Solares de Portugal developed new thematic tours
Solares de Portugal wants to promote quality tourism, so we created new thematic routes.
The strategy has been driven by a determination to provide visitors with a quality
experience in keeping with the special character
and heritage of the buildings and the natural
environment of the area. Rural areas often have
small scale and widely dispersed enterprises,
communities and administrative structures. The
relationship between tourism, agriculture and
other sectors in the local rural economy is
increasingly important. Many different players are involved. Natural resources, cultural
traditions, transport services and a whole range of tourism
enterprises have an influence on the visitor experience,
and in turn are affected by tourism impact. For these
reasons, an integrated quality management approach to
tourism is very relevant in rural areas.
The first tour is “The Excellence of the Gardens”, where
you can find the great green fields and the big mountains
all around the country. In Minho you can visit Ponte de
Lima and its great gardens, like Parque Temático do
Arnado. Here, you can also discover Casas Antigas,
Quintas e Herdades e Casas Rústicas. They also have beautiful gardens, such as Casa do
Outeiro and Paço de Calheiros. In Guimarães, you can visit Casa de S. Cipriano with its
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
EMAIL: [email protected] URL: www.solaresdeportugal.pt
splendid garden. Near Cabeceiras de Basto stays Casa da Tojeira, positioned in the
romantic valley of the river Tâmega. Casa do
Campo, near Celorico de Basto, boasts a prizewinning garden, with its immaculately trimmed
Camellias
contoured
into
graceful
designs.
Specialists claim that the oldest Camellia in
Portugal is to be found here. Casa das Paredes,
close to Fafe, is surrounded by a romantic garden
with ornamental ponds. Also there is a small lake
with running water and ancient camellias. If you prefer to travel on Douro, you must visit
Casa de Santo António de Britiande, at about 5 km from Lamego. This house is situated
on the outskirt of the famous Douro Valley. Serra da Estrela is a very beautiful place to
visit, also. Quinta da Ponte, at about 13 km from Guarda, is situated in the Natural Park of
Serra da Estrela by a Roman bridge over the river Mondego, and it has a box garden laid
out in 1740. In the South of Portugal, you can find Palácio de Rio Frio, in Pinhal Novo, at
about 10 km from Montijo, and Quinta da Orada, in Albufeira, this one is surrounded by
orchards and has a romantic garden.
The second tour - “Traditions of Agroturismo” –
allows you to discover and participate in the
Solares de Portugal agricultural activities. You
can make bread and cheese, you can produce wine
and oil at Quinta da Bela Vista, in Castelo de
Vide, Monte da Corte Ligeira, in Beja, Solar
das Arcas, in Macedo de Cavaleiros, Quinta da
Roseira, Casa da Várzea and Casa das Torres,
these three in Ponte de Lima, Convento da Franqueira and Quinta de Santa Comba,
both in Barcelos and Quinta da Mata, in Chaves.
The “Ecotourism” is another route to those who like to walk, to ride a bike our practice sea
sports. In Ponte de Lima we suggest a walk on the “ecovia” and on the Bertiandos lagoon.
Next to it is Casa da Lage and Casa do Tamanqueiro. You can also ride a bike from
Ponte de Lima to Quinta do Rei, Casa de Covas, Casa de Gaiba and Casa de S.
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
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Gonçalo. If you prefer historical tours you can choose Casa do Salgueirinho because it is
located in the route of the French invasion. If you pick the sea, you can stay in Viana do
Castelo, where there are beaches with the Blue
Flag. Casa do Ameal, Casa Grande da
Bandeira and Quinta do Monteverde are next
to the Atlantic Ocean where you can surf and
windsurf. You can also fish in Paredes de Coura,
at Quinta da Casa do Paço, in Ponte da Barca,
at Quinta da Prova, in Guimarães, at Casa do
Ribeiro, in Arcos de Valdevez, at Casa de Avelar, Quinta da Parada do Vez and Quinta
de Cortinhas, in Vila Real, at Casa Agrícola da Levada and in Castelo de Paiva, at Solar
de Miragaia. In the Alentejo you can also
make long walks specially created by
Quinta da Bela Vista, in Castelo de Vide
and Monte da Corte Ligeira, in Beja. In the
Azores you can fins biodiversity and meet
dolphins. Here you can stay at Casa das
Barcas, in S. Roque, Pico Island, at Quinta
dos Figos, in Terceira Island, and at Casa
das Calhetas, in S. Miguel Island.
