When you think about the Douro valley, what does immediately pop in your mind? The staircase-like vineyards? Picturesque little villages? The river Douro snaking between the mountains? Steamy comfort food? A glass of Port wine? Probably a few of them since travelling around the Douro is a sensory experience.
No matter the season, Douro is a great destination and below we'll show you why.
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EN | The pandemic has hit the travel industry hard, so we've been investing in new ideas that allow us to keep doing what we do best: planning unique trips in Portugal. Now more than ever it's important to support our local partners and work together to ensure authentic tourism stays strong. PT | As restrições impostas pela pandemia criaram sérias dificuldades a todas as pessoas e empresas na área do turismo, por isso temos apostado em novas formas de viajar que nos permitam continuar a fazer aquilo que realmente gostamos: criar viagens únicas em Portugal. Agora, e mais do que nunca, é importante apoiarmos os nossos parceiros e trabalharmos juntos para promover um turismo mais autêntico e de qualidade.
Serra de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park is a protected area with almost 40.000 hectares located in the central part of the country, in the region of Beira Litoral.
Inside the park there are some small towns with a laidback atmosphere, where tourism has been growing in a slow and sustainable way, promoting and preserving the natural and cultural heritage. The drive from Lisboa takes about 1h and from Porto 2h, making it a great destination for a long weekend or even a base camp for some longer holidays. The surrounding area also has many points of interest, which we’ll write about in more detail. Ponte de Lima is our destination of choice for March 2020. It's a fantastic time of the year to venture to the Minho region and explore this adorable village!
Portugal is one of the finest destinations in Europe for birdwatchers. Despite its small size, our country comprises a big concentration of distinct habitats, which attract a wide array of bird species, from tiny ones to others with a large wingspan. In total there have been registered almost 450 different wild birds across the country.
In this journal post we tell you some curiosities about birdwatching in Portugal so grab your binoculars, field guide and notebook. Serra da Arrábida Natural Park is a protected area with 16.521 hectares located in the central part of the country and by the sea. It extends from Sesimbra to Palmela, already in Setúbal, and the whole southern stretch is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean.
June is a terrific time to explore this part of the country because the weather is nice, it's not as crowded as it is during July and August, and the natural scenery is a stunner. Below we’ve highlighted some of the main reasons to visit this natural reserve. With Spring threatening to settle in it's time to plan an escape to the countryside of Alentejo. Serra de São Mamede Natural Park was considered a protected area 30 years ago, on the 14th of April, and occupies an area of 56.000 hectares. We've elected this natural park as our April destination for 2019 and in the article below we'll let you know why.
When the Portuguese navigators got to shore in 1420 they baptised the island as Madeira (wood in Portuguese) because of the amount of plants, bushes and trees they saw. At the time Madeira was a dense wild forest, but slowly it turned into a beautiful well-tended garden that wows whoever visits, specially during Spring.
This time of the year is great to explore the archipelago and we'll show you why. Walking is free, relieves stress, sparks creativity, helps you sleep better, is a great way to stay fit without intense physical effort, and the list goes on… Everyone is well aware of the uncountable benefits of walking on a daily basis and it is fairly easy to squeeze a short walk here and there on weekdays and a longer one during the weekend. However, holidays tend to ruin good habits and the walking routine is replaced by the tempting moto “eat, sleep, repeat”. What if you could pair both and go for a “walk, eat, sleep, repeat” kind of day?
Rota Vicentina is the perfect place to do so. It matches spectacular walking trails, beautiful beaches, fresh and delicious food and peaceful villages where relaxing and going offline seems almost mandatory. Portugal is an absolute paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Although it has a fairly small area it offers very diverse landscapes and plenty of reasons to visit: spectacular sea views, quiet river banks, daunting mountains, long stretches of sand, stunning caves, never-ending plains, and the most spectacular sunsets…
There are many natural parks in Portugal mainland that are worth a visit and May is a great time to explore them. Unlike peak season, spring time is never crowded, temperatures are mild and nature is at its best! The ideal way to explore the parks is to combine road trips with walking trails or outdoor activities as some of the most beautiful places are not accessible by car. Here we selected some of the best ones, from north to south. |
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