WELCOME PRE-TOUR 

                                                                    Monday June 6 to Thursday June 9

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                                                    "BEM-VINDO A PORTUGAL" - SADO ESTUARIO

                             

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Please let us know if you are coming by car.

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MONDAY June 6

Arrivals in Lisbon. Check in to hotel Pestana Palace***** 

08:00pm Welcome dinner, side building of Pestana Palace, Andaluz room

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TUESDAY June 7

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Morning

08:30am Departure with luggage for Comporta via Setúbal and the ferry.

We may have a chance to spot dolphins (Bottlenose dolphin- Tursiops truncatus) in the Estuary. The first scientific records about the dolphins in the Sado estuary began in 1980. The resident population currently stands at about 30 dolphins: 22 adults, of which 8 females, 5 males and 9 of whom the sex is as yet known. 4 Juveniles and 4 calves complete the population. 

It is the only resident population of dolphins around Portugal and one of the 3 in all Europe, hence the need for

so much protection and studies that aim for their well being and conservation.

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11:00am arrival in Troia. The bus will bring us to the Roman ruins of Troia for a visit with archaeologists working on the site. We will travel back in time, discovering Acala island, as it was known in the days of Ancient Rome located a few minutes from Troia’s central area. We will visit  the ruins of the largest center of the fish-salting industry from the times of the Roman Empire until the 6th century and wander among the ruins of factories, tombs and tubs for hot and cold baths. New vestiges are being discovered every year. 

12:00pm Departure for Carvalhal beach (15 min)

12:30pm Lunch at Carvalhal beach at the Sublime Beach club. 

Comporta is renowned for its wild and unspoilt natural landscape, peaceful atmosphere and charming traditional villages. The magnificent beaches that stretch along more than 60 km of coastline are undoubtedly one of its main assets. The beaches of Comporta are indeed covered with a fine white sand that contrasts with the deep blue of the Atlantic ocean and the dunes covered with vegetation. 

 

Afternoon

02:45pm Departure for Herdade da Comporta (15 min)

03:00pm-06:00pm Herdade da Comporta- Rice museum, Adega and Comporta wine tasting, the village 

Herdade da Comporta - 12.000ha, 7 villages - Actividades Agro Silvícolas e Turísticas, S.A. One of its goals is to develop a high-quality tourist destination and become a model for sustainable development in Europe, while still operating as an agricultural estate and preserving its environmental and cultural heritage. Herdade da Comporta intends to continue to diversify its agricultural activity, already present in its rice, wine and horticulture production, and so follow the new tendencies for a more ecological food production, together with the establishment of the "Herdade da Comporta” brand. On the other hand, the economic activity arising from the tourism project offers the conditions necessary to support a strategy of preservation and appraisal of natural heritage.

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End afternoon

Stop at the typical fishing spot: Porto Palafita da Carrasquiera

07:00.pm Arrival and installation at Herdade do Pinheiro

08:30pm Dinner in the Palacio at Herdade do Pinheiro hosted by Stéphanie Gicot

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WEDNESDAY June 8

FULL DAY at Herdade do Pinheiro.

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*We kindly ask you to follow timings and instructions carefully to allow keeping to a busy schedule*

*In case of bad weather, a plan B has been organised*

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Breakfast in rooms

Possibility for a group of 4 max for birdwatching at 5.30am

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Detailed visit, sharing experiences and discovering the different activities of the estate. Some traditional-regional insides. 2 groups of 15.

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An area of 5000ha of agricultural land and forests lying along the Sado river with rich, biodiverse and productive wetlands. The estate holds an important estuarine ecosystem, several fresh water ponds, reed beds and temporary ponds. The estate includes a stud farm, cattle, forests, agriculture, a bird sanctuary and natural reserve. The estate has been developed recently to hold conferences and business meetings.

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07:15pm Return to your rooms. Informal dress for dinner to allow for timely arrival for the surprise event!

07:45pm Surprise event

.09:15pm Late dinner and oyster tasting  at Herdade do Pinheiro

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THURSDAY June 9

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Breakfast in rooms

Possibility for a group of 4 max for birdwatching at 5.30am

Free morning . Visit the horses at Herdade do Pinheiro

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11:00am Departure with luggage for Monte da Comenda Grande (120km)

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12:30pm Lunch to try out the typical Alentejo cuisine and good wines at Monte Comenda Grande.

The Comenda Grande agricultural project was launched by Maria José de Almeida Margiochi, granddaughter of José Maria Eugénio de Almeida (who set up the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation) and daughter of Gertrudes de Almeida Margiochi and Francisco Simões Margiochi , the latter proving one of the most renowned figures in 19th century Portuguese agriculture, picking up countless national and international awards and prizes for his farming related activities.

This landmark estate was inherited by Maria Madalena de Noronha and her husband João and today continued by their daughter Maria de Lourdes S.A. de Noronha Lopes, her husband, engineer António Lopes, and their children across an area spanning 750ha. They accompany the reconversion process undertaken by the Alentejan agricultural sector and have made significant investments to this end. This involved expanding the forested areas, incorporating part of the rain-fed lands into the irrigation system, prioritising the cork oak mostly cork oak Quercus Suber as well as installing 43ha of vines on outlying fields and planting a modern olive grove over around 30ha. The whole family is involved in the business.

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03:30pm Departure for Herdade Freixo do Meio (40km)

04:00pm Stop on the way to Évora at Herdade Freixo do Meio

​The estate goes back in time to find the best associations of plants to manage the Montado. More than organic agriculture, it is agroecology.  The team will explain all we need to know about agroforestry. They farm and produce more than 300 quality, healthy and fairly priced organic and handmade foods. We will learn where the food comes from, how it is produced and processed and enjoy a presentation on Sharing the Harvest CSA Program - home delivered baskets of a selection of vegetables, meat, eggs, fruit, and more.

 

06:00pm Departure for Evora

06:30-07:00pm Arrival in Évora, drop off at Convento do Espinheiro (+ taxi from there for Pousada de Evora)

End of the Pre Tour

(N.B. FCS board members will have to leave after lunch)

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08:30pm Welcome dinner in the Cloisters of Convento do Espinheiro 

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Dress code for the Pre-tour: casually smart for dinners, sport for the day, comfortable shoes

Remember to bring your binoculars and camera to watch/photograph rare birds, astonishing landscapes, blue skies....+ Mosquito stick (for the evenings)

If you are following with own car- ask the exact locations and maps!

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