The best way to see a city is from its lifeline - its water supply. Most great cities are built on a river or by the ocean, and Lisbon is no exception.

Soak up the centuries of history which will emerge from Lisbon's monuments scattered along the hills. Enjoy a panoramic view of " Parque das Nacoes" as you cruise along the Tagus River.

Begin with a visit to Queluz Palace, an 18th century palace and the official residence for the guests of the Portuguese Republic.

Next, journey to Mafra, where you can visit the largest palace of Portugal, built also in the 18th century by order of the megalomaniac King D. Joao V. This building, apart from its function as a palace, was also a monastery and includes an enormous basilica. The size of this building is awe-inspiring with more than 600 rooms and, 5200 doors and windows. It has a Natural Park with around 20 kilometers of perimeter (called "Tapada de Mafra").

From Mafra, continue to Ericeira, where you can enjoy excellent fresh fish of the day, for lunch. After that, there isn't anything better than a small walk in Ericeira, always near the sea, to relax before continuing to Sintra - UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When you arrive in Sintra, walk through its historical center, followed by a visit to Pena Palace (eccentric Romanticism of the 19th century) or Sintra Palace (the antiquity and genuineness from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries).

As this tour is private, you have some choices:

• If you wish to experience Cape Roca, Cascais and Estoril Coast, you can do so by not visiting the interior of Mafra Palace (time consuming). Please note, you can still maintain the visit to the impressive Basilica of Mafra Palace.
• The Pena Palace is closed on Mondays, the Sintra Palace is closed on Wednesdays and the Queluz and Mafra Palaces are closed on Tuesdays. So, on Tuesdays, the program of this tour includes only an external view of Queluz and Mafra Palaces, however the visit to Mafra Basilica is possible. The alternative proposal for Tuesdays is to visit a handicraft center near Mafra that has a reproduction of a traditional 20th century small village of this area. After Sintra, the journey continues to Cape Roca, Cascais and Estoril Coast.

Quarteira is a bustling town, with an attractive seafront promenade and busy fish market.

On this half day tour, you will have the opportunity to see the real gypsy market of Quarteira Market. Explore all of the stalls and haggle with gypsies for the best buys - the locals say the best buys are cotton goods, footwear and pottery, so don't hesitate, this is your chance to practice your bargaining skills!

On the return drive through one of the largest tourism developments in Europe and visit Marina de Vilamoura.