4 Days, 3 vineyards and a Peugeot 108……
Here at Kev’s Kampers we like to research our offerings before we, well, offer them to you. The next big thing is our Wine Tour to Portugal! Yes! We know! Exciting!
Research can be hard, but we want you to know that we think you’re worth it, so we decided at short notice to take a cheap flight (if you have ever seen Fascinating Aida, you’ll know there’s a reason they’re cheap) to Portugal to undertake said research.
Rui, our trusted Portuguese guide came with us to make sure we didn’t get into any diplomatic scrapes.
We’ve all done it, a weekend on a budget – time wise as well as financial. So, the best we could do was grab a flight to Faro, then immediately drive 4 hours north to Gois where our epic adventure would begin. 4 hours in a Peugeot 108. Two tall men and a short woman – we just about fitted. Our first work stop was Chaves – a beautiful Roman Spa town in the north of the country.
We had a splendid lunch, a little bit of wine (except Rui – aka Des), then a taste of the revitalising spa waters. What a relaxing, elegant town. Just the place to start our wine tour. Maybe even with a Spa experience to relax you after your drive to Portugal.
The Reading Three then moved on to Ponte Lima before exploring the countryside for campsites and gastronomic experiences.
Portugal really is a stunning country, with mountains, plains, lush greenery and steeped in history.
Day 2 – Sunday – we headed for the coast. Our target was Nazare, where the highest surf waves in the world are.
A mooch around the old town, a spot of fish stew Caldeirada de peixe for lunch (Kev not so keen lol) and we were revitalised to head towards Lisbon. We passed Obidos, famous for it’s chocolate production, Batalha Monastery and so many other places worth taking time to stop and stare.
Once in Lisbon, we met up with Ana, who sings Fado in the local restaurants. Fado is a traditional Portuguese style of singing, it wrings the emotion from the heart and just makes you fall in love with the people. Tick! Another item for the tour!
Monday and off to Reguengos to our main vineyard. An amazing place with views to die for. We were shown round the estate, vat rooms, production area – even the space where we could possibly camp. Negotiations took place and we nailed the deal to have this as the cherry on our cake for our wine tour of Portugal.
We were due to fly home Tuesday, so decided that as we were flying out of Porto, best do some research there. Wow, another stunning city. The river, the architecture, the port…… oh yes, we tried the port and they don’t stint on the tastings either! Definitely on the itinery.
4 days, 2600km and goodness knows how much espresso coffee and pastel de nata (custard tarts to you and me), we had an itinerary worthy of presenting to you, our wonderful customers.
The first tour starts in Chaves on 15th September. So, if you have your own campervan or motorhome, love wine and adventure – contact us now on info@kevskampers.com
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