Portugal: explore the place with open arms
Madeira Island, Douro Valley and Sintra bring together some of the charms of Portugal, through nature, adventure and hospitality
Deciding to seek new sources of revenue for the State, the Portuguese established the first contours of their maritime expansion project in 1415, when they arrived in the region of Ceuta, in North Africa. Three years later, it would be the turn of Dom João I's navigators to land on the island of Porto Santo, in the Atlantic Ocean, diverted by a storm on the high seas. Months passed and the enchantment with this golden paradise, where the fine, soft sand stretched over 9 kilometers of beach, gave way to the route taken by Tristão Vaz Teixeira, Bartolomeu Perestrelo and João Gonçalves Zarco, the Portuguese explorers who set out for another territory from the same archipelago, with robust vegetation, covered by laurel trees and vinháticos, in addition to countless species of the laurisilva forest, such as the tilde, the puff pastry and the pau-branco.
The story goes, by the way, that the name given to the recently discovered Madeira Island – the largest and best known of the island group – would have happened due to the abundance of this raw material. The year-round mild climate soon caught the attention of small farmers, who began to invest in wheat cultivation, and farmers who had sugarcane as their main activity. Following the expansionist purpose, Portugal established itself in the following decades in the Azores, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Brazil , the latter two colonies being direct competitors of the Island of Madeira in the sugar industry. Around the 1520s, the prosperity guaranteed by the so-called “white gold” was such that the city of Funchal became an important commercial center between Madeirans and Italian, Catalan, Basque and Flemish traders.
Gradually, the vines took the place of the cane fields and the Island of Madeira underwent changes, with the British as partners at the time. Mentioned even by the writer William Shakespeare in the drama Ricardo III , Malvasia wine was exported to Europe and North America in the 17th century, mangoes, figs and sugar cane. Although flowers fill the stalls of the emporiums with equal relevance, guaranteeing the destination the nickname of “garden island”, it is tourism that is at the tip of the local economy. Located 980 kilometers from southwest Europe and 660 kilometers from west Africa, Madeira Island occupies an area of 741 square kilometers, made up of an imposing volcanic massif 5.5 kilometers high.
Among the people who were in charge of selling the fermented product was the Scotsman William Reid, who was also interested in the leisure potential of the place. Wasting no time – after all, that was a period when ocean liners sailed the seas full of tourists – the farmer acquired a property at the tip of the continent where he planned to build his hotel. It was William's sons who inaugurated Reid's Palace in 1891 and opened the doors to the first guests. Surrounded by gardens of honeysuckle, jade vines and countless subtropical plants, the building has 158 accommodations with balconies and terraces facing the blue horizon of the Atlantic and wide segments of coconut trees. One of the main features of the complex is its glamour, noted by some of the personalities who have been to the “pink palace”, such as the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, the former English Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Austrian Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria, the Sisi.
In these 130 years of history, control of the hotel passed from the Reid family to Blandy and in 1996, to the Belmond group, which maintained the sumptuousness of the facilities. The floral prints on the curtains contrast with the dark wood furniture in the rooms, while the suites offer a living room prepared to increase comfort. Nothing, however, is as delicate as the hand-painted Chinese wallpapers that cover the presidential suites, named after distinguished visitors. The checkered and black-and-white stripes on the floor, which are part of the house's identity, alongside the dozens of sunbeds and umbrellas by the pools, transport us to the romantic atmosphere of 1960s movies.
Illuminated by the dawn, the facade of the building and the staircase that goes around the cliff exalt the colors and the limits of the island. Speaking of which, the request is to go down the more than 130 steps to jump off the trampolines and swim in the sea. There are those who prefer to rest in the available spots between one flight and another and cool off in the small saltwater pools. Far from the idea that the Madeira Archipelago is a luxury retreat for retirees, the itinerary is hectic and includes beauty treatments at the spa, sports activities accompanied by instructors, visits to the center of Funchal and adventure experiences, which go through jeep circuits, trekking, mountain biking, abseiling, climbing, windsurfing, canoeing and diving – all with different levels of difficulty and supervised by guides.
