MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2018

Until the 27th of October, don´t miss the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2018

With participation by the world’s leading surfers, Rip Curl Pro Portugal - a competition included within the WSL - World Surf League Tour - will be held in Peniche that at this time of year offer the best conditions for hosting surfing competitions.

The select beach, Supertubos in Peniche, is well known among surfers and very famous for its large, tubular-shaped waves.

Find more information at:

- http://www.worldsurfleague.com/meo-rip-curl-pro-portugal
- https://www.ripcurl.eu/pt/rip-curl-pro-portugal.html
- https://twitter.com/wsl
- https://www.facebook.com/WSL/
- https://www.instagram.com/wsl/
- https://www.youtube.com/wsl

Portugal.Historical Villages

    The authenticity of a proud 900-year long history

Perched on the top of mountains, the Historical Villages can be spotted from afar by the tall towers of their mediaeval castles, strategically aligned along the border.

There are twelve in total, and we suggest a route that starts in the only place where there is no castle - Piódão. The village with schist houses, sits on a slope hidden in the wilds of Serra do Açor.

In Linhares da Beira, the castle built on a plateau, offers beautiful views. The historic centre of Trancoso, has a Jewish quarter where Hebrew symbols are engraved on the stones of the houses.

Marialva was an important military post in the Middle Ages, and Castelo Rodrigo preserves the ruins of another fortress. Seen from the air, the walls of Almeida form a twelve-pointed star. In Castelo Mendo, discover the figures carved in the stone of two houses.

Belmonte, the birthplace of the navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brazil in 1500, and welcomed Jews expelled from Castile in the 15th and 16th centuries, and there is still an active community that attends the synagogue. Sortelha sits on a rocky escarpment that forms a ring surrounding the village.

In Castelo Novo, the Town Hall, Jail and the Baroque style D. Joao V Fountain are notable. In Idanha-a-Velha you can see the ruins of the ancient Egitânia and the Visigoth cathedral.

Monsanto, is the last village on this tour and here it is normal to wonder if the house is born from the rock or the rock arises out of the house, so perfect is its integration into the landscape.

To organise your trip better, take a look at the offers of activities and accommodation that the Historical Villages have for you at www.aldeiashistoricasdeportugal.com

Cheers to Portugal!

Discover the Portuguese wine routes

Portugal isa country of strong wine tradition, and the excellent quality of its wines is recognised across the world, with numerous awards and distinctions won in international competitions. To fully get to know the vineyards, the wineries and taste the wines, why not stay overnight and explore the surrounding area too?

Starting in the north, the Vinho Verde Wine Route runs from the Minho to the Douro. This is a region of rural tourism, with palaces and manor houses whose vineyards are worth a visit to discover vines growing on trellises, and where you can have wine tastings and other experiences. This also the birthplace of the reputed Alvarinho, the most prized variety of vinho verde.

It is in the Alto Douro Wine Region, created in 1756, that Port wine that has always been intended for export is produced. No wonder that there is a centuries old tradition here of welcoming visitors and sharing with them the best that the region has to offer. To start with, there is the superb scenery of the Douro valley, where man built terraces to plant vines on the region’s rugged slopes. A landscape was produced that was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, populated by farms traditionally linked to wine. It is possible to get here from Porto, where the Port Wine Lodges are, and a good way to discover the region is on board a cruise ship, visiting some of the most iconic sites linked to the production of fine wines from the Douro and Porto.

In the central region you will find the Bairrada route, with is famous sparkling wine and excellent wine tourism units, some of which owned by old Portuguese wineries. These establishments are well equipped, and take advantage of their ancient historical legacy, sometimes even including small museums.

The Alentejo is a fertile region in wine tourism units, and it is here that one can find several leading national producers and its quality is appreciated worldwide and was considered the best wine region in the world to visit in 2014 by readers of the prestigious American newspaper USA Today. The wine producing quintas (farms) and herdades (estates) lay within this landscape of vast horizons, and they are renowned for their hospitality and cuisine. You can also participate in the grape harvest and observe the different stages in the making of a wine.

 On the other side of the  Atlantic highlight goes to the Madeira wine that has gained fame and prestige in all four corners of the world, a real "treasure" that already in the eighteenth century was appreciated by kings, princes, generals and explorers. Amongst the more than 30 different varieties, emphasize is placed on the finest - Sercial, Boal, Verdelho and Malvasia, the latter representing sweet wine, full-bodied with an intense perfume and red colour. The vines arranged in terraces supported by stonewalls, resemble stairs, which in some parts of the island connect the sea to the mountain boasting breathtaking landscapes.

What about tasting a wine that grows on basaltic rock? It seems strange that such conditions produce such a delicious nectar, but that is what you will find in the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture in the Azores, that combining their volcanic nature and ancestral cultivation practices, classified by UNESCO in 2004 as World Heritage.

In short, Portugal offers excellent opportunities for wine tourism, often associated with rural tourism and boutique hotels in prime locations, some designed by internationally renowned architects.

