Escorted Holidays 2020

A Week on the Lisbon Coast
8 days from £949 May & September
one of the most significant buildings of
the Portuguese Gothic and Manueline
style. The next stop is the Templar city
of Tomar. The city was taken from the
Moors in the middle of the 12th-century
and donated to the Knights Templar. In
1160 Dom Gualdim Pais, Great Master
of the order, began construction of the
Castle and Monastery that would come
to be the headquarters of the Templars
in Portugal. The stunning Convent of
Christ dates from 1162 and dominates the
attractive town below. During the reign of
Prince Henry the Navigator, the cloisters
between the Great Cloister and the
fortress of the Knights Templar were built.
237 miles today.
Cascais and Estoril, side by side and connected by a seafront promenade,
are the two main resorts on the Lisbon Coast. Estoril, with its plush villas and
Belle Époque casino, is the more traditional of the two, while lively Cascais
still retains some of its character as a traditional fishing town. Just sixteen
miles from Lisbon, this part of the coast is a great base for exploring the
capital and attractions further afield such as Fatima, Tomar and Obidos.
• 7 nights hb Monte Estoril • Excursion to Lisbon • Excursion to Obidos
and Mafra • Excursion to Fatima, Batalha and Tomar
PROGRAMME
There will also be an optional excursion
to Sintra. The whole town is a UNESCO
World Heritage site on account of its
19th-century Romantic architecture.
Upon arrival, you first visit Sintra National
Palace, also known as Palácio da Vila,
famous for its magnificent painted
ceilings. The palace is the only survivor of
the country’s Royal Halls, dating from the
Middle Ages. One of the palace highlights
is its kitchen complete with huge 110 feet
high conical chimneys.
DAY EIGHT: Departure for the airport and
your flight home.
DAY ONE: Flight to Lisbon. Thirty-minute
transfer to your hotel in Monte Estoril.
DAYS TWO TO SEVEN: Your hotel is in
Monte Estoril between Estoril and Cascais,
a 25-minute walk from the centre of
either, or you can take the frequent local
bus. There are plenty of shops and cafés
close by as is Monte Estoril train station
from where there is a regular service
to Lisbon. There are three included
excursions during your stay.
Lisbon: Everywhere you go in Lisbon you
will find evidence of the city’s historic
links with the Age of Discovery from
where intrepid explorers opened up the
sea-trading routes to India, Brazil, China
and Japan in the 15th-century. Today,
the city is a mix of old quarters such as
the Alfama, a maze of steep cobbled
streets, the wide avenues leading to the
18th century Rossio square and modern
developments with fine shops. This is a
half day trip by coach but you can stay on
in Lisbon and take the train back to your
hotel.
Mafra and Obidos: Mafra’s grandiose
palace-monastery was commissioned by
King João V in 1717 to celebrate the birth
of his first child and has 5000 doorways,
2500 windows, 880 rooms, 154 grand
staircases, 29 courtyards and 330 monks’
cells. The two bell towers together house
over 100 bells (the largest collection in
the world), still played every Sunday and
audible across a distance of 15 miles. In
pretty little Obidos you have free time to
walk the perfectly preserved walls that
surround cobbled streets, whitewashed
houses, and ancient terracotta roofs.
Above the town is a picture-book 13thcentury
castle which has been converted
into a pousada. 130 miles.
Fatima, Batalha and Tomar: The
pilgrimage site of Fatima caught the
media attention in 1917 with the first
appearance of Our Lady of Fatima to
three shepherd children in Irene´s
Cove where currently the Chapel of the
Apparitions is located. The apparitions
took place every 13th day from May
until October. From here you continue
to Batalha which owes its origin to the
building of the Battle Abbey after the
battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 between
Portuguese and Spanish armies. In
thanks to the Virgin Mary for the victory
over the Castilians, D. João I ordered the
construction of the Monastery which is
YOUR HOTEL
ESTORIL EDEN HOTEL HHHH,
Monte Estoril (seven nights)
The resorts of Cascais and Estoril are
now one municipality and Monte
Estoril stands between the two old
centres. The hotel has an indoor and
outdoor pool, fitness room, sauna,
bar and restaurant. The spacious
bedrooms are aparthotel style with
balcony, equipped kitchenette/dining
area, tv, air-conditioning, minibar,
and bathroom with hairdryer. (www.
estoriledenhotel.com)
A WALKING HOLIDAY is also available
from this hotel. Please ask for a copy
of our Walking Holidays brochure or
visit preferredts.com.
Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.
www.preferredts.com | 15