Iberian Immersion Cruising Portugal’s Douro

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ITINERARYDay 1 Welcome to Porto

Day 2 A Taste of Porto

Day 3 Vila Real and Casa de Mateus

Day 4 Medieval Salamanca

Day 5 Along the Porto Wine Trail

Day 6 Architectural Gems of Lamego

Day 7 Aveiro: Venice of Portugal

Day 8 Departure

Along the banks of Portugal’s Douro River, vintners have made wine for more

than 2,000 years, gradually adapting the landscape to their trade and trans-

forming the river valley into a place of unique beauty. Aboard the MS Amalia

Rodrigues, named for Portugal’s beloved fado singer, cruise the Douro from

Porto to the Spanish border, visiting picturesque villages, country wine estates

and historic cities along the way. Poised at the mouth of the Douro, Porto is a

city packed with architectural treasures. As you cruise across northern Portu-

gal, pass between rolling hills carved into sinuous terraces — a confluence of

engineering, agriculture and nature that has earned the area a UNESCO World

Heritage designation. Enjoy included excursions to the splendid Spanish city

of Salamanca and to seaside Aveiro, known the Venice of Portugal. Take in the

stunning scenery from the comfort of your riverboat and soak up the sights,

sounds and tastes of Iberia.

Iberian Immersion Cruising Portugal’s Douro

3Call 855-890-5298 or visit expeditions.latimes.com

DAY 1 Welcome to PortoArrive in Porto and transfer to the quay in the early evening to board the MS Amalia Rodrigues, your home for the next week. Settle into your cabin and join the crew and your fellow travelers for a welcome cocktail and dinner. (D)

DAY 2 A Taste of Porto After breakfast, set out to discover Porto on a guided tour. This captivating city straddles the Douro River, crisscrossed by noteworthy bridges such as the Ponte Dom Luis I, a two-tiered work of iron designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel. Explore Porto’s historic heart, which dates back 2,000 years and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its eclectic range of architecture and its urban planning. Take a tour of the neoclassical Stock Exchange Palace to see the opulent Golden Room and the exquisite Moorish artistry of the Arab Room. Visit the Igreja de São Francisco, a baroque church with a gold-gilt interior, and then cross the Dom Luis I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. Here, stop in a wine cellar for a tasting of the eponymous local specialty: porto. Return to the boat for lunch and enjoy the changing scenery as you cruise east along the Douro this afternoon. (B, L, D)

DAY 3 Vila Real and Casa de Mateus

Dock in the wine trading port of Peso da Régua or further upriver in Pinhão and take an excursion to Vila Real, a charming town of whitewashed manors and baroque churches with bright terra-cotta roofs. Then head just out of town to Casa de Mateus, the original estate of Portugal’s famous wine-making family. Stroll through the formal gardens of this beautiful 18th-century manor house, replete with a 115-foot tunnel made of cedar trees and a tranquil reflecting pool that mirrors the estate’s stunning baroque façade. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon sailing toward Spain and cap off the day with a lively flamenco performance on board this evening. (B, L, D)

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Wake up in Vega de Terron, a Spanish village just over the border from Portugal. Travel by coach to Salamanca and spend a full day exploring this spectacular city with guides. One of the oldest university towns in the world, Salamanca has drawn scholars and students since 1218. Take a tour of the World Heritage-listed old town, where carved sandstone buildings glow rose and gold. Visit the intriguing cathedral, begun in the early 1100s and modified over the centuries with different architectural styles, from Romanesque to

Byzantine. Wander through the courtyards of the university and examine the extraordinary carved façade of the main entrance. Step into the library, the oldest in Europe, and admire the intricate carvings on its ceiling and staircase, full of symbolism that dates back centuries. Discover this glorious city on your own this afternoon before returning to the boat. Cross the border back into Portugal tonight. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 Medieval Salamanca

Enjoy a leisurely morning on the water as you cruise between steep, terraced hills covered in vineyards. In the afternoon, dock in Ferradosa for an excursion along the Porto wine route. Look out over the river valley from the viewpoint at São Salvador do Mundo and take a walk through the

picturesque town of São João da Pesqueira to see its chapel and arcaded main square. Then visit a quinta, a traditional country estate, and sample the porto produced there. Rejoin the ship in Pinhão and gather for a gala dinner tonight. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 Along the Porto Wine Trail

5Call 855-890-5298 or visit expeditions.latimes.com

ACCOMMODATIONS

7 NIGHTS MS Amalia Rodrigues The 66-cabin MS Amalia Rodrigues is a riverboat with three decks, including a sundeck, a casual but elegant restaurant surrounded by windows and a bar and lounge. Exterior cabins feature en suite bathrooms with showers, Wi-Fi, television and large windows.

