Portugal for Food and Wine Lovers

Your luxury Spain and Portugal vacation begins with three nights in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, where you’ll be shown around the city’s atmospheric streets, visiting food markets and cafes with a local guide as you start your immersion in the country’s rich culinary culture – a perfect introduction to Portugal food tours.

Europe’s second oldest capital, Lisbon is an effortlessly elegant city, full of old-world charm. It’s known as much for its lively restaurant scene and superb fine dining as hole-in-the-wall spots to stop, sip a coffee and savour a Portuguese custard tart in the sunshine.

Out of the city, you can visit the famous Pena Palace in Sintra and discover the historic highlights of Coimbra on your way to your next stop in the Douro Valley.

The Douro River winds its way from the north of Spain, along the Portuguese border and eastward to Porto where it meets the sea. Roughly midway on its course across Portugal, a stretch of its waters is flanked by a dramatic valley covered in bright green rows of grape vines. This is the Douro Valley’s Alto Douro, an area synonymous with wine tasting in Portugal, where wine has been produced for some 2000 years, the first wine-growing region in the world to be formally demarcated in 1756 and a UNESCO World Heritage-protected landscape.

You’ll enjoy a three-night stay here at the fabulous Six Senses. Winery touring and tasting is the main order of the day, with an array of stunning adega as well as traditional and boutique growers to discover. The region’s sprinkling of historic towns and rustic villages are also wonderful to wander around, while the rugged mountains to the east are home to the Côa Valley’s prehistoric rock art and some great hikes. Other popular activities in the area include challenging mountain biking, laid-back river cruises and bird watching.

Your trip concludes with two nights in the beautiful city of Porto. Portugal’s second city is one of Europe’s most charming. Built on a steep riverbank, its colourful medieval houses ascend from the calm waters of the Douro River where wooden boats bob on the surface.

You’ll have ample time to explore and sample some of the city’s superb restaurants, pairing fabulous views with delectable pesticos – the Portuguese cousin of Spanish tapas. A tour with a resident foodie and visits to the city’s famous port wineries complete your gourmet immersion.