Spain and Portugal
A Free and Easy Study Tour 10 Day Tour to Sunny Portugal and Spain Including Madrid, Lisbon and the Algarve

Day 1  Flight to Lisbon, Portugal. Continue on to Faro on the lovely Algarve by air or motor coach. Spring and early summer temperatures range from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius (60-70 degrees F).

Day 2  Arrive in Faro and transfer to our apartment/hotel. Sample our first taste of Portugal on a walking tour of the hotel vicinity. Our friendly guide will tell us about currency, customs, language and other useful travel information. Unpack your bags for several nights on the Algarve at our apartment/hotel, complete with swimming pool and private bathrooms.

Day 3 Faro!  Our first full day in Portugal is designed to allow us time to acclimate and absorb our new surroundings. Enjoy free time to explore our vicinity on foot. The ocean nearby invites us to take the plunge.

Day 4-5   We have two Free days to explore the Algarve. In the evening the group is free to visit the thermal hot springs at Caldas de Monchique.

Day 6  Lisbon This morning enjoy a coach tour on the beautiful coastline of the Algarve. In the afternoon continue North to the ancient Roman town of Evora. The medieval city is surrounded by a massive wall. Visit the Roman Temple, Romanesque Gothic Cathedral, and the eerie and macabre Chapel of Bones, so named because of the many human bones and skulls which adorn its walls. Continue on through forests of Cork trees, via Setubal, to arrive at the city built on seven hills, Lisbon. Unpack for the next 4 nights in Lisbon.

Day 7  Lisbon After breakfast our Motor Coach delivers us North. Visit the walled town of Obidos and then Alcobaca with its 12^th century Abbey (a world heritage sight) containing the tombs of Pedro and Ines de Castro. Nazare is a picture perfect fishing village where we will enjoy lunch. We will see the Batalha Monastery and venture into the religious wonder that is Fatima. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is one of the most important pilgrimage centers in the world. Later on, we return to our hotel in Lisbon.

Day 8  Lisbon Another busy day of sightseeing will include a visit to the cosmopolitan city Estoril and the colorful bay of Cascais. The Sintra follows with its fine palaces, including the National Palace, set amidst exuberant vegetation. Sight lands-end (Cabo da Roca), the westernmost point of continental Europe. Return to Lisbon.

Day 9   Lisbon Tour the Capitol of Portugal including the medieval quarter of Alfama, crowned by the magnificent St. George's Castle, Belem Tower, Jeronimo's Monastery, and the cultural center of Belem. In the afternoon we visit the Coach Museum with the largest collection of old coaches in the world.

Day 10  Depart Lisbon for home with a treasury of life-long memories. Be glad you took so many pictures.

Interesting options include a one-night stay in a castle for a modest surcharge, or a visit to Spain (day 5 or 6) to visit one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Seville offers us the Plaza de Espana, the Jewish quarter, the Alcazar, and the Cathedral.

Please call for a customized program and prices.