The influence of the English can still be seen in Reid's menu, especially in the afternoon tea, served on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. To try one of the 24 types of teas or enjoy sandwiches, homemade cakes and the traditional scones – a type of bread very popular among your majesty's subjects – filled with cream, butter or fruit jams, it is necessary to respect the dress code and leave your sports clothes in your suitcase. Chef Luís Pestana's dishes are a hit at William Restaurant, from tomato and plum gazpacho with smoked eel to vegetarian tempeh braised with potato stew, lime and citronella emulsion, the cocktails at Gastrobar are a perfect way to end the night. When leaving the island, the desire to return is already immense. Without wanting to look back, the gulls' swooping leaves everyone enchanted, and that's how we say goodbye.
happiness makes sense
From the blue of the ocean to the green of the Douro Valley, in an old farmhouse from the 19th century located near Lamego, 125 kilometers from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, the second stage of this tour to Portugal begins. Acquired by the Six Senses hotel chain, the 8-hectare resort comprises 60 rooms overlooking the vines that rise above the hillsides and the Douro River, which rises in northern Spain and runs 938 kilometers to flow into the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It is a place that could be defined as a luxurious retreat, reformulated in 2007 by the Clodagh Design office, which bet on the work of Portuguese artisans to create bed linen with organic sheep wool and on the originality of the lamps made with bottles of regional brews. The contemporary tone shown by the wine library, raised to the status of a square in this particular “village”, works as a reference to the region's tradition in the development of the drink. The blue and white details of the hand-drawn tiles refer to the Lamego staircase that gives access to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. This is a place where freshness is everywhere, whether in the vegetable garden next to the pool or the lemon trees that multiply in the garden. Attracted by the orchard and the wild flowers, the birds escort guests throughout the day – by the way, this is a time of year when the weather favors visitors, as it dawns at 6 am and dusk closes to 9:30 pm.
With time at your disposal, it's worth booking one of the spa's ten rooms and surrendering, among other things, to Ayurvedic therapies, sleep programs, exfoliation treatments that regulate metabolism or massages that relieve muscle tension.
In addition to the tile painting class – where you learn the importance of the craft for the country's culture – we were invited to wine and olive oil tastings. One of the unforgettable moments is the picnic organized on the banks of the Douro River, in a tent with a high ceiling, similar to those found in Africa. The order is to eat, talk, lie down on the colorful cushions, listen to music and feel the wind that sways the treetops. If canoeing doesn't seem interesting moments later, even if the path is beautiful, you can swim in the indoor pool or catch a glimpse of the golden sunset in the open pool area, drinking detox juices and fruit ice cream. Armed with the hat and straw bag we received upon arriving at Six Senses – duly loaded with water, fruit and Portuguese sweets – many go out to discover the space in the company of the mascot Acqua, the dog adopted by the hotel staff.
my soul
The Douro Valley takes you to nature, the city of Sintra, where we end the trip, offers travelers adventure and mystery. Distant 30 kilometers from Lisbon, the country's capital, the municipality is full of tourist attractions where the continent's past was also written, such as the Castelo dos Mouros, whose foundation would have taken place in the 8th or 9th centuries, when Muslims lived in the surroundings. With two strips of walls, the construction is about 12 thousand square meters and underwent restoration in the 1800s. Currently, the deciduous leaves color the land in green, orange and yellow. The National Palace of Pena, in turn, is an icon of romanticism, elected one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Below only Cruz Alta, which is 528 meters above sea level, the building is on the second highest point in the Serra de Sintra. Divided into two wings – the former Manueline convent of the Order of Saint Jerome on one side and the section built in the 19th century on the other – the house also has watchtowers, an access tunnel and a drawbridge. The park adjacent to the castle completes the architectural project with bridges, caves, fountains, pergolas and nurseries.
Close to these addresses is the five-star hotel Tivoli Palácio de Seteais, a complex from 1779 that has majestic ballrooms, spa, swimming pool with deck, restaurant, bar and 30 bedrooms. Initially planned to accommodate the kings Dom João VI and Carlota Joaquina, the neoclassical building captures admiration for its hand-painted frescoes and labyrinthine gardens. The classic concept of luxury can be identified in the minutiae, and one of them is at the entrance to the rooms – unlike the large networks, which guarantee the guest's safety through magnetic keys, at the Tivoli the lock is opened with a heavy golden key, as if you were at home. This sense of belonging continues in the conversations we have with the people who work there, who are always interested in finding out what we like.
It would be unfair not to list wine tasting as our favorite event in Sintra. Ultra-exclusive, dinner takes place in a private room inside the cellar and they set up a beautiful table for you and your partner. To the sound of fado, our host talks about the relationship of this musical genre with the Portuguese people. We learn how it was created, how we should appreciate it and its evolution in the contemporary setlist. The next day, having the singer Mariza's voice in our memory and in the streaming selection, we took the electric bike for the final laps in this part of the planet where knowledge is so used. Certain that we still have a lot to explore and a lot to grow, we return to the New World.