Algarve Events Guide for October 2018

Going to the Algarve during the month of October? So discover here what’s happening in the Algarve region.

The Algarve is known for its beaches, natural landscapes, bars and golf courses. And for its restaurants, hotels, monuments, and of course, for entertainment.

The offer of entertainment destination is diversified and includes events of public and private partners that invite you to enjoy emotions and traditions, sounds and regional flavors, that the Algarve Tourism organizes in this guide leaflet.





Find more information about the Algarve at:
- Algarve Region
- Algarve
- Brochure "Algarve, Europe's most famous secret"
- Brochure Algarve, Ideas &Inspirations 
- Algarve Map

October 2018 "Follow Me": Lisbon monthly tourist Guide for visitors

Before you visit Lisbon, check "Follow me Lisboa" and discover what´s happening in the Lisboa region during the month of October. Follow Me Lisboa is a monthly tourist Guide for visitors.

A bilingual publication in Spanish and English, it is a pocket-sized publication containing the main cultural and other events to interest to the tourist and a complete itinerary to museums, monuments, parks, gardens, hotels and restaurants.

Find more about Lisboa region at:
- https://www.visitportugal.com/DiscoveringLisbon
- http://www.visitlisboa.com/
- Brochure "Lisbon City Breaks"
- Brochure Lisbon: " A whole world to explore"
- 10 things to do and to see in Lisbon 

From today until the 7th of October, don´t miss the Madeira Nature Festival

The Madeira Nature Festival, aims to promote nature tourism, encouraging the practice of activities that allow direct contact with the rich natural heritage of the archipelago of Madeira. Whether in the mountains, in the air or at sea, the choices are more than many, sign up for free! Where? Tourist Information Office - Avenida Arriaga, in Funchal.

Visitors can experience a wide range of different activities suitable for all ages, and I«in addition to these activities there are many more as part of this festival celebrating sport, entertainment, culture and Madeiran traditions, taking place between October, 2nd and 7th.
Check here the full program.

Other initiatives that are included in this event:

Mountain Day (Saturday - October,6, in ulti-activities in the mountain (paintball, bow and arrow, parallels, blowpipe, rappel, slide and traditional games) and traditional lunch

Sea Day (Sunday - October,7th)
2pm - 7:30 pm - S. Lázaro Nautical Centre (Catamaran boat trip, Cruise trip, Sailing Trip – raquero boats, sailboard, Kayak trip, SUP baptism)

Find more information at:
- http://www.visitmadeira.pt/nature-festival
- https://www.madeiraallyear.com/nature-festival/
- https://www.madeiraallyear.com/nature/
- https://www.facebook.com/visitmadeiraofficial/
- https://www.instagram.com/visitmadeira/
- https://twitter.com/DiscoverMadeira
- https://www.visitportugal.com/madeira
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Living Nature in Madeira

AngraJazz returns to Angra do Heroísmo from the 3rd to the 6th of October, 2018

Year after year, in October, the Angra do Heroísmo International Jazz Festival, has progressively affirmed its position as one of the leading jazz festivals in Portugal.

Counting on the participation of well-known North-American and European jazz musicians, Angrajazz obligatorily includes at least one national group and one regional group, thus fulfilling one of its main objectives -- the innovation and development of interest in jazz in the Azores. 

Check the full program here.

Find more information at:
- https://www.angrajazz.com
- https://www.facebook.com/Angrajazz
- https://www.visitportugal.com/AngraJazz
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Terceiraisland
- https://www.visitazores.com/AngraJazz

Come and see the Sagres Birdwatching Festival, from 4-7 October

Plan your visit to Sagres and do not miss the Birdwatching Festival!

In October, Sagres in the Algarve will host the largest birdwatching event held in Portugal: the "Bird Watching Festival". Sagres, a place with a huge biodiversity and beautiful landscapes, is at this time of the year the main crossing point in Portugal for migratory birds, towards the warm lands of Africa.

BIRDWATCHING FESTIVAL 2018 - Registration now open for over 200 activities from SPEA on Vimeo.

The program includes more than 160 different activities where you can participate alone or with friends or family. It includes activities such as field trips, boat trips, short-courses, environmental education workshops, bird ringing and monitoring sessions, and much more. But there are other possibilities: pedestrian walks,  guided tours about the history of Sagres, walks with donkeys or horses or boat trips to watch dolphins or birds. Some activities are free and others have a special price for the Festival. 

During the four days of the Festival the participants may have access also to several discounts in services promoted by local partners, including accommodation, restaurants and shops. 

Find more information at:

- http://www.birdwatchingsagres.com/

- https://www.facebook.com/birdwatchingfestivalofsagres 

- https://www.visitportugal.com/SagresBirdwatchingFestival
- https://www.visitportugal.com/BirdwatchinginPortugal
- https://www.visitportugal.com/GuidetoNatureTourismintheAlgarve
- https://www.visitalgarve.pt/birdwatching-and-nature-activities-festival