river zezere – explore the region of the knights – 9 days
The Zêzere River is an entirely Portuguese river, born in the Serra da Estrela. The River is located in the region of the Templar Knights. It is one of the wildest and most pristine rivers in the country. The landscapes it creates are unequalled. Here you will find a bit of everything. There are historic villages, spas, mountain communities, castles, good food and wine. In such a varied region all participants are invited by Nature to be part of it and the experience becomes unique, incomparable. Come with us and explore one of the most beautiful and unexplored rivers in Portugal.
Day 1 – arrival day
It is the arrival day at Porto. We have a full day walking on Day 2, so we recommend guests rest and take it easy. Your accommodation will allow you to enjoy jaw dropping views and short walks without too much effort.
After settling in, our guide can helps with any tips and needs.
We will have a group dinner with a fantastic view to the UNESCO World Heritage “Ribeira Porto”.
Accommodation is in Porto City.
Day 2- porto walking tour
After years of enjoying our walks, we have worked out a route that will allow you to enjoy most of the top attractions without exhausting your calves…it is a City on a hill after all! Porto has hundreds of things on offer and we discover many of them.
This is a walking tour that will allow guests to get a really good feel for the city, visit a market and decide which shops they will visit at the end of the trip. We will end our tour with a lunch next to the Douro River.
Guests will have a few hours to rest or do their own exploring.
In the evening we will do a Port wine tasting session before dinner, which will be cooked by our crew in a very special place.
Accommodation is in Porto City.
day 3 – on the way to alvaro village
We will drive from Porto southeast towards the little village of Álvaro in the center of Portugal. The landscape and scenery is breathtaking.
Accommodation is in a rural house in the village of Alvaro.
day 4 – paddling from alvaro to vilar de amoreira – Paddling starts!
Today we will begin our expedition in the Zêzere river. Throughout our trip we will pass many green fields and trees reflected in the crystalline water.
Our expedition takes from the village of Álvaro all the way to Vilar de Amoreira. If the weather allows us we will have the opportunity to swim in the waters of Zêzere.
Our accommodation will be at Padroes.
day 5 – paddling towards the cabril dam
Our adventure continues paddling towards the splendid Cabril Dam which will surprise all the participants by its size and power.
Our accommodation will be at Padroes.
day 6 – paddling from foz do alge to dornes
Beautifully embraced by the Zêzere River, Dornes is a picturesque village. Considered as one of the most beautiful riverside villages. The History of Dornes dates back to the foundation of Portugal, deeply related to the Order of the Templar Knights in Portugal.
Our accommodation will be at Dornes.
day 7 – paddling dornes to the blue lake
Today we will leave the Templar village of Dornes in the direction of the Blue Lake.
Accommodation will be in Tomar .
day 8 – paddling the last stage – blue lake to castelo de bode
Today is the last stage. The green valley of the river Zêzere accompanies us until the Castelo de Bode dam. In the evening, a nice dinner with local food and wine awaits us.
Accommodation will be in Tomar.
day 9 – final destination … porto
After breakfast we will drive back to the city of Porto
Every guest will have their own decisions to make on this last day. Some will continue their trip in Portugal or Europe, others will take a flight back home. The luckier ones will stay more days in Porto to continue exploring.
Whatever you decide, we will help you organize your continued or return trip (train station or airport).
TRIP TIMELINE
Open here to see the full Timeline of this trip.