Portugal
The unique and advantageous position of Portugal on the sea, sharing the Iberian peninsula with Spain, makes it an ideal location to track human civilisation, in its magnificent natural surroundings, from its earliest beginnings.
Let Clio guide you through 22,000 years of history whilst Thalia makes sure you enjoy what Portugal is famous for today, wine and the digestif Port wine, traditional Portuguese Petiscos and Fado is the most well-known folk music of Portugal! Also, explore one of Portugal's 17 UNESCO sites.
Join ArchaeoMuse in taking an unforgettable journey following the formation of this nation and its identity over the centuries, whilst enjoying the modern culture and all it has to offer.
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TARAS' TIPS
"Explore inspiring Portugal, from its earliest origins in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods to the Celtic pre-Roman occupation right through to Phoenician and Carthaginian periods up to the Roman conquest and beyond. "
A particular gem in Portugal is its second-largest city, Porto, where the famous Portuguese tipple is drunk, but, it is not in fact produced nor stored in Porto. That actually happens just across the river Douro, flowing with so much history, in a separate city called Vila Nova de Gaia, which overlooks the UNESCO site, Porto.
Did you know that Portugal also has a list of cultural wonders known as the Severn Wonders of Portugal, established in 2007? One of those wonders being the extremely impressive national monument Pena Palace which captures one of the most major expressions of 19th century Romanticism. Portugal is also famous for its cork, wine, olive oil, and wheat production, Alentejo being the country's leading region.
Pena Palace
PORTUGAL
Feature Trips for 2021
Gastronomy, wine, and 22,000 years of history!
May/June/July/August
Delve into an authentic immersion in the extravagant world of history, wine, and gastronomy. Discover ancient delights, visit an olive oil plantation, enjoy a private traditional cooking class, and marvel at archaeological sites whilst exploring the roots of Portugal!
Under the aegis of Polyhymnia and Clio, we will lead you through a vast period of history that begins with the discovery of the interesting megalithic Portuguese legacy. the villages and the Castreja culture and their struggles against roman invasions. See how the Romans influenced life in Portugal, visit temples, and learn about their gods. Explore the Arabic presence and its political and religious influence, and more!
11 Nights From:
£2750
Including 5 dinners, educational materials, guides, coordination of all transport, transfers, and accommodation
Unwind in nature and Roman baths, surround yourself with thousands of years of history!
May/June/July/August
It is time for an inspiring journey to relax and reconnect with yourself, with some inspirational history thrown in too! Be lead on an enchanting journey of calm and relaxation as you engage with one of the most important settlements of Roman times in the Iberian Peninsula, and Roman Baths! Experience the healing qualities of the natural thermal waters on your body and mind thanks to its rich chemical and mineralogical composition. Relax, rewind, and unwind just as the Romans did!
Enjoy guided walks in the oldest and biggest national park in Portugal with dolmens and megalithic tombs dating from 6000 BC to 3000 BC.
Deepen your relaxation by being creative and participating in private workshops teaching old traditions of the region; pottery, painting tiles, or simply making bread in an old community wood oven, using the techniques of old times.
SCROLL THROUGH SOME OF OUR SAMPLE ITINERARIES
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SAMPLE ITINERARY
INSPIRED BY
POLYHYMNIA AND CLIO
GASTRONOMY, WINE, AND 22,000 YEARS OF HISTORY
11 Nights
Under the aegis of Polyhymnia and Clio, we will lead you through a vast period of history that beings with:
• the discovery of the interesting megalithic Portuguese legacy.
• the villages and the Castreja culture and their struggles against Roman invasions.
• Discover the Roman influence, temples, and gods;
• the Arabic presence and its political and religious influence.
• the affirming of Christianity in the independence of Portugal,
• the historical consecration of a people to the Virgin Mary, the Templars, and the fundamental importance of evangelisation in the discoveries
• the consecration of Fatima as the altar of the world.
Along this path, we will find the continuous interdependence between temporal and religious power and the way that together they were weaving and structuring as a cultural, religious, and political identity life, rich and autonomous.
STOP ONE
Lisbon - The Capital of Portugal - A voyage into the prehistoric and the megalithic
STOP TWO
Continue the discovery of the megalithics in Portugal
Start the day, with a trip to one of the most notorious Prehistoric Rock-Art sites and funerary burial sites and engravings.
Explore a megalithic complex 2000 years older than Stonehenge. This archaeological site is the largest existing group of structured menhirs in the Iberian Peninsula (and one of the largest in Europe) that date back to the 6th millennium BC.
This is a place full of symbolism, and, some say, mysticism!
The morning starts with a visit to Anta-Chapel of St. Dinis. A unique dolmen from 4th millennium B.C. and the 3rd millennium B.C. It is a large corridor Dolmen, of which only remains the megalithic chamber, which was adapted to the Catholic temple during the Middle Ages, dedicated to St. Dinis. We continue to the municipality of Mora, where archaeology is almost synonymous with megalithic. We will also visit the Interactive Megalithic Museum.
STOP THREE
A unique site in the world
Discover a megalithic with a visit to a museum of the territory, the transcendent and the sacred, which shows how our ancestors who lived on the banks of the Tagus river lived thousands of years ago. It has a collection that integrates natural history, ethnography, sacred art, and archaeology. Explore the rock engravings of Ocreza Park. This park is important for its Ordovician palaeontological heritage, archaeology (evidence of the early arrival of farming and megalithism), military and civil architecture, and ethnography. Here we understand the Tagus since its origins.
At the end of the day, we will visit Foz Côa, a unique site in the world due to the rock art from various moments of Prehistory, Protohistory, and History, including the most important collection of Paleolithic open-air figurations known today. The night visit intends to create the best possible conditions for a rewarding enjoyment of the Côa Valley Paleolithic rock art.
STOP FOUR
Meeting the Castrejas population
Today we will head to Sanfins to learn about the Castrejas population. Situated on a plateau, in a summit position that provided great security against invasions. Discover the impressive influence this city had between 2nd B.C. and 4th A.D.,
We will visit the Archelogic Museum of Sanfins, where you can observe huge legacy collected from the excavations of the “citânia”, among many others, fragments of ceramics from the Iron Age, Roman, and imported ceramics, fragments of glass, many coins, and various metal utensils.
After lunch, we continue the exploration of the Castreja population with a visit to another “citânea”, an important primitive settlement, of pre-Roman origin, They clearly show characters of Castile culture, although heavily romanised at the beginning of the Christian era.
End this day with a visit to the Museum of “Castreja” culture where is possible to see the “pedra formosa”, a large stele decorated in granite, carved from a unique stone.
This itinerary continues on the next page
Discover the true beauty of Portugal!
We can tailor-make your travel experiences for you and your desires. We provide experiences for individuals, groups, families, friends, academics, and history buffs (beginners or experts).
We proudly collaborate with historians, archaeologists, locals, experts, and academics to ensure that your needs are met.
“Antonio is a fountain of knowledge—he puts together great trips to exceptional places.”
— Ann, Teacher —
