Algarve & Alentejo Discovery

InBound Portugal representative meets the group at the arrivals hall with personalised signage. Luggage coordination and group briefing. Private minibus (12 pax) standing by at the dedicated group exit. 40-minute transfer to hotel in the Lagos / Meia Praia area.

Check-in at a 4-star hotel in the western Algarve between Lagos and the Meia Praia beach. Property with pool and Atlantic views. Rooms pre-blocked for early access. Group welcome pack and program booklet distributed at reception. Brief orientation by group leader.

First meal in the Algarve at a traditional seafood restaurant on the Lagos waterfront. Menu: amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (clams with garlic and coriander); grilled red mullet or dourada; fresh salad; regional Algarve white wine; almond tart for dessert. Duration: approx. 90 minutes.

Licensed guide leads the group through the walled old town of Lagos. Key stops: Igreja de Santo António (interior — extraordinary gilded Baroque woodcarving; one of the finest examples in Portugal); Museu Municipal de Lagos (adjacent); Praça da República and the slave market building (the first in Europe); the old city walls and Porta da Bandeira. Duration: 90 minutes.

Transfer to Ponta da Piedade (10 minutes from Lagos). Guided walk along the cliff path overlooking the most dramatic rock formation on the Algarve coast — golden limestone stacks; sea arches; emerald water. Optional: small boat trip through the sea caves and arches at the base of the cliffs (30 minutes; included). Duration at site: 75 minutes.

Private minibus returns group to hotel. 90-minute rest period. Pool access. Group leader confirms evening logistics.

Dinner at a premium restaurant overlooking the Lagos marina. Menu: tuna tataki with algae and citrus (starter); grilled tiger prawns or arroz de lingueirão (razor clam rice); regional Algarve Vida Nova or Morgado do Quintão wine; citrus tart with almond ice cream. Duration: approx. 2.5 hours.

Private minibus from marina to hotel. 10-minute drive. End of Day 1.

Full buffet breakfast. Departure briefing at 09:00.

Private minibus departs hotel. 45-minute drive to the southwestern tip of Europe. Scenic coastal route via Vila do Bispo.

Visit to the Cabo de São Vicente lighthouse and clifftop promontory — 75 metres above the Atlantic. Guide explains the cape's strategic and navigational history from Phoenician times through the Age of Discoveries. Extraordinary open ocean views. 30-minute stop.

Private guided visit of the Sagres Fortress — the legendary base where Prince Henry the Navigator is said to have prepared Portugal's exploratory voyages. Enormous wind compass (rosa dos ventos) carved into the rock; 16th-century church of Nossa Senhora da Graça; dramatic clifftop walls above the ocean. Duration: 60 minutes. Entry fees included.

Lunch in a traditional tasca in Sagres village — one of Portugal's most authentic fishing communities. Menu: perceves (barnacles) and percebes where available; cataplana de peixe (copper pot fish stew — the emblematic Algarvian dish); regional wine; almond cake. Duration: 90 minutes.

Private minibus from Sagres to Silves. 55-minute drive through the western Algarve interior.

Private guided visit of the Castelo de Silves — the finest Moorish castle in Portugal; red sandstone walls; cistern; panoramic views over the orange and almond groves of the Algarve interior. Adjacent visit to the Silves Cathedral (Sé de Silves) — built over a mosque; Gothic interior with medieval tombs. Guide contextualises eight centuries of Moorish presence in the Algarve. Duration: 90 minutes. Entry fees included.

Group disperses in Silves town. Coffee and medronho (arbutus berry spirit) at a riverside café. Optional: Cork Museum visit (Museu da Cortiça) — the Algarve is in the heart of Portugal's cork oak belt. Guide available. Minibus departs at 18:00.

Private minibus from Silves to hotel. 45-minute drive. 90-minute rest before dinner.

Dinner at a beachside restaurant on Meia Praia — a 4km stretch of Atlantic beach east of Lagos. Menu: fresh grilled fish selection (the catch changes daily); açorda de gambas (prawn bread stew); regional Algarve wine; seasonal fruit dessert. Outdoor terrace with ocean views and sunset light. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Private minibus. 15-minute drive. End of Day 2.

Early breakfast. Luggage outside rooms by 08:00 for loading onto coach. Full checkout — coach carries all luggage for onward journey to Alentejo.

Private coach departs hotel eastward along the EN125. 75-minute drive to the Tavira / Ria Formosa area.

Departure from the Tavira waterfront by private flat-bottomed boat (traditional Algarve vessel) into the Ria Formosa lagoon system — a protected coastal wetland of 18.000 hectares and one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. Guide explains the ecosystem: migratory bird species; sea horse breeding; clam and oyster beds; barrier islands. Stop at Ilha de Tavira (Tavira Island) for 30 minutes of free time on the beach. Total duration: 90 minutes.

Private guided walk through Tavira — widely regarded as the most beautiful town in the Algarve. Key stops: Roman bridge over the River Gilão; Igreja da Misericórdia (Renaissance portal and interior azulejos); Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo (built over a mosque; Gothic interior; clock tower with views); Tavira Castle gardens. Duration: 75 minutes.

Lunch on the Tavira riverside terrace. Menu: oysters from the Ria Formosa; grilled linguado (sole) or arroz de peixe (fish rice); local white wine from the Algarve DOP; fig and almond dessert. Duration: 90 minutes.

Private coach departs Tavira northward via the IP1/A2. Distance: approx. 200km; journey time: approx. 2 hours. Guide provides an introduction to the Alentejo — geography; cork oak and olive landscape; megalithic culture; wine tradition. Landscape changes visibly as the coast gives way to the plains.