Portugal wines are very well known and international awarded. To allow you to know
theses wines, Solares de Portugal created the “Wine Tour”. The famous Alentejo Wine is
produced in our houses in Beja, at Monte da
Corte Ligeira, and in Castelo de Vide, at
Quinta da Bela Vista. The Bairrada Wine is
made at Quinta de S. Lourenço, in Anadia.
You can find and tast Douro Wine at Casa dos
Varais and Casa das Torres da Oliveira, these
two located in Peso da Régua. If your option is
to taste the Dão Wine you have to go to Solar
Abreu Madeira, in Viseu, or Quinta da Comenda, in São Pedro do Sul. Quinta da
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
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Comenda also has biological agriculture. Last but not the least is the Vinho Verde (Verde
Wine). You can drink at Casa da Tojeira, in Cabeceiras de Basto, at Casa do Canedo, in
Celorico de Basto, at Casa de Sezim, in Guimarães, at Paço de Calheiros and Casa do
Barreiro, these two houses in Ponte de Lima, at
Quinta do Paço d’Anha, in Viana do Castelo and
at Convento da Franqueira, in Barcelos.
“Artesanato and Traditions” is another tour. You
can find our artesanato (handmade objects made
by artisans) and visit our fairs and local markets.
Casa de Campo, in Celorico de Basto, has an
artesanato store; Quinta da Calçada, in Melgaço,
has na etnographic collection; Casa de Alfena, in Póvoa do Lanhoso, lodges a Gold
Museum; Casa do Ameal, in Viana do Castelo, shows the vianesa dresses. Moinho de
Estorãos, in Ponte de Lima, is a pretty water mill,
retaining the old water Wheel and grindstone.
In theses days some travels prefer to spend their
holiday in spas, thermal-spas and gymnasiums to do
fitness
and
be
healthiness. Therefore we
developed “Mind and Body”. In Monção and
Melgaço, the
local
thermal-spas are very looked for water treatments.
For staying you have Casa de Rodas, at about 2 km
from Monção, or Quinta de Santo António, at
about 12 km from Monção and Quinta da Calçada,
in Melgaço. Estância Termal do Eirôgo, another
thermal-spa, is located in Barcelos, where Solares
have Casa dos Assentos, Quinta do Sourinho, and
Casa de Sequiade. In Santo Tirso you have
accomodation at Quinta da Picaria and you can
make your treatments is the thermal-spa Caldas da Saúde. Located between lakes and
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
EMAIL: [email protected] URL: www.solaresdeportugal.pt
mountains, in the heart of Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, are the thermal-spas of Gerês
and Caldelas. Near these spas are Casa dos Lagos, in Braga, Quinta do Sorilhal, in Vieira
do Minho and Quinta de São Bento, in Vila de Prado, at about 6 km from Braga. In Trásos-Montes the Vidago and Caldas de Chaves thermal-spas offer you natural landscapes and
leasure. You can spend the night at Quinta da Mata, in Chaves and Casa da Avó, in Torre
de Moncorvo. Caldas de Felgueira thermal-spa, in Canas de Senhorim, invites you to a
splendid location. Here we suggest you Solar Abreu Madeira. Marco de Canavezes and
Penafiel have their local thermal-spas, too. Casa do Cotto, in Felgueiras is a good option to
spend the night. Cabeço de Vide thermal-spa is from the Roman era. Even the Romans
have baths in those waters. Quinta da Bela Vista in Castelo de Vide can accomodate you.
If your holidays are in the Azores, you can try Furnas thermal-spa and spend the night in
Casa das Calhetas. But Solares de Portugal have their own spas: Casa da Tojeira, in
Cabeceiras de Basto, has sauna, Turkish bath and jet-stream; Quinta do Albergue do
Bonjardim, in Nesperal, at about 8 km from Sertã, has Turkish bath, sauna and indoor
swimmingpool; and Quinta do Casal, in Facha, Ponte de Lima, has two swimmingpools
(indoor and outside) and a gym.
The “Gastronomy Tour” allows you to taste our food. We have the cod fish, the arroz de
sarrabulho, the migas and açorda, or even the “fresh
fish”. You can eat the famous leitão da Bairrada at
Vila Duparchy, in Mealhada and at Quinta de S.
