Family holiday to Portugal
| country: | Portugal |
| departures: | 2008: 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug |
| price: | From £770 - £995 (8 days) per adult and £730 - £955 per child (under 14 yrs) excluding flights. Price depends on the number of activities chosen. We can arrange flights from the UK. Recommended minimum age 8 years. |
| late availability: | Late availability for 16 Aug 2008 |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
Family holiday to Portugal - Atlantic Coast: Surf’s up folks! Escape the Algarve and discover a stunning corner of Portugal which remains largely unvisited by overseas visitors.
Golden beaches and rocky cliff faces characterise this stretch of the Atlantic Coast whilst inland, thousand upon thousand of cork trees line a seemingly endless range of gently undulating hills.
This diversity of land and seascapes creates a fabulous and varied adventure playground which we explore to the full during an action-packed and fun-filled family activity holiday.
Accommodation: Our 3-star apartments are located behind protected sand dunes and are just a stones throw from the expansive, golden and sandy beach. They are also within easy walking distance (5 to 10 minutes) of Milfontes town centre which is situated on the estuary of one of Europe’s cleanest rivers. In Milfontes you will find all the amenities you might need during your stay including banks, shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
Each apartment has a twin or double bedroom, a lounge/dining area with sofa bed and television, a bath or shower room and a fully equipped kitchen. All apartments have either a terrace or veranda. For larger families or small groups, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments are available on request.
The complex has plenty of sporting facilities to keep you occupied outside our activity schedule including: 2 swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), tennis, a gymnasium, mini-golf and sauna. For those who prefer to relax after an active day there is also a bar and a very good restaurant specialising in seafood and local meat dishes - carnivores are advised not to leave without trying the “steak on a stone”.
Golden beaches and rocky cliff faces characterise this stretch of the Atlantic Coast whilst inland, thousand upon thousand of cork trees line a seemingly endless range of gently undulating hills.
This diversity of land and seascapes creates a fabulous and varied adventure playground which we explore to the full during an action-packed and fun-filled family activity holiday.
Accommodation: Our 3-star apartments are located behind protected sand dunes and are just a stones throw from the expansive, golden and sandy beach. They are also within easy walking distance (5 to 10 minutes) of Milfontes town centre which is situated on the estuary of one of Europe’s cleanest rivers. In Milfontes you will find all the amenities you might need during your stay including banks, shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
Each apartment has a twin or double bedroom, a lounge/dining area with sofa bed and television, a bath or shower room and a fully equipped kitchen. All apartments have either a terrace or veranda. For larger families or small groups, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments are available on request.
The complex has plenty of sporting facilities to keep you occupied outside our activity schedule including: 2 swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), tennis, a gymnasium, mini-golf and sauna. For those who prefer to relax after an active day there is also a bar and a very good restaurant specialising in seafood and local meat dishes - carnivores are advised not to leave without trying the “steak on a stone”.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, transfers & introduction. You will be transferred from Lisbon Airport to your accommodation. In the evening there will be a welcome meal and an introductory meeting with your guide. Please note that if you want to make your own travel arrangements then a flight-exclusive discount applies. |
| Day 2: | Surfing.. The Portuguese Coast has become a mecca for surfers attracted by the Atlantic waves. Today, we take the first steps towards enjoying this exhilarating sport with some comprehensive tuition. By the end of the day we should be standing on our boards and riding the gentle waves, albeit briefly! Don’t forget to brush up on your surfing terminology before you go so you too can get stoked up for some gnarly Atlantic rides! |
| Day 3: | Orientation activity day. Today is designed to introduce you to the coast and country around Milfontes. We set off, map in hand, to find the harbour where our canoes are waiting. We cross the River Mira to locate further instructions which will point us in the direction of our lunch spot. After a tasty barbeque we try some archery, trek to a local waterfall and return to the town by canoe for a well deserved rest. |
| Day 4: | Multi-activity day. 'Pego das Pias' is a stunning site set in a steep sided river valley. We will have time to explore this local beauty spot before enjoying a cooling swim in the lagoon. Nicely refreshed after our dip, our instructors will show us the skills required for climbing and abseiling. After a leisurely lunch we will be given the materials to build a raft and hopefully test our handiwork without sinking. |
| Day 5: | Free day. You can try some optional activities such as horse riding and mountain biking or alternatively relax on the beach or by the pool - the choice is yours. |
| Day 6: | Canoeing and cycling. We head for another riverside beauty spot and a gentle canoe trip downstream to the small harbour at Casa Brancas. The afternoon sees us cycling along the banks of the River Mira and through some stunning landscapes on the way back to Milfontes. |
| Day 7: | Zip wires, climbing and abseiling. Today we move away from the coast to try out a thrilling zip wire and brush up on those climbing and abseiling skills on an outdoor wall. The week is rounded off with a farewell dinner this evening. |
| Day 8: | Depart or extend your stay. Return transfers to Lisbon Airport. If you want to extend your stay in Portugal we will be delighted to help you find flights which match your preferred travel dates. |
travellers' tales
We had a great holiday, a great mixture of rest, adventure and experience. We particularly enjoyed having a shower in a watertfall, the zipwire, abseiling and of course the surfing. We did all manage to stand up of which we are very proud!
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how this holiday makes a difference
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This holiday is based in the centre of a natural park where our local suppliers work in conjunction with the park wardens to ensure that our clients are aware of their surrounding environment and when walking / cycling on demarcated paths they do not stray or leave waste onto ecologically sensitive areas. This is particularly relevant on the coastal sand dunes.
Our local partners are heavily integrated into the local community. All our guides and drivers are from the area and we have instigated many initiatives with the county council supporting cultural and sporting events - even maintaining the only grass football pitch in the locality. The lower Alentejo area is undiscovered by northern Europeans mass tourism as it is too far from international airports. It is very popular with the native Portuguese and we are working to create holidays not just for northern European families but with the Portuguese to enable an exchange of cultural information. All our accommodation is run by family units who often offer additional meals to our customers using locally grown produce from their own kitchen gardens. Our tours include visits to working windmills, potteries and linen weavers to help keep these traditions alive in the locality and make any souvenirs bought more meaningful to the client and local community alike. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |