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Camellia Gardens (5 Days / 4 Nights)
Known as the 'Winter Queen', the CAMELLIAS, unlike most flowers, they impose their beauty in a time of the year when weather conditions appear less favorable, offering the cold seasons of autumn and winter a special white, pink or red colored flower…
DAY 1: Arrival at Oporto
Reception, assistance and private transportation to the hotel.
DAY 2: Porto
- Guided tour of the historic center of Porto (World Heritage)
- Buffet-lunch at the «Quinta de Santo Inácio»
- «Quinta de Santo Inácio» Gardens: «Santo Inácio»’s house and gardens already existed in the 18th century. Today the garden and surrounding woods are classified as public interest: a centenary romantic garden, bordered in boxwood, with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and other flowers, all topped by a canopy of several species of eucalyptus, oaks, pines and many other trees.
DAY 3: Oporto - Vila do Conde
- Oporto’s Botanical Garden: In 1949 the Portuguese government bought a family farm on the outskirts of the city to install the Botanical Garden of the University of Porto. The farm included a house built in the second half of the nineteenth century, surrounded by gardens and farmland. Today the Botanical garden is in the downtown area. The original gardens were maintained and increased and agricultural land and woods were transformed into wooded park which nowadays includes the historic garden which is composed of three distinct areas separated by large hedges of camellias, lakes with aquatic plants, parkland with an important collection of gymnosperms, beeches, oaks, tulips, magnolias, etc., a garden of succulents and an area of greenhouses with tropical,subtropical, orchids and succulent plants.
- «Villar d'Allen»’s Garden: The current «Villar d'Allen» area resulted from the addition of some old farms purchased in 1839 by John Allen, English businessman, great great grandfather of the current owners. In addition to a large collection of camellias, «Villar d'Allen»’s garden also has a great variety of exotic plants from North and South America, Australia and Asia and a nursery for ornamental outdoor plants.
- Lunch at a typical restaurant of «Ribeira» (historical Oporto area – World Heritage)
- «Vilar de Matos» Farm: Vilar de Matos farm is considered by the International Confederation of the Camellias, as one of the best in the world.With approximately 30,000 camellia trees growing in many different colors, sizes and about 1069 varieties, Paulino Costa Curval also provides for export to Japanese collectors, because in Vilar de Matos farm there are species that are no longer in its originating country, where this flower symbolizes fortune, friendship and harmony.
Day 4: Oporto - Santo Tirso - Guimarães – Celorico de Basto
- «Casa do Casal»’s Garden: «Casa do Casal» was rebuilt in the second half of the nineteenth century and its gardens reclassified since 1945. To be highlighted: the avenue of oaks at the entrance. Once inside the gates, in addition to the two towering redwoods are the oldest camellias in the house, as well as other forest species.
The path of the park at the rear of the house extends the collection of camellias, with several hundred different varieties. Among them are the three varieties created in house, and many other forms of exuberant and rare multiple hues, some of them with smell. In the park is to highlight the variety of large trees, some secular (cork), which create a different environment to the ubiquitous camellias.
- «Landim Monastery»’s Garden: The origins of the «Monastery of Santa Maria de Landim» reach to the dawn of the Middle Ages. Completely renovated by the present owners, it is considered a remarkable example of preservation of such an ancient monastic remain. It keeps the 19th century garden - a large area of old trees, with camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and a magnificent forest of oaks, colored by beech, acacia and arbutus.
- Lunch at «Pousada (*) de Santa Marinha»
(*) The «Pousadas» are luxurious hotels, often built in palaces, historical buildings or castles with upscale services.
- «Pousada de Santa Marinha»’s Garden: On the hillside overlooking the historic city of Guimarães, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, stands the majestic «Pousada de Santa Marinha», a result of conversion of the old Augustinian convent dating from the twelfth century. Located in the «Parque da Penha» where century aged trees can be found, the magnificent Garden of the Monastery and its interior corners with granite fountains, multiple balconies and terraces overlooking the city, belong to a place of exceptional beauty.
- «Casa do Campo»’s Garden: «Casa do Campo» is a typical example of the architecture of northern Portugal’s nobility, where the granite tower is the main element around which, little by little, the body of the house was added. It is assumed that Casa do Campo’s garden has been created in the mid-seventeenth century by the rebuilder of the house, this because the pink Camellia located on the east of the garden is about 250 years old, being one of the oldest in Portugal. The garden of the house was transformed and expanded in the nineteenth century, and is based on a rectangular platform divided by a central axis and other sections, where the center is a granite fountain, which gives it an interesting feature of symmetry. Around the 19th century was found on «Basto» area a new way of pruning trees, creating real green sculptures . Is it possible anyone to remain indifferent to the huge cylindrical Camellia trees sculptures flank at the entrance of the garden?
DAY 5: Transport to the Porto’s airport.
PRICE PER PERSON: 590€ (Double Room)
Sup. for Single Room: 140€
* Minimum 12 People
IT INCLUDES:
Transfers from / to Porto airport
4 nights with breakfast at Hotel 4* at Porto
3 lunches
Official Guide
Visits to Gardens / Farms
Guided tour of the historic center of Porto (World Heritage)
Personal accident insurance
Transportation in Mini-Bus
NOT INCLUDED:
Flight from / to Oporto
Dinners
Personal Expenses
DAY 1: Arrival at Oporto
Reception, assistance and private transportation to the hotel.
