São Mamede wine route
5-day tour departing from Lisbon
São Mamede is an idyllic corner of Portugal drenched in history and a beautifully preserved heritage.
Here, mountains and a special microclimate come together to produce the excellent wines that we will taste during our hosted private visits to typical local wineries. A sophisticated but historic hotel awaits us by night.
Program
We start our Alentejo’s voyage in Évora, where we will spend the afternoon, strolling through the fascinating streets of this charming city and its historical centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The night will get us at the secluded old convent of Lóios, now transformed into a charming Pousada.
We start our Alentejo’s voyage in Évora, where we will spend the afternoon, strolling through the fascinating streets of this charming city and its historical centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The night will get us at the secluded old convent of Lóios, now transformed into a charming Pousada.
Day two starts with a surprise in the form of a winery that is itself a work of art – built from the ground up, amidst of a magnificent scenery, by Portugal’s most famous architect, Alvaro Siza Vieira.
Afterwords, the lunch will be at a typical Alentejo manor house or monte, set in an enchanting landscape, and taste the refined wines of the estate. In the afternoon we visit the singular Museum of Tapestry in Portalegre, where time-honoured traditions of weaving meet contemporary design.
The end of the day finds us resting in the monastery of Santa Maria Flor da Rosa, a hybrid construction, both monastic and military, that has been renovated in a remarkable way by one of Portugal’s most renowned contemporary architects, JL Carrilho da Graça.
We will spend the night here, savouring the hotel’s medieval ambiance. This is a place where history blends with legend, transporting us back to the roots of the Portuguese kingdom, and to the heroism of the ancient Orders of Knights.
According to tradition, Crato was recaptured from the moors in 1160, the year that King Sancho II bequeathed these lands to the Knights of Malta, whose influence can be seen in the noblest buildings of the village. From here, we will begin to explore a region where history and marvellous scenery are intimately and beautifully entwined.
The third day, we will visit two border towns: Castelo de Vide and Marvão. The first set in a natural amphitheatre of hills, is a lively town whose labyrinthine streets reveal a medieval Jewish neighbourhood and narrow, whitewashed houses. From a distance, Marvão appears like a fairytale mirage, with its tiny white houses amid chestnut and cork trees.
Then, from the castle, the landscape overpowers us, as it did the Moorish warrior Ibn Marúan in the 10th century, after whom this land is named. Arab legends intertwine with remains of the Romans who, centuries before, discovered the special quality of these lands for the production of excellent wines.
The ruins of the roman villa of Ammaia, which tell of this ancient presence, are currently being unearthed day by day. This magnificent landscape, where silence reigns, favours us with the ideal, calm environment to savour a good wine.
Conversing with local wine producers will enrich our experience, as we learn more about the essential nature of these wines. In this region, reds are predominant – loaded with colour and with an intense aroma of fruits. The regional varieties of Aragonês, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro and Alicante Bouschet are particularly elegant and age well in the bottle.
The fourth day we are going to visit one of the region’s most ancient wineries. Then follows a stroll through the Estremoz castel, which has a patrimony worthy of note, and at lunch, a very exquisite meal waits for us.
The periple ends at pousada de Arraiolos, another remarkable recuperation project where traditional architecture, heritage and design mixes with a unique landscape that has become familiar by now. The last day still has the time to visit the pictoresc and well known vila.
Afterwords, the lunch will be at a typical Alentejo manor house or monte, set in an enchanting landscape, and taste the refined wines of the estate. In the afternoon we visit the singular Museum of Tapestry in Portalegre, where time-honoured traditions of weaving meet contemporary design.
The end of the day finds us resting in the monastery of Santa Maria Flor da Rosa, a hybrid construction, both monastic and military, that has been renovated in a remarkable way by one of Portugal’s most renowned contemporary architects, JL Carrilho da Graça.
We will spend the night here, savouring the hotel’s medieval ambiance. This is a place where history blends with legend, transporting us back to the roots of the Portuguese kingdom, and to the heroism of the ancient Orders of Knights.
According to tradition, Crato was recaptured from the moors in 1160, the year that King Sancho II bequeathed these lands to the Knights of Malta, whose influence can be seen in the noblest buildings of the village. From here, we will begin to explore a region where history and marvellous scenery are intimately and beautifully entwined.
The third day, we will visit two border towns: Castelo de Vide and Marvão. The first set in a natural amphitheatre of hills, is a lively town whose labyrinthine streets reveal a medieval Jewish neighbourhood and narrow, whitewashed houses. From a distance, Marvão appears like a fairytale mirage, with its tiny white houses amid chestnut and cork trees.
Then, from the castle, the landscape overpowers us, as it did the Moorish warrior Ibn Marúan in the 10th century, after whom this land is named. Arab legends intertwine with remains of the Romans who, centuries before, discovered the special quality of these lands for the production of excellent wines.
The ruins of the roman villa of Ammaia, which tell of this ancient presence, are currently being unearthed day by day. This magnificent landscape, where silence reigns, favours us with the ideal, calm environment to savour a good wine.
Conversing with local wine producers will enrich our experience, as we learn more about the essential nature of these wines. In this region, reds are predominant – loaded with colour and with an intense aroma of fruits. The regional varieties of Aragonês, Trincadeira, Alfrocheiro and Alicante Bouschet are particularly elegant and age well in the bottle.
The fourth day we are going to visit one of the region’s most ancient wineries. Then follows a stroll through the Estremoz castel, which has a patrimony worthy of note, and at lunch, a very exquisite meal waits for us.
The periple ends at pousada de Arraiolos, another remarkable recuperation project where traditional architecture, heritage and design mixes with a unique landscape that has become familiar by now. The last day still has the time to visit the pictoresc and well known vila.
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Prices
- 5 day tour departing from Lisbon
- Price per person from €1.282 Group of 8 people
- Single supplement of € 275
The Tour includes
- 4 nights at Historic Pousadas
- Breakfast daily, 2 lunches & 3 dinners (water,wine and coffee included)
- Private transportation
- Full accompaniment by tour leader
- All entrance fees
- Guided wine tastings
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
Highlights
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