Check-in at a 4-star hotel or rural herdade (wine estate) within or immediately outside the Évora UNESCO World Heritage walls. Rooms pre-assigned. Group leader distributes Alentejo program briefing. Outdoor terrace or pool area for late afternoon relaxation.

Informal group walk inside the Évora city walls at dusk. Guide points out key landmarks for the following morning's detailed visit: the Roman Temple; the Cathedral; the Giraldo Square. The Alentejo light at dusk is exceptional — warm ochre tones over the white-washed streets. Duration: 45 minutes.

Dinner in a traditional Alentejo restaurant inside the walled city. Menu: migas com entrecosto (pork ribs with bread-based side); sopa de cação (dogfish soup) as starter; borrego assado (roasted lamb) or bacalhau à alentejana; Alentejo red wine from the Évora DOC; Alentejo sheep's cheese with quince jelly as dessert. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Short walk or minibus back to hotel. End of Day 3.

Full buffet breakfast. Departure briefing at 09:00.

Licensed Évora guide leads a comprehensive private tour of the UNESCO-classified historic centre. Key stops: Praça do Giraldo (the main square — fountain; 16th-century arcade; Igreja de Santo Antão); Roman Temple of Diana (well-preserved 1st-2nd century Corinthian columns); Évora Cathedral — Sé de Évora (12th century; Romanesque and Gothic; rooftop terrace with panoramic views; medieval cloister); Igreja de São Francisco and the Chapel of Bones (Igreja dos Ossos) — walls and ceiling lined with the bones and skulls of approximately 5.000 monks; sobering and extraordinary. Duration: 2 hours. Entry fees included.

Private minibus transfer (20 minutes) to the Cromeleque dos Almendres — the largest megalithic complex on the Iberian Peninsula (approx. 95 standing stones; 7.000 years old). Guide explains the astronomical alignments and ritual significance. Onward transfer (10 minutes) to the Anta Grande do Zambujeiro — the largest dolmen in Portugal and one of the largest in Europe; 6-metre granite capstone; burial chamber. Total duration at both sites: 75 minutes.

Lunch at a working herdade outside Évora — either the accommodation property or a neighbouring estate. Long table under cork oak trees or in the estate dining room. Menu: local charcuterie and Alentejo cheeses; migas; slow-roasted suckling pig or cordeiro (lamb); estate Alentejo red wine; fresh orange dessert. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Private transfer (30 minutes) to a wine estate in the Alentejo DOC zone — one of Portugal's most important red wine regions. Guided vineyard walk: cork oak and olive trees between vine rows; explanation of the Alentejo grape varieties (Aragonez; Trincadeira; Alicante Bouschet). Winery tour: stainless steel and oak barrel ageing rooms. Structured tasting of 4 wines: 1 white; 2 reds; 1 reserve. Duration: 90 minutes.

Transfer to Monsaraz (20-30 minutes depending on estate location). Monsaraz is a perfectly preserved medieval walled village on a hilltop above the Alqueva reservoir — the largest artificial lake in Western Europe. Guide leads a walk through the narrow whitewashed streets; castle walls with views over the lake and the plains extending to Spain. The sunset from the castle ramparts is exceptional. Duration: 60 minutes.

Private minibus returns to Évora hotel. 45-minute drive. Rest period before dinner.

Dinner at a premium Alentejo restaurant just outside the city walls — terrace with views of the illuminated Roman Temple and Cathedral towers. Menu: sopa de beldroegas (purslane soup); presa ibérica (Iberian pork cut) or perdiz estufada (stewed partridge); hand-made pasta with truffle; Alentejo reserve wine; Dom Rodrigo (egg and almond confection from Vila Real de Santo António) as dessert. Duration: approx. 2.5 hours.

Short walk or private minibus. End of Day 4.

Early breakfast. Luggage outside rooms by 08:00. Hotel stores luggage (checkout completed; storage arranged for the day). Group leader confirms airport transfer and final day schedule.

Transfer to Estremoz (30 minutes north of Évora). Estremoz is built entirely of white marble — streets; doorsteps; fountains. Private guided visit: Praça Rossio (main square with marble arcade); 13th-century keep and castle (Torre das Três Coroas) with views over the plains; the Museu Municipal with the largest collection of Estremoz clay figurines. If the visit coincides with the Saturday market — one of the most authentic rural markets in Portugal. Duration: 90 minutes.

Transfer to Arraiolos (25 minutes from Estremoz). Arraiolos is famous for hand-stitched wool tapestries produced here since the 17th century. Visit to a working tapestry atelier — demonstration of the cross-stitch technique; explanation of the Persian and Moorish design influences; opportunity to purchase directly from artisans. Brief walk through the village and the ruins of the 14th-century castle. Duration: 60 minutes.

Return to Évora area for a final lunch. Menu: petiscos alentejanos sharing board (local olives; pork fat with paprika — banha com colorau; Alentejo cheese; presunto); carne de porco à alentejana (clams and pork — the most iconic Alentejo dish); Alentejo white wine; fresh fruit dessert with honey and cinnamon. Duration: approx. 2 hours.

Coach stops at Évora hotel for luggage collection. 20-minute stop. Final refreshment and group farewell moment in the hotel lobby or garden.

Private coach departs Évora for Faro Airport. Distance: approx. 200km via A2/IP1; journey time: approx. 2 hours. Guide on board for the first section with farewell commentary on the journey south. Refreshment stop at a motorway service area midway.

Coach arrives at Faro Airport departures entrance. InBound Portugal representative accompanies group to check-in. Luggage offloaded and tagged. Group briefed on terminal layout and check-in counters. End of program.