DAY 2: Porto
- Guided tour of the historic center of Porto (World Heritage)
- Buffet-lunch at the «Quinta de Santo Inácio»
- «Quinta de Santo Inácio» Gardens: «Santo Inácio»’s house and gardens already existed in the 18th century. Today the garden and surrounding woods are classified as public interest: a centenary romantic garden, bordered in boxwood, with azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and other flowers, all topped by a canopy of several species of eucalyptus, oaks, pines and many other trees.
DAY 3: Oporto - Vila do Conde
- Oporto’s Botanical Garden: In 1949 the Portuguese government bought a family farm on the outskirts of the city to install the Botanical Garden of the University of Porto. The farm included a house built in the second half of the nineteenth century, surrounded by gardens and farmland. Today the Botanical garden is in the downtown area. The original gardens were maintained and increased and agricultural land and woods were transformed into wooded park which nowadays includes the historic garden which is composed of three distinct areas separated by large hedges of camellias, lakes with aquatic plants, parkland with an important collection of gymnosperms, beeches, oaks, tulips, magnolias, etc., a garden of succulents and an area of greenhouses with tropical,subtropical, orchids and succulent plants.
- «Villar d'Allen»’s Garden: The current «Villar d'Allen» area resulted from the addition of some old farms purchased in 1839 by John Allen, English businessman, great great grandfather of the current owners. In addition to a large collection of camellias, «Villar d'Allen»’s garden also has a great variety of exotic plants from North and South America, Australia and Asia and a nursery for ornamental outdoor plants.
- Lunch at a typical restaurant of «Ribeira» (historical Oporto area – World Heritage)
- «Vilar de Matos» Farm: Vilar de Matos farm is considered by the International Confederation of the Camellias, as one of the best in the world.With approximately 30,000 camellia trees growing in many different colors, sizes and about 1069 varieties, Paulino Costa Curval also provides for export to Japanese collectors, because in Vilar de Matos farm there are species that are no longer in its originating country, where this flower symbolizes fortune, friendship and harmony.
Day 4: Oporto - Santo Tirso - Guimarães – Celorico de Basto
- «Casa do Casal»’s Garden: «Casa do Casal» was rebuilt in the second half of the nineteenth century and its gardens reclassified since 1945. To be highlighted: the avenue of oaks at the entrance. Once inside the gates, in addition to the two towering redwoods are the oldest camellias in the house, as well as other forest species.
The path of the park at the rear of the house extends the collection of camellias, with several hundred different varieties. Among them are the three varieties created in house, and many other forms of exuberant and rare multiple hues, some of them with smell. In the park is to highlight the variety of large trees, some secular (cork), which create a different environment to the ubiquitous camellias.
- «Landim Monastery»’s Garden: The origins of the «Monastery of Santa Maria de Landim» reach to the dawn of the Middle Ages. Completely renovated by the present owners, it is considered a remarkable example of preservation of such an ancient monastic remain. It keeps the 19th century garden - a large area of old trees, with camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and a magnificent forest of oaks, colored by beech, acacia and arbutus.
- Lunch at «Pousada (*) de Santa Marinha»
(*) The «Pousadas» are luxurious hotels, often built in palaces, historical buildings or castles with upscale services.
- «Pousada de Santa Marinha»’s Garden: On the hillside overlooking the historic city of Guimarães, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, stands the majestic «Pousada de Santa Marinha», a result of conversion of the old Augustinian convent dating from the twelfth century. Located in the «Parque da Penha» where century aged trees can be found, the magnificent Garden of the Monastery and its interior corners with granite fountains, multiple balconies and terraces overlooking the city, belong to a place of exceptional beauty.
- «Casa do Campo»’s Garden: «Casa do Campo» is a typical example of the architecture of northern Portugal’s nobility, where the granite tower is the main element around which, little by little, the body of the house was added. It is assumed that Casa do Campo’s garden has been created in the mid-seventeenth century by the rebuilder of the house, this because the pink Camellia located on the east of the garden is about 250 years old, being one of the oldest in Portugal. The garden of the house was transformed and expanded in the nineteenth century, and is based on a rectangular platform divided by a central axis and other sections, where the center is a granite fountain, which gives it an interesting feature of symmetry. Around the 19th century was found on «Basto» area a new way of pruning trees, creating real green sculptures . Is it possible anyone to remain indifferent to the huge cylindrical Camellia trees sculptures flank at the entrance of the garden?
DAY 5: Transport to the Porto’s airport.
PRICE PER PERSON: 590€ (Double Room)
Sup. for Single Room: 140€
* Minimum 12 People
IT INCLUDES:
Transfers from / to Porto airport
4 nights with breakfast at Hotel 4* at Porto
3 lunches
Official Guide
Visits to Gardens / Farms
Guided tour of the historic center of Porto (World Heritage)
Personal accident insurance
Transportation in Mini-Bus
NOT INCLUDED:
Flight from / to Oporto
Dinners
Personal Expenses