Seaside Cities, Wine Estates & Beautiful Beaches: Lisbon and the Alentejo

Portuguese explorers of old discovered and explored the world over - from Canada to Indonesia - and built an empire from Brazil to the Philippines. Today, you will meet your expert guide at your hotel for a morning's walking tour of the city. After discussing the Age of Discovery over coffee and a (few) pastis de natas (custard tarts) you will make your way to the seaside district of Belem, from where the great explorers set off to discover the world. Walking around this neighbourhood, visit monuments which commemorate the bravery of the navigators and monasteries that hosted them before they set sail.

This afternoon is yours to while away as you please. We recommend visiting a few spots from your Dossier that you didn't see this morning before enjoying dinner in one of our favourite restaurants.

This morning you will be privately transferred back to the airport (it's much easier to get onto the motorway from here!) to pick up the keys to your hire car. From here, you will make the two-hour drive south to the heart of the Alentejo region, arriving at your next hotel just in time for lunch. Spend the rest of today settling into your new surroundings and exploring the hotel's wonderful estate.

Today you will take to the river with a picnic lunch and an expert guide for a day's canoeing. As you gently float down the blissfully peaceful river which flows through the estate, your guide will point out the interesting flora and fauna unique to the Alentejo. After your picnic lunch it will be time to head back to the estate for a few pre-dinner sundowners.

It would be a crying shame to stay on an estate that produces such wonderful wines and not sample a few. This morning, you will have a private tour of the vineyards on horseback - the estate breeds the beautiful Lusitano horses that grace dressage fields across the world - learning about the growing and production of wine from the estate's rather dashing horseman. After your ride - and a shower! - you will head into the cool confines of the estate wine cellar for a private tasting with the sommelier.

This evening, we've arranged for you to try the tasting menu in the hotel's wonderful restaurant.

After the hour and a half drive north to Comporta - just south of Lisbon on the coast - you will have the next couple of days to truly relax and enjoy the sunshine and sea air. Your lovely hotel has a salubrious spa, so be sure to book yourself in for a treatment or two and spend some time soaking in the various indoor and outdoor pools. There are also bikes available for you to borrow and explore on two wheels, alternatively you can simply head to the beach and grab a sun lounger. If you wish, we can also arrange a few activities for you, including Hrse riding on the beach, or a romantic picnic.