Sunny Portugal featuring New Year's Eve in Funchal, Madeira

What's Included

• 13 meals included
• Inter-tour flights included
• The Riviera stretches from Lisbon and Cascais. The coastline has become a place where the elite vacation between September and October, and a popular tourist destination for its chic look. Removed from the city, the Lisbon coastline is easy access to all the culture that Lisbon offers. It has become a major hotspot for major international celebrities from the world of fashion, sport, and entertainment. The Riviera is also known for is world class conditions for surfing.
• As Portugal is a small country, Cascais is a resort retreat just a half hour west of the city of Lisboa. When settlers first came to Cascais, the beaches were covered with shells in which its current name has derived. Cascais is a quaint coastal town and previously a fishing village until it gained a substantial reputation as the royal family of Portugal chose the town to be its summer residence in the 19th century. Located just off of the Tagus River, one of Portugal’s most noteworthy rivers, Cascais sits just past its mouth where the Atlantic Ocean begins. The coastal town emanates beauty, peace and tranquility while delving into above par seafood and wine.
• Nazare is a town and fishing village on the Silver Coast of Portugal. It is one of the most popular resorts in this coastal region, which is situated on the Atlantic coast of the country. Nazare is considered by some to have the best beaches in Portugal. The town is said to be named after the Legend of Nazare, in which a monk brought a statue of the Virgin Mary here from Nazareth in the Holy Land to a monastery nearby in the 4th century. It is said that the town derived its name from this statue.
• Óbidos is a small town located on the Atlantic Coast of Portugal. The town’s origins can be traced back to an early Roman settlement. The area of the town is located on a hilltop, surrounded by a fortified wall. From its streets, squares, fortified wall and castle, the town remains as a well preserved example of medieval architecture. It is because of this that the town is a popular tourist destination.
• Established in the fifteenth century and the capital city of Madeira, Funchal boasts a wide variety of enchanting and memorable experiences. Stroll past historic landmarks, explore museums, and wander through colorful scenery.
• Discover the stunning natural beauty of Madeira Island with a visit to Ponta de São Lourenço, the easternmost point of the island. Gaze out over glittering blue waters from jagged towering cliffs on this island paradise.
• Start the new year off with glitz and glamour during Madeira’s New Year’s Eve bash. Complete with a black-tie gala and glittering fireworks, this event rings in the new year with a touch of magic.
• The original landing point for the Portuguese discoverer Joao Goncalves Zarco, who is credited with the discovery of the Madeira Islands, Câmara de Lobos is one of the larger population centers and is an extenstion of the much larger capital city of Funchal. The literal translation of Câmara de Lobos is chamber of the wolves. Today, the traditional fishing village is home of the “poncho,” a misture of lemon juice, honey and sugarcane spirit, which is available at many of the local taverns.
• Located along the southern coast of the island of Madeira, the sea cliff is a popular lookout point, especially after a glass-floored viewing platform was installed. Cabo Girao is a popular starting point for hikers. The cliff is the second highest cliff face in the world. Its incredible view is what brings tourists to the cliffs.
• Gaze upon the picturesque volcanic pools in the fishing village of Porto Moniz and perhaps take a dip into the sparkling blue waters that overlook the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Spread across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tejo, Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect of Portugal’s star attraction, yet with half the fuss of other European capitals. Gothic cathedrals, majestic monasteries and quaint museums are all part of the colorful cityscape, but the real delights of discovery lie in wandering the narrow lanes of Lisbon’s lovely backstreets. The Lisbon experience encompasses so many things, from enjoying a fresh pastry and bica (espresso) on a petite leafy plaza to window-shopping in elegant Chiado. It’s mingling with Lisboêtas at a neighborhood festival or watching the sunset from the old Moorish castle.
• Standing proudly on the bank of the Targus river in Lisbon is Belém Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This 16th-century tower was where explorers from the Age of Discovery set out towards the New World, across the Atlantic.
• With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairy tale. Its Unesco World Heritage–listed center, Sintra-Vila, is dotted with pastel-hued manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the blue Atlantic. The jewel on the crown lording ominously over the picturesque town center is the National Palace, once the summer retreat of the Portuguese monarchy.