Lourenço, in Anadia;you can taste Serra da Estrela
Cheese at Quinta do Torrozelo and Casa das Tílias,
both in Seia, or at Quinta de São Caetano, in Viseu
and Casa da
Comenda de Malta, in Sernancelhe. Casa do
Cimo, in Fundão, produces its own cheese. The
carne maronesa (maronesa meat) is created in Vila
Real. You can eat it at Casa de Vilarinho de São
Romão, in Sabrosa, and at Casa Agrícola da
Levada, in Vila Real. Our neighbours from Spain
appreciate our arroz de Lampreia (Lampreia rice). If
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
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you stay at Casa da Eira, in Valença, you can try it.
But if you prefer fresh fish, then you have to go to
Casa do Castelo, in Peniche. In Ponte de Lima, at
Quinta da Aldeia, Quinta do Baganheiro and
Casa de Crasto, you can try arroz and papas de
Sarrabulho.
“The golf Tour” is another route. The Algarve has
special conditions to practice this sport. There are some golf fiels such as Parque da
Floresta, Alto Golf, Penina, Quinta do Lago,
Salgados and Pine Clifs, and here you can rest at
Quinta da Orada, in Albufeira, and Casa da
Palmeirinha, in Portimão. In Lisbon and Vale do
Tejo we have the golf fields Penha Longa, Quinta da
Beloura, C.G. Estoril and Aroeira. In this region,
Solares suggest you Quinta da Praia das Fonte, in
Alcochete, Quinta de Vale Mourelos, in Caparica
and Palácio de Rio Frio, in Montijo. In the center of our country, we have Vimeiro,
Atlantico Golf, Praia d’el Rey and Golden Eagle golf fields. Casa d’Óbidos, Casa do
Castelo, in Peniche and Casa do Foral, in Rio Maior, are excellent options to spend the
night. In the North, Estela Golf Clube, in Póvoa do Varzim, Quinta da Barca, in
Esposende, and Campo de Golfe de Ponte de Lima,
are three very beautiful golf fields. Here you can find
Casa de Anquião, inside the ponte de Lima Golf,
Casa de Outeiro, Casa da Lage, Casa das Torres
and Casa de Crasto, all of them near Ponte de Lima.
You have also the Oporto Golf Club. There you can
rest at Quinta da Granja, in Maia. The Amarante
Golfe Clube and the Golfe do Vidago with 2540mts
are other two options. Solares de Portugal suggests you Casa da Pedra, in Amarante, and
Quinta da Mata in Chaves.
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
EMAIL: [email protected] URL: www.solaresdeportugal.pt
“Raça Lusitana – Horses Tour” allows you to meet
our horses with pure lusitana race. You can ride
theses horses in our houses such as at Quinta da
Agra and Paço de Calheiros, both in Ponte de
Lima, at Quinta da Mata, in Chaves, at Quinta da
Praia das Fontes, in Alcochete, and Palácio de Rio
Frio, in Pinhal Novo, near Montijo. If you want to
find wild horses, our garranos, you can go to the National Park of Peneda Gerês, and climb
to Mezio, Soajo, and visit Quinta das Cortinhas in Arcos de Valdevez. On the other side
of the National Park is located Quinta do Sorrilhal, in Vieira do Minho, where you can
see garranos, too. Monte da Corte Ligeira, in Beja, has little horses.
The last tour is “Azulejos”. This tour gives you the
opportunity to discover the Portuguese azulejos (tiles). This
decorative element was brought to Portugal in the XV
Century. Today you can find tiles everywhere in the
country such as the Manor Houses. Quinta de Cortinhas,
in Arcos de Valdevez, Casa
do Barreiro, in Ponte de
Lima and Palácio de Rio
Frio, in Pinhal Novo, have
some walls completely covered with colourful tiles. Also
there are very interesting tile panels and walls in the
Portuguese train stations, like S. Bento, in Porto, Aveiro and
Pinhão. If you want to visit Douro and make a travel by
locomotive between Régua and Pinhão, you can spend some
nights at Casa de Vilarinho de S. Romão, in Sabrosa, or at
Casa dos Varais, in Peso da Régua.
These are the ten tours created by Solares de Portugal that allow guests to meet the
heritage, the traditions and to enjoy the environment and the ambiance of the historical
Manors.
Solares de Portugal
Praça da República - 4990 Ponte de Lima - PORTUGAL
PHONE: (+351) 258 931750 FAX: (+351) 258 931320
EMAIL: [email protected] URL: www.solaresdeportugal.pt