Women, Walking and Wine in Portugal 2019

By Nancy Dorrans

I met Artur Pegus at the Adventure Travel Trade Association “World Summit” in Tuscany in 2018. Artur is an ambitious Portuguese tour operator and founder of 09West. They offer adventurous out of the ordinary experiences throughout the entire country which is crossed by the 09W meridian.

I had been to Portugal in May of 2018 on a bike tour (highlighted in my article,
“Pedaling Portugal’s Pathways“) and wanted to get back! Compared to other destinations, Portugal is the country with the best value and is home to the most wonderful people, scenery, trails, museums, food, wine, and weather!

I knew there was so much more of Portugal to explore and when I met with Artur we started scheming. I had the idea to offer active trips, specifically for women that enjoyed hiking and wine. What we created was Adventure Marketplace’s first Women, Walking and Wine Adventure that led us from Lisbon to Sintra, Evora and towns in the south.

We were eleven active women ready to experience a new culture, enjoy delicious food, conversation, breathtaking scenery, and of course wine, all while hiking seven to nine miles a day! 

Arriving in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, we had the afternoon to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets through the old neighborhoods. We climbed the hill to Castelo de São Jorge, the iconic castle with a panoramic view of the entire city.

One of the most charming capital cities of Europe, Lisbon has quickly become my favorite.

You can’t help but admire the elaborate tiled sidewalks and the delicious trademark pastries – Pasteis de Nata – with their flaky crust and warm egg custard.

Our guide Paolo is a friend of Artur’s. He took time off from his job with the Navy to escort us. Paolo wasn’t the gregarious sort. He was quiet, kind and always had our best interest and safety in mind. Our driver was the handsome Rui. Terri asked Rui to marry her one evening after a few too many tastes of wine!

After Lisbon, we headed out to hike the enchanted hills of Sintra. Along the rugged cliffs we took in the most breathtaking views all morning. Then after a delicious, packed lunch at Praia da Adraga beach, we continued on to Cape Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe.

Pottery making – Who knew?

During the next week, we covered a lot of ground and experiences. First, we painted tiles in Arrábida using traditional methods in the style of Hispano-Moorish tiles of the 16th century.

Paolo led us down to see fossilized dinosaur footprints located on the jagged cliffs of the Cabo Espichel coastline. We breathed in views from the Monsaraz Castle and gawked at the handsome sixth generation potter Rui Patalim at Olaria O Patalim, in Corval. To quote my friend Joyce, “We could have watched pottery making all day.” 

That night we visited the Dark Sky Alqueva observatory to gaze at stars and planets and reflect on the vastness of the universe.

Next up, a guided wine tasting tour and lunch at Quinta do Quetzal, located in the heart of the Alentejo region. Onward we traveled to explore Vicentine Coast Natural Park. This natural park is huge, well over 300 square miles, and is one of the last strongholds of the wild coastline left in Europe.

At Burros & Artes we tried our hand at pottery making and walked with the donkeys through their sanctuary, a safe haven for old donkeys and the ones that had a difficult start in life. Who knew there was such a thing? 

All the way to the ends of the earth…

Our final days were spent hiking from Vila do Bispo to Cabo-Verde Sao-Vicente – once thought to be the end of the earth – to the towns of Lagoa and Benagill on the southern coast.

We were supposed to take a boat tour to the Benagill caves, but the sea was too rough. Instead, we walked the 570-mile long Carvoeiro Boardwalk along a jagged coastline with rock formations and steps leading to a few small caves. 

From Benagill we headed back to Lisbon to dress up for our final emotional Fado dinner at Tasca do Faisca with Paolo and Artur. Fado is a genre of Portuguese music that is full of feeling of sadness and love. What an inspiringly delicious and delightful way to end our Portuguese adventure.  

Obrigada, Portugal, you have my heart!

Adventure Marketplace is excited to re-start the Women Walking and Wine series. We’ll be heading to the Catalonia region of Spain in May. Please contact me if you’re interested in joining us!