Lisbon and the Algarve

DAY ONE

• Arrival at Lisbon airport and private transfer to your accommodations.
• Rest of day at leisure to get over your jet lag, and dinner on your own at one of the city’s many wonderful restaurant.
• Overnight.

DAY TWO

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Next, head out on a half-day tour to nearby Sintra, where hundreds of years of history await you. Take a walk in the city center where you will find old houses converted into quaint shops. (Entrance fees paid locally.) You will see the amazing architectural styles and colors that have made Sintra a top site in Portugal.
• Head back to Lisbon along the Estoril coast.
• Afternoon at leisure to explore the Castle of Saint George, the Tower of Bélem, or the Jerónimos Monastery, or other sites. Make sure to stop for a famous “Pasteis de Bélem,” a wonderful custard pastry.
• Overnight.

DAY THREE

• Breakfast at the hotel, then head to the Algarve! The drive will take around 3 1/2 hours.
• Check in and get situated.
• This evening, enjoy a Chef’s selected menu at the hotel (drinks not included).
• Overnight.

DAY FOUR

• Breakfast at the hotel, then head out for a cooking class (within walking distance of the hotel). The Algarve is known for its beautiful beaches, but its cuisine is full of undiscovered treasures. During this cooking class, you will discover the heart of what makes the Algarvian cuisine so special. Here you will find the freshest seafood, lovely and delicious humble dishes, and farm-fresh produce. The cooking class ends with a delicious lunch and carefully chosen wine pairings.
• This afternoon, time to relax on the beach or explore on your own.
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

DAY FIVE

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Depart with your driver for Loulé. Since the earliest of times, Loulé has been a center of great commercial activity and known for its craftsmen (coppersmiths, palm weavers, and potters). Nowadays, you can still see some of the artisans working at their workshops. Loulé’s Market is the main attraction here: a magnificent edifice of neo-Arabic style, with more 100 years of history, that extends to the surrounding streets. Here you can find all sorts of local products, such as fresh vegetables, fish and fruits that grow in Loulé’s surroundings. In this tour you will visit the old and traditional city of Loulé, will meet some special people that make the place alive, and will have the opportunity to taste regional specialities. End with a light lunch in a old traditional tavern.
• Return to you hotel and afternoon at leisure with dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

DAY SIX

• Breakfast and then off to Lagos and Sagres. Lagos was once the capital of the Algarve. Set on a privileged location, the town was the settlement of Romans, Visigoths, Moors and finally the Portuguese. As Portugal became the center of a vast empire Lagos grew larger into one of the most important cities of Portugal. With the 1755 earthquake, a lot was knocked to the ground and only the strongest structures escaped the terrible natural disaster. But Lagos fought back and found in its fishing traditions the strength to maintain all of its character. Nowadays the medieval castle walls surround the whitewashed houses and Lagos’ narrow streets. See traces of the first slave market in Europe as well as some of the fortifications that maintained the Portuguese independence against the Spaniards.
• Nearby you will find the spectacular promontory of the Cape of Saint Vincent and Sagres where Prince Henry the Navigator founded the first nautical school in the world. Known as “the end of the world” in the past, these places still hold an aura of mystery with the dramatic reddish cliffs overlooking the amazing Atlantic Ocean.
• Return to your hotel with afternoon to relax.
• This evening, enjoy a Portuguese supper club tradition (within walking distance of the hotel). Sip on a welcome drink, meet your fellow diners, and settle into your table in the kitchen to see what’s simmering on the stoves. This fantastic gastronomic experience is the perfect motivation for people to come together to try new dishes and enjoy a fabulous, convivial atmosphere. The supper club features traditional Portuguese food and ingredients, tailored to the season and the occasion, guaranteed to please and accompanied by select wines. The chef will talk you through the dishes they are preparing, so you can pick up a few tricks for your home kitchen. The supper club is great opportunity to exchange conversation with others that share your love for all things culinary.
• Overnight.

DAY SEVEN

• Breakfast and private transfer to either Faro airport in the Algarve or Lisbon airport.