It’s a country whose early explorers brought their culture
to many other lands. But today, Portugal remains largely undiscovered.
Even the most experienced travelers find that its cultural
bounties astound the eye and enchant the heart.
It’s the newest destination for Cobblestone Small Group
Tours’ cultural travel offerings, which in 2001 adds
two journeys to northern Portugal.
And it’s a great story, with fabulous visual potential.
Knowing the Territory…
Since 1989 Cobblestone, America’s first Basque tour specialist,
has introduced Barcelona, Bilbao, and the Basque Country to
more than 1,400 travelers. Our signature 13-day tours focus
on:
the finest in gourmet food, wine and accommodations
Now we expand on the Iberian Peninsula to the North of Portugal
– a land of people who speak their own language, follow
their own unique cultural and folkloric traditions, and bring
unparalleled attention to detail to a vibrant lifestyle found
nowhere else in Europe.
Cobblestone partners Denise Germer and Paulette Hurdlik have
spent four years developing the new tour with an eye to the
undiscovered, the romantic, the most folkloric and most forgotten
way of life.
Exploring Cultural Treasures…
The area’s heritage is a rich one. Founded in 1139 and
predating Spain by more than 350 years, Portugal is one of
the oldest countries in Europe. Waves of invaders over 800
years — Phoenicians, Romans, Celts and Moors, among others,
have resulted in a riot of architectural styles, often side-by-side,
and a wealth of historic sites from almost every era.
Many travelers, particularly Europeans, go south from Lisbon
to sun on the beaches of the Algarve. But tourism in northern
Portugal is just developing, which means the crowds have yet
to discover the charms of places like Porto, Guimares, Aveiro,
Coimbra, the enchanted Forest of Buçaco, Conimbriga,
Óbidos and Sintra, with its five palaces.
Counting the Ways…
Here are just a few of the reasons it’s a good story
with good visuals — and that people will love their time
in Portugal with Cobblestone Tours:
Azulejos — painted ceramic tile, introduced
by the Moors and produced for
five centuries, that cover walls, ceilings, floors and house
fronts.
Sardines drying on vast racks on the beach.
Women who wear black when their husbands are fishing and
then switch to colorful garb when the boats return home
— dragged to shore by oxen that meet the vessels as
they reach shallow water.
