world! Coimbra's university, reputedly the second-oldest in the world, is a very important place for all students. It was founded in 1307 by King Dinis and its library is widely considered to have the loveliest interior in Portugal and one of the richest book collections in the world! Coimbra is an open book of history that remounts to the Celts, owners of Coimbra until the end of the century II AC. Later on, it was occupied by the Romans and Moors and was recaptured by the Christians in 1064, becoming the capital of the country under the first Portuguese dynasty. By the will of the first Portuguese king - D. Afonso Henriques – Coimbra became the capital of the kingdom in 1131. To honour the this fact, the Santa Cruz church (that we will visit) was built later, in the same year. Then the capital was transferred to Lisbon in the 18th century.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 5 PORTO This gracious capital of the north is the second-largest Portuguese city and a thriving industrial hub, successfully blending commercial efficiency with an atmosphere of unpretentious charm. Enriched by centuries of trade, modern Porto is as much a cosmopolitan centre as it is a city steeped in the historical events of its past. Magnificently situated on the great gorge of the River Douro, which spills into the Atlantic after its scenic 927 km journey from Spain, the 'granite city' is bestknown for its striking bridges and the much-celebrated Porto wine, which is bought, stored and savoured by wine lovers all over the world. Classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the ancient Ribeira riverside district is a warren of narrow, twisting streets and shadowy arches. Porto's "historic centre, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the River Douro, forms an exceptional urban landscape with a thousand-year old history." Its continuous growth can be seen in its many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanic choir, to the neoclassical PalĂĄcio da Bolsa (whch means something as Stock Exchange Palace) and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style church of Santa Clara. The ongoing restoration of this lively quarter is attracting a growing number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. All this area is well filed with wheelchair accessible and flat streets that you can explore on your own even without the guide. The entire historical centre will be visited in detail, comprehending important monuments and also shops that you'll have free time to explore, on the most traditional commercial street of Porto - the pedestrian street of Sta. Catarina. If shopping is not in your plans, enter in the Majestic CafĂŠ, where elegance is expressed, taking you in a time voyage. We will also take you across the spectacular two-tiered Dom Luis I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, the true home of Porto wine. Here, you can tour the world-famous lodges, which bear familiar household names such as Taylor's, Grahams and Sandman. The highlight of the 5th day of your accessible vacations is the obligatory wine-tasting session at the end.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 6 PORTO - BRAGA - AMARANTE We will leave Oporto in the morning and visit the historic town of Braga. The ancient city of Braga has always been an important centre for culture, commerce and religion and is also known as the "Portuguese Rome" due to its concentration of religious architecture. The Romans dedicated it to their Emperor and called it Bracara Augusta, making it their Galician head-quarters in 216 BC. Following a succession of destructive invasions, the city was rebuilt by Bishop Pedro (1070-1093) who established it as one of the most important religious centres in the Iberian Peninsula. In the 12th century, it became the seat of archbishops in Portugal and the country's religious capital. Here we will also visit the religious sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, located high on a forested slope 6 km east of Braga. At the top of a great pilgrims' stairway stands an impressive church from where visitors can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. The shrine also boasts a splendid baroque staircase that climbs up a wooded hillside in a series of terraced zigzags. We will arrive to Amarante at the end of the day, and stay in an incredible relays & chateau hotel.