DAY 6 Architectural Gems of LamegoAfter breakfast, take a morning tour of Lamego, a charming town of winding lanes and leafy boulevards presided over by a medieval castle. The town is best known for its hilltop 18th-century church, the Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, perched atop an immense staircase that zigzags up the hill and is decorated with baroque spires, statues and azulejos, Portugal’s famed blue-and-white tiles. Visit the church — which can be reached by road or by climbing the 686 steps — and return to the boat for lunch and an afternoon of cruising. Tonight, enjoy a performance of fado, Portugal’s soulful traditional music. (B, L, D)

DAY 7 Aveiro: Venice of PortugalDuring a free morning, relax on the boat or explore Porto at your own pace. Later, travel south on an excursion to the seaside city of Aveiro. Set among salt marshes and lagoons on the Atlantic coast, the medieval fishing village has evolved into an important port as well a center of salt production. Here, stroll among the historic monuments and narrow alleys of the old city and visit the harbor to see brightly painted wooden fishing boats called moliceiros along the water’s edge. Stop in Costa Nova, where fishermen’s wooden storage huts have been transformed into cheerful dwellings set among palm trees along the beach. Return to Porto by coach and enjoy your final evening on board. (B, L, D)

DAY 8 DepartureAfter a final breakfast on board, disembark this morning and transfer to the airport for individual flights home. (B) EXPEDITION EXPERT

Kimi YoshinoAs Los Angeles Times senior deputy managing editor, Kimi Yoshino oversees sports, business, arts, entertainment and lifestyle coverage.She served as Business editor for four years,

following a distinguished turn as an assistant editor in Metro. Prior to becoming an editor, she was a reporter for the Metro and Business sections, and did two rotations reporting from Baghdad.

DATES & PRICINGDATES PRICING SINGLE SUPPLEMENT DEPOSIT

Oct. 29-Nov. 5, 2020 $3,795 Lower Deck $1,050 $500 $4,095 Middle Deck $4,295 Upper Deck

WHAT IS INCLUDEDComprehensive educational program by content experts and professional on-site guides

All accommodations and meals as outlined in the itinerary

All ground transportation within the itinerary unless otherwise indicated

All sightseeing as specified in the itinerary

Entrance fees

Gratuities to porters, drivers and guides for all included arrangements

The assistance of an ATA expedition manager for comprehensive logistical and customer service management on the expedition

Wireless listening devices

The assistance of an ATA professional travel team to assist with pre-trip questions, travel arrangements, including flights, extra hotel nights or other services

Comprehensive pre-departure information about the destination and what to expect on the expedition, including a suggested reading list

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDEDU.S. domestic or international airfare or other transportation from your home to the departure point of the trip and from the end point of the trip to your home

Travel and trip cancellation insurance

Passport, visa, airport departure and baggage fees

Meals not specified in the itinerary, and food and beverages not part of the included meals

Personal items such as telephone, fax and internet charges, laundry, room service and alcoholic or other beverages not specified as included

Gratuities for non-group services

Expenses you may incur resulting from delays due to bad weather, road conditions, sickness, government action and flight delays

Expenses incurred in making individual travel arrangements in conjunction with the trip, and sightseeing not included in the itinerary

Transfers to and from airports for those arriving or departing according to the designated itinerary

LAND COSTPrices are listed in U.S. dollars and are based on a person sharing a room with another. Although we do our best to maintain the

listed price, because our prices are set over a year in advance, we reserve the right to increase costs due to circumstances beyond

our control, tariffs, taxes and VAT received after prices are published and to reflect fluctuations in foreign exchange markets. The

land cost is based on a minimum number of guests as described on the trip page.

BOOK NOW 855-890-5298 expeditions.latimes.com (Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. PT)

See complete Terms and Conditions at LATexpeditions.com. The Los Angeles Times’ travel programs are managed by Academic Travel Abroad Inc. (ATA), a professional travel company hired as an independent contractor.

Meal Key: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, T=Tasting, R=Reception