Mysterious Portugal 
Imagine this... Soft sandy beaches rimmed by dramatic, burnished-gold cliffs, a touch of breeze on your skin, an icy drink in your hand... The palm trees behind you rustle and coral-colored hibiscus flowers and purple wisteria wrap around centuries old stone walls. You spent the morning in the medieval castle, learning to cook the perfect paella, before an afternoon on the beach watching the rainbow colored boats come and go. Soon it will be time to meet your friends at an intimate, gourmet restaurant before heading out to the fado music performance at a funky bar. Where are you? This is Portugal. Beautiful, blissfully undiscovered destination which offers glorious beaches, fantastic Manueline architecture, mysteries hidden in the pages of its history, superb seafood and amazing wines, elegantly painted ceramic tiles, Moors' castles, convents and monasteries, bewitching grandeur of baroque palaces, fairytale walled towns, warm locals and sunny days with blue skies. When you add the company of sophisticated, like-minded travelers, luxury accommodations and enthusiastic, knowledgeable guides, you get another perfect Sights and Soul Travels tour.

The Golden Age
The Portuguese discoveries brought a Golden Age to Lisbon. The explorers, from Prince Henry the Navigator to Vasco da Gama and others, brought spices: ginger, pepper, cumin, as well as porcelain, silk, rubies and pearls from Asia. More exotic goods: colored woods, diamonds, gold and coffee were coming from Brazil and Africa. These riches allowed for building the intricate Manueline style monuments like Belem Tower or the Jeronimos. The style combines the High Gothic design and Moorish elements with elaborate carvings... 

The Silver Coast
The ocean has always had a powerful hold on Portugal. The Portuguese spent a long time looking out to the sea, which inspired their voyages during the Age of Discoveries and the accomplishments of Vasco de Gama and Magellan. Stretching along the Atlantic, the Silver Coast of Portugal is the westernmost coast of continental Europe. Stunningly beautiful and sunny, it is also fantastically diverse: from craggy streaked rocks meeting long beaches, lagoons and serene sandy islands to sophisticated resorts, romantic hideaways, wooded hillsides sliding to the ocean and frozen in time, whitewashed villages nodding over the great blue expanse of the Atlantic. Portuguese beaches bring joy to beach walkers, surfers, sun- worshippers, romantics, nature lovers and everyone in between. Today, this seafaring culture still dominates the country's history, cuisine, economy and leisure time.

Lisbon
Thanks to its unique light, Lisbon is called "the white city". During the Era of Discoveries, the city's Golden Age in the 15th and 16th centuries, the city gained the reputation as the eighth wonder of the world. Travelers returning from Lisbon talked of its riches rivaling those of Venice. Today, Lisbon is as romantic as Paris, as fun as Madrid and as relaxed as Rome, but it is small compared to other European cities, and its size and ease encourages exploration and personal discovery. The city has a beauty that extends beyond the famed monuments and castles. 

Obidos
The town of Obidos looks like a medieval movie set. The high fortified walls encircle narrow lanes of gleaming white houses, decorated with zig-zag blue and yellow patterns. The town overflows with lilac, bougenvilla, camellias and citrus trees and the golden towers and ramparts overlook the rolling hills dotted with stone windmills and valleys full of vineyards. The Moors' Castle of Obidos, with its carefully preserved many towers, battlements and big gates has been converted into a palace in the 16th century and is now a luxurious inn and restaurant. 

Coimbra
In terms of historic significance and romantic beauty, Coimbra is second only to Lisbon and Oporto. Its ancient buildings cling to the side of the hill that rises above the curves of the river Mondego, the ornate buildings of the famous University of Coimbra are its crowning glory. Indeed the university is still the lifeblood of the city and the change in atmosphere is notable when the summer holidays come and the thousands of students head back to their hometowns.

Porto
The coastal city of Porto’s worldwide fame comes from port wine, and it is almost synonymous with this aromatic fortified wine. But there is more… With a burly beauty all its own, Portugal’s second city, built on granite bluffs above the Duoro River, is a tangle of narrow cobbled streets winding steeply down, past merchants’ houses decorated with azulejos tiles and wrought iron balconies filled with potted flowers and romantic cafes to a medieval waterfront. Dramatically straddling the Duoro River are six stately bridges, connecting the Ribeira District with Vila Nova de Gaia... 

Port Wine of the Duoro Valley
he Duoro Valley cradles the Duoro River whose name comes from Rio do Ouro (River of Gold) and which has always been Porto’s lifeblood. The region has long been associated with port producing vineyards, and over the millennia, this otherworldly, ever-changing terrain has been sculptured by hard working wine growers. The sublime landscapes of neat rock terraces wrap around every precipitous hillside, and the whitewashed quintas, port producing estates, dot the valley. Traditionally, the wine was taken downriver... 

Azulejos Tiles
From the moment you land at the Lisbon airport, you are surrounded by Portugal's favorite decorative art: polished, hand-painted tiles called azulejos after the Arabic al zulaycha, meaning polished stone. These tiles seem to cover everything in sight, from churches and houses to train stations and shop interiors. It was the Moors who introduced the art, having picked it up from the Persians, but the Portuguese liked it so much that they tiled everything that was flat enough and could support this decoration. Portugal's first 16th... 

Soulful Fado
Nothing else defines the spirit of the Portuguese as the enigmatic fado. Fado, meaning "fate", is a style of Portuguese music which emerged in the 18th century in Lisbon's working-class district of Alfama. Fado songs reflect Portugal's bittersweet relationship with the sea. They talk about sadness, hope and longing and are often interpreted as the Portuguese expression of saudade - the passive, listless desire for something out of reach. These melancholic chants, performed as a set of three songs, each lasting exactly three... 

The Tragic Love of Pedro and Ines
When Constanza of Castile was presented to Pedro I before they were to be married, Pedro noticed a beautiful woman among the ladies-in-waiting, one Inês de Castro. Despite his marriage to Constanza, a marriage of convenience demanded by his father, Alfonso IV, to strengthen relations with powerful Castile, Pedro I fell helplessly in love with the beautiful Inês. Before long they became lovers. Seeing the liaison as a threat to his design on Castile, Alfonso had Inês exiled from the Court. Constanza died in 1345 while giving birth... 

Fatima
Fatima (Fátima) is Portugal's answer to Lourdes and it is an important destination for pilgrimages. Over four million pilgrims visit Fatima every year to see the spot where, on May 13 1917, three of the village's children saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. The three shepherd children, Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta, then saw five further visions on the 13th of every month and an increasingly large number of people came with them. Only the children could see the visions, and only Lúcia heard the message to return every month... 

Portuguese Cuisine
Despite the lasting influence it has had on food in such far-away places as Macau and Goa, Portuguese cuisine is hugely underrepresented outside Portugal. Often confused with Spanish cooking, it is, in fact, quite distinct. At its best, Portuguese food is simple ingredients impeccably prepared. Based on regional produce, emphasizing fish, meat, olive oil, tomato, and spices, it features hearty soups, homemade bread and cheeses, as well as unexpected combinations in meat and shellfish. For a relatively small nation, Portugal has... 

Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders. Founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade of 1096, the Order's original purpose was to ensure the safety of the many Christians who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after its conquest. Officially endorsed by the Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christendom and grew rapidly in membership and power.