day 7 AMARANTE - PINHÃO - FOZ CÔA - RAPA Situated 56 km east from Oporto, the pretty town of Amarante is set immaculately along the banks of the River Tâmega. This ancient settlement was founded by Turdetanos in 360 B.C. and went on to prosper under the Romans. In Amarante, you are going to see the magnificent church of São Gonçalo. Dating back to 1540, the exotic honey-gold granite façade of the former monastery houses a lovely interior of painted columns and a dramatic high altar under which exists a little golden chapel where São Gonçalo himself lies buried. Born in Amarante at the end of the XII century, São Gonçalo is mostly revered for his many healing miracles.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 7 (contd.) The church also features a magnificent two-storey Renaissance cloister. We will continue our visit trough the beautiful roads across the Douro valley until we get to Pinhão. Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2000 years. Since the 18th century, the main product of the region, Porto wine, has been worldly famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution. Spectacularly located at the confluence of the Douro and Pinhão rivers, 22 km upstream from Peso da Régua, the small town of Pinhão is the epicentre of the Port winemaking area and a place where the soil and climatic conditions are considered to be at their very best. Pinhão bursts into life in the autumn during the annual grape harvest, attracting pickers from all over the country. Popular for its peaceful riverside location and surrounding scenery, Pinhão is a mecca for lovers of fine wine. Afterwards we will dive a little deeper into history to admire an unique natural museum of ancient art in Vila Nova do Foz Côa. This exceptional concentration of rock carvings from the Upper Palaeolithic (22,00010,000 B.C.) is the most outstanding example of early human artistic activity in this form anywhere in the world. The Côa Valley rock art throws light on the social, economic, and spiritual life of the early ancestor of humankind.
day 8 RAPA - MARVÃO - LISBON We will probably wake up in this last day surrounded with snow at Rapa. Then, we will visit Marvão, one of the most traditional villages of Portugal. Lying on the east of Portugal, close to the Spanish border, Marvão is one of the oldest and certainly the most eccentric of all the villages of Portugal. Stretching around four hundred feet up an extremely steep hill and built between huge granite boulders, the historical village is one of the most remarkable in the whole of Europe, encaged inside castle walls.
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
day 8 (contd.) The village houses are somehow built inside, around and beneath the boulders. These fascinating houses are decorated with hanging baskets and earthenware bowls of bright flowers and cooking herbs. At the top of the hill you can see stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Like everything that is good, this tour also has an end. So we will return to the capital, Lisbon. After visiting our beautiful country that, so proudly, we've shown you, we have the feeling that you'll wish to come back to Portugal again and again and again...
day 9 LISBON Free day and departure home. Transfer back to the Lisbon Airport included. We'll leave you at the airport with a minimum of 2 hours for flight check-in. This is the end of your accessible vacations tour. We'll be glad to provide you an extension of your vacations: a relaxing stay in Algarve after or before this tour or an extension of your vacations in Lisbon and surroundings (Arrรกbida, ร vora, etc.). Ask us for a personalized vacation proposal.
WHAT'S INCLUDED: m !LL TRANSPORTATION WITH WHEELCHAIR ELEVATOR m .IGHTS AT OR STARS HOTELS m &ULL BREAKFASTS m "ILINGUAL GUIDE %NGLISH 0ORTUGUESE OR OTHER LANGUAGE requested); m !LL ENTRANCE FEES TO CULTURAL SITES m #IVIL RESPONSIBILITY INSURANCE AS OBLIGATORY BY 0ORTUGUESE ,AW
www.accessibleportugal.com info@accessibleportugal.com Tel.: (00 351) 926 910 989
BOOKING Travel conditions: - Our packege is calculated for two, four, six or eight people. Minimum 2 persons; - Extra trips are optional and can be booked with us (the ones mentioned above can be organized as your wish); - The tours do not include meals; - Transportation is adapted to wheelchair.
Details for payments "ANK
-ILLENNIUM "#0 "ANCO #OMERCIAL 0ORTUGU°S
NIB
0033 0000 4536 0452 6050 5
IBAN
PT50 0033 0000 4536 0452 6050 5
SWIFT CODE
BCOMPTPL
Company: Vectio, AgĂŞncia de Viagens, Lda
Vectio, AgĂŞncia de Viagens, Lda. Rua Jorge Barradas, nÂş50 4ÂşF, 1500-369 Lisboa | PORTUGAL
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NIF 507118502 | Capital social 150.000 â‚Ź | AlvarĂĄ Agencia. Viagen s n.Âş 1520/2008 | AlvarĂĄ Animação TurĂstica n.Âş 15/2006