About this experience
I invite you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of maritime discoveries, feel and imagine how, having received the king's blessing, the great Portuguese navigators set sail from the Belem Tower to unknown shores. You will walk in their footsteps, see historical monuments, taste national cuisine, and learn about the history of the journeys of coffee beans.
What to expect
The Tower of Belem
Our journey starts at the Belem Tower. The history of discoveries of Brazil, the Cape of Good Hope, Goa, Macau, Japan was written in this place. The tower is essentially a witness of these unique moments. You will examine it from the outside, learn about the sad secret it holds, who was kept within its walls, and who was targeted for assassination here. You will also uncover the secrets of the most influential family in 18th-century Portugal.
Women and Explorers
As the French say, it is a woman who can motivate a man for a feat, especially if she is a queen. Every explorer is somebody's son. King Henry the Navigator had his own mother, who is immortalized on the monument to explorers. We will visit this monument next. You will try to identify heroes of the 15th-16th centuries on it: mathematicians, astrologers, cartographers, doctors, priests, and translators. You will also examine the map of Portuguese conquests.
The Monastery and Museum
We will then visit the Jeronimos Monastery, where in the chapel lies the remains of the navigator Vasco da Gama, the great poet Luis de Camoes, and King Manuel I of Portugal - the ruler of 3 seas, whose marble sarcophagus is held by 2 elephants on their backs. We will conclude the tour with a tasting of authentic Portuguese coffee and the famous 'Pasteis de Belem' pastries at the cafe of the Maritime Museum. You will learn about the journey of coffee beans from Ethiopia to Brazil and back to Africa, as well as about the national dishes of Japan and India that the Portuguese gifted to these countries.
Organizational Details
No mandatory additional expenses are required.
