A bus will pick up guests at Lisbon Airport meeting the flight at 11.40 AM and transfer them to the hotel at Ericeira (about 45 minutes). The afternoon is free to explore the charming town of Ericeira with its cobblestone streets and white-washed buildings. You may want to sample some Portuguese "petiscos" (sea-food snacks) as you watch the surfers. Before dinner the HF leaders hold a briefing where they explain the programme for the following day. Dinner at the hotel is included.
Day 2: Sunday Scenic Coastal Walks
The group divides into two - those who want
an easy walk and those who want one that is
a little more challenging.
Both groups have a short bus journey along
the coast north of Ericeira and walk back to
the hotel along cliff-top paths enjoying
views of the usually benign but sometimes
wild Atlantic.
Easier Walk:
This walk will
start in the small village of Ribamar with
its narrow streets and small cafés. We walk
down to the sea and follow a cliff-top path,
passing dramatic cliffs, ruined forts and
sandy beaches. We stop at a popular surfing
beach for refreshment before continuing on
the coastal path into Ericeira passing the
harbour and fishing boats. 6 miles (9.5km)
with 400ft (120m) of ascent.
Harder walk: We travel a little further to start this walk in the small inland village of Quintas. The walk will take us through quiet farmland along sandy tracks and paths and into the village of Ribamar, where we pick up the route of the easier walk. 9 miles (14.5km) with 600ft (180m) of ascent.
Day
3:
Monday
Mafra – the Royal Hunting
Grounds, Palace and Monastery
Today’s walks give us the chance to visit
Mafra Tapada, the former royal hunting
grounds adjoining Mafra Palace. We follow
good trails in the rolling hills of this
entirely walled protected landscape with a
chance of spotting wild boar and deer. In
the afternoon a short coach journey takes us
to Mafra town where we visit the former
royal palace and the monastery, a huge 18th
century edifice reflecting the past glory of
Portugal’s rich kingdom. This is the most
important baroque monument in Portugal.
Easier Walk: Our circular trail in the hunting grounds follows a quiet track with wooded sections giving welcome shade. We pass a preserved lime kiln and visit the former royal stables, coach houses and a dining house once frequented by royal hunting parties. 6 miles (9.5km) with 700ft (210m) of ascent.
Harder Walk:
Our circular trail in the hunting grounds is
similar to but a little longer than the
easier walk. We follow a quiet track with
wooded sections, passing the preserved lime
kiln and visiting the former royal stables,
coach houses and dining house. 7 miles
(11km) with 960ft (290m) of ascent.
Day
4: Tuesday Rural villages and archaeological museum
Today we
travel about 10 miles south of Ericeira to
walk in rolling countryside, explore typical
Estremadura villages and, if you wish, visit
a superb archaeological museum.
Easier Walk:
Walking from the hotel, we take a quiet path
along the beach then detour to a pretty
village before following the Lisandro River
to an old fishing village. Our walk finishes
in the village of Baleia from where we take
a bus to the archaeological museum.
The highlight is the remains of a Roman
villa with its fantastic mosaics in the
uncovered open-air museum. 5.5 miles (9km)
with 700ft (210m) of ascent.
Harder Walk: We pass the archaeological museum (which we may have time to visit later) and walk to Odrinhas for a morning coffee. Our route takes us along tracks and a quiet road to Cabrela village with its typical village café and ancient wells. We descend into the valley and walk beside the Cabrela river before heading up to the ruined, deserted and isolated village of Broas. After exploring Broas we walk through Almorquim village and then make our way back to the archaeological museum and the end of the walk at Odrinhas. 9 miles (14.5km) with 900ft (270m) of ascent.
Day
5: Wednesday Free day
This
is an ideal opportunity to relax around the
hotel, enjoy the spa, walk independently or visit local
places of interest. There are frequent local
buses to nearby Sintra, a UNESCO site
with a fairytale landscape of mist-soaked
forests, turreted palaces including the
romantic hilltop Pena Palace or the National
Palace with its impressive state rooms. Aside from the palace, the
gardens here are fantastic.
You can wander on footpaths through
willows and ferns, fragrant camelias and
wisteria amid which are statues of lions and
nymphs. There are hidden follies and
grottoes, fountains and lakes covered with
water-lilies.
Day 6: Thursday Sightseeing Day
The day begins with a coach ride to the
centre of Lisbon where we meet our local
guide who takes us around the principal
attractions, historic buildings and places
of interest in the city centre. There will
also be time to explore, shop or have lunch
before taking the coach down the River Tagus
to Belem. Here our guide will show us some
of the places which represent Portugal’s
proud and exciting maritime history and
discoveries.
Be sure to make a quick stop at a "pastelerias"
to sample
a "pastel de nata" a small custard tart with
a caramelised top. This is one of the
classic specialties of Portuguese cuisine.
Day 7: Friday Walking to Cabo da Roca Today both groups travel south of Ericeira to walk to Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of mainland Europe.
Easier Walk: Begin the day exploring the authentically Portuguese village of Almocageme with its cafés and supermarket. We walk down a quiet road to Praia da Adraga with its sandy beach and dramatic cliffs before making our way up a track to view a cliff-top blowhole – a deep fissure in the rocky cliff where waves create a water spout. We continue up a quiet track to the charming village of Ulgeira where we can enjoy a picnic. After lunch we continue our walk to Cabo da Roca where we enjoy the lofty views above this windswept headland. 5 miles (8km) with 700ft (210m) of ascent.
Harder Walk:
This walk begins at Rodizio near Colares and
takes us through dunes to see the remains of
a recently excavated Roman sanctuary, then
we walk along a cliff-top path to the huge
beach of Praia Grande. We continue high
above the waves and take a sandy path down
to Adraga beach. We detour to view the
cliff-top blowhole and take a quiet track to
Ulgeira where we can explore before
continuing our walk to Cabo da Roca on the
route of the easier walk. 8 miles (13km)
with 1,200ft (360m) of ascent.
Day 8: Saturday Depart A
bus transfer will return guests to Lisbon
Airport at approximately 14.00 A
TAP Air Portugal flight departs for Toronto
at 18.00.
Easier walks - 4 - 6 miles on good
paths with up to 700 ft of ascent.
Harder walks - 5 - 9 miles on good paths with some rougher sections and
up to 1200 feet of ascent.