D O U RO
Lisbon – Day 9
Lisbon tour extension Head south to the beautiful Roman city of Coimbra and discover the tranquil sanctuary of Fatima. Next, explore the famous sights of Lisbon before travelling to the picturesque town of Sintra, with its panoramic views and the famous Royal Palace.
3 DAYS FROM
$1,079
March to November 2022
Your itinerary DAY 8/DAY 1 EXTENSION – Coimbra & Fátima For those choosing to extend their holiday with our three-night tour to Lisbon, we depart the ship and leave behind the terraced hillsides of the Douro Valley. Heading south, our journey takes us inland as the wild seascapes of the Atlantic coast gradually give way to a hinterland of fertile fields and pine forests. Our first destination is the ancient city of Coimbra, renowned for the impressive Roman aqueduct striding across the city and the historic university, one of Europe’s oldest and a rival to Salamanca’s. With its labyrinthine lanes, charming Moorish quarter and pretty squares, this city is a fascinating place to explore and its many historical buildings are collectively
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classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a capital city, Coimbra became a major cultural centre during the Middle Ages with the university at its heart. We have the privilege of a visit to the university, which is situated on a hill overlooking the city. Its Baroque library – rich in giltwork, exotic woods and with a dazzling frescoed ceiling – contains over 200,000 leather-bound, centuriesold volumes. Equally extraordinary is the chapel, so exquisitely decorated it would be considered a cathedral in most places, and in complete contrast to the university prison, which is suitably austere and dates back to the mid 16th-century. We drive on through olive groves and wheat fields to Fátima, an unremarkable small town until 1917 when three children
experienced an apparition of the Virgin Mary and it suddenly became an important Catholic pilgrimage site and a national shrine. The original chapel built to mark the site of the apparition is now part of a large and impressive Sanctuary Complex, which is well worth exploring. Later we arrive in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and the country’s finest natural harbour, situated at the mouth of the River Tagus. Nestled amid seven hills, the city’s skyline is a mosaic of pastel and ochre shades, peppered with elegant domes and soaring spires. (B) DAY 9/DAY 2 EXTENSION – Lisbon After a leisurely breakfast, we set out to discover Lisbon’s highlights, many of which have attained the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. On our
