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ortugal. Ancient Lusitania. On one side, low-lying lagoons, stretches of sandy beach, rolling hillsides, vineyards that go on and on. On the other? The Sea of Darkness, where two-headed monsters lurked beneath the water, waiting to devour mariners foolish enough to venture across.

King Henry came to power in 1415 and brought with him an obsession for geography and an intense hunger for the riches and spices of the East. A little persuasion, and the Portuguese risked life and soul to face the monsters, opening the door to man’s greatest explorations. Bartolomeo Diaz, Vasco de Gama, and Ferdinand ushered in Portugal’s golden age.

Oporto hugs the banks of the Douro River. This is the heart of the port wine region. Visit quintas to see (and taste) just what’s being done with Portugal’s juicy grapes. We put up at the country’s hands-down best hotel, Infante de Sagres.

South to Coimbra with stops along the way (Aveiro, for instance). Tomar, cobbled HQ of the Knights Templar. Batalha, whose Battle Abbey (Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Vitoria) wins the prize for most flamboyant décor. Nazare, bustling seafront village. And Obidos, lovely medieval hill town and a wedding present to Dona Isabel in 1228.

Wind up in Lisbon and Hotel da Lapa for stunning views of the Tagus River.

So much to explore here. Jeronimos Monastery. Belém, from which the country’s most intrepid mariners set sail. Pena Palace, a Disneyesque castle cooked up by Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and architect Ludwig von Eschwege (a wild mix of Moorish, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, and baroque). Sintra, just outside the city. Lord Byron positively gushed about it in Childe Harold.

Golden age, indeed.

Port, Ports, & Palaces. Inside Portugal. 8 Days.

Departures: Throughout the year on an independent basis

Price: Varies depending on length of the journey, hotels chosen, and meals included. Price does not include any air, but it does include all ground transportation within Portugal.

While you’re in this part of the world, consider an extension to Spain and Morocco. For more information on Spain, click here. For more information on Morocco, click here.