Natural Treasures of Portugal

What to Expect

The Salt World in Salinas de Rio Maior
Salt pans, where the excursion begins, are a true wonder of nature. The sea is located 30 km away, and the salty water comes from a well. The salt concentration in this water is approximately seven times higher than in seawater. The salt here undergoes no chemical processing—it is a pure natural product obtained solely through the action of sunlight and manual labor. Romans, Arabs, and later the Templars, who once owned the salt well, were engaged in this ancient craft. Strolling among the small saline pools, you will learn about the salt extraction technology that has remained unchanged for many centuries. I will tell you the legend of how this source was discovered, you will learn how salt was used as money in the Middle Ages, and I will reveal the secret of why dishes seasoned with such salt taste so much better. Nowadays, Salinas de Rio Maior is an open-air living museum with stone streets and wooden houses that house souvenir shops and restaurants. Here you can purchase salt with various spices and herbs, as well as bath salts, soaps, masks, creams made from local salt.

The Enigmatic Dolmen
Next, we will visit a small Portuguese village where an ancient cultic structure is located. There you will see a dolmen transformed into a small church of St. Mary Magdalene. This is one of the most interesting megalithic structures in Europe and one of the 10 largest on the Iberian Peninsula. You will get to touch the mystery of the stone structure that is over five thousand years old and learn the history of how this enigmatic construction was preserved.

The Untouched Nature of Serras de Aire and Candeeiros Park
Here you will find yourself in a true oasis of peace and quiet. Marvelous landscapes of untouched nature, home to various animal and plant species, where humans live in harmony with nature. It is hard to imagine that millions of years ago there were tropical forests here, and the owners of these forests were dinosaurs. I will show you one of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks ever found in one of the quarries, and we will walk the trails of these giant animals that lived on our planet approximately 175 million years ago.

The Cave Kingdom
The main treasure of the Serras de Aire and Candeeiros Natural Park lies in its depths. Among the many caves in this area, the Mira de Aire caves are a natural wonder. Descending into the cave, you will find yourself in an underground kingdom surrounded by whimsical forms of stalactites and stalagmites. Here you will learn how long nature had to 'work' to create such masterpieces. The Mira de Aire cave system is one of the largest and most beautiful in the world. Its length is over 11 km, and its depth is 230 m, but only a small part of the discovered caves is open to visitors. Walking through numerous huge underground chambers, each of which has its own name, you will be amazed by their scale and mysterious beauty.

The Fishing Village of Nazare
At the end of the excursion, we will visit the village where the fishing customs have a special charm, and local women still wear seven skirts according to tradition. Here you will immerse yourself in the atmosphere of old Portugal. You will hear the legend of the Black Madonna, who saved the life of a Portuguese knight, learn why Vasco da Gama visited this place before his famous voyage to India. One of the main attractions of Nazare today is the giant waves. Thanks to the Nazare Canyon ('Canhao da Nazare'), which reaches five kilometers in depth and stretches along the coast for several hundred kilometers, enormous 30-meter waves are formed here, attracting brave surfers from all over the world. By climbing to the high Sitio promontory, you will have a magnificent opportunity to admire one of the most picturesque views of the Portuguese coast and feel the power and force of the water element.