Algarve: a mediterranean story
5-day tour departing from Faro and Lisbon
Our tour will take us to the well-guarded corners of the Algarve – between Faro and Tavira and up to Mertola – where a unique and ancient Mediterranean civilization still pulses.
We will make real contact with local life, and the strong colours of a landscape of nature reserves and gorgeous beaches will help make our trip truly memorable.
The Algarve is much more than a sandy expanse on the edge of an emerald sea, with sheer cliffs and stretches of green pine forest. Alongside its unique landscapes and ambience, the Algarve is rich in history and art that bear witness to its ancient origins. It is to this region, so well known and yet, at the same time, so unknown, that we set out on a visit with a different view.
Program
We start our journey in Tavira, with its typically historic centre and baroque churches, part of an explosion of whitewash that helps give the Algarve its strong scent of the Mediterranean. On the castle hill, in the old Jewish quarter, stands Convento da Graça, a 16th-century building, now transformed into a charming and welcoming Pousada, and the place where we will rest each night.
Next morning, the day begins with a boat trip through the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, where we will catch sight of rare species of migrating birds and observe the striking colours of the river where it meets the ocean. On the island of Deserta, we have the luxury of a stroll along a private beach and lunch at the edge of the sea. Our afternoon is spent in Faro, where a walk through the old town evokes the spirit of the Moors, with its narrow streets, arches and ancient walls. Faro is also home to numerous artistic treasures in the cathedral, the Convento da Assunção and in the baroque exuberance of its tiles and gilded carvings.
On the third day, we rejoin the Guadiana river to journey through a landscape seemingly frozen in time on our way to the charming town of Mértola. After a typical local lunch of fresh produce and rich flavours, we will come across numerous archaeological treasures, spanning a vast period from pre-history to the time of the Arabs, and among which the ancient mosque remains the most magnificent example. Also well worth a look is the medieval castle of Castro Marim, once the seat of the military order of Christ that succeeded the famous Kinghts Templar in Portugal. As sunset arrives at the end of the day, we will find a truly enchanting view across the estuary awaiting us from the old fort and little Renaissance church of Cacela-a-Velha.
It is amid the bustle of Olhão’s fish and artisans’ produce market that we begin our fourth day, before moving onto the Mediterranean legacy left by the Romans at the villa of Milreu, famous for its ancient mosaics. Up in the mountains, we visit the medieval castle of Loulé, and then move inland, following ancient, tree-covered roads through a seemingly never-ending landscape of timeless tradition and rural architecture, where the secret Algarve still lives.
Finally, since we are in the Algarve, another little taste of the sand. On the fifth and last day, before embarking at Faro airport, we still find time for a walk on beautiful Barril beach, with its suggestion of a swift return to this magical, unknown part of Portugal.
Program
We start our journey in Tavira, with its typically historic centre and baroque churches, part of an explosion of whitewash that helps give the Algarve its strong scent of the Mediterranean. On the castle hill, in the old Jewish quarter, stands Convento da Graça, a 16th-century building, now transformed into a charming and welcoming Pousada, and the place where we will rest each night.
Next morning, the day begins with a boat trip through the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, where we will catch sight of rare species of migrating birds and observe the striking colours of the river where it meets the ocean. On the island of Deserta, we have the luxury of a stroll along a private beach and lunch at the edge of the sea. Our afternoon is spent in Faro, where a walk through the old town evokes the spirit of the Moors, with its narrow streets, arches and ancient walls. Faro is also home to numerous artistic treasures in the cathedral, the Convento da Assunção and in the baroque exuberance of its tiles and gilded carvings.
On the third day, we rejoin the Guadiana river to journey through a landscape seemingly frozen in time on our way to the charming town of Mértola. After a typical local lunch of fresh produce and rich flavours, we will come across numerous archaeological treasures, spanning a vast period from pre-history to the time of the Arabs, and among which the ancient mosque remains the most magnificent example. Also well worth a look is the medieval castle of Castro Marim, once the seat of the military order of Christ that succeeded the famous Kinghts Templar in Portugal. As sunset arrives at the end of the day, we will find a truly enchanting view across the estuary awaiting us from the old fort and little Renaissance church of Cacela-a-Velha.
It is amid the bustle of Olhão’s fish and artisans’ produce market that we begin our fourth day, before moving onto the Mediterranean legacy left by the Romans at the villa of Milreu, famous for its ancient mosaics. Up in the mountains, we visit the medieval castle of Loulé, and then move inland, following ancient, tree-covered roads through a seemingly never-ending landscape of timeless tradition and rural architecture, where the secret Algarve still lives.
Finally, since we are in the Algarve, another little taste of the sand. On the fifth and last day, before embarking at Faro airport, we still find time for a walk on beautiful Barril beach, with its suggestion of a swift return to this magical, unknown part of Portugal.
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Prices
- 5-day tour departing from Faro and Lisbon
- Price per person from € 1.113 Group of 8 people
- Single supplement of € 299
The Tour includes
- 4 nights at Historic Pousada
- Breakfast daily, 3 lunches & 2 dinners (water,wine and coffee included)
- Private transportation
- Boat trip
- Full accompaniment by tour leader
- All entrance fees
- Guided tour by specialist in a natural reserve
The Tour does NOT include
- Air travel tickets
- Beverages not included in the meals
- Meals not shown in the price panel for each tour
- Items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls, laundry, etc)
- Gratuities to guides and drivers
- Personal travel insurance
- Visa cost where applicable
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