Private Tour to Defensive Lines of Torres, Mafra & Ericeira
Description
After the second invasion of Portugal by Napoleon’s army in 1809, the British army, Portugal’s ally, led by Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) designed three defensive lines of 152 fortresses 40 km around Lisbon to prevent another invasion which eventually happened. This magnificent strategic work can be seen today in some sites and better understood in one of the six interpretation centers. Visit this mountainous green region to witness history. The third invasion of Portugal defeat is said to have led towards Waterloo’s finale by Napoleon. Next visit the majestic Mafra National Palace which was turned into the French headquarters, but mostly it is the top baroque building in Portugal. Finish your day passing by the Zambujal Fortress heading towards Ericeira, the west coast pearl, famous for surfing, its picturesque center and amazing views to the Atlantic coast. Optionally add a Wine Tasting in a local winery.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In this Interpretation Center, visitors will get the first general context from the French Invasions of Portugal with maps, texts, audios and exhibition of artifacts.
Visit the most important Fort from Wellington's first line of defense and also the Command Post, set up in a hill with a magnificent view around of the hills and countryside.
Visit Wellington's telegraph, the method used to communicate with flags to the forts and the ships in the ocean.
Visit Mafra National Palace, the impressive barroque building from the 18th century that houses one of oldest and most beautiful libraries in Europe.
Visit the Fort from the second defense line which is closest to the coast.
Stroll around this picturesque old town and its wonderful beaches which are also considered the Surf capital of Portugal.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Ask for other pick up areas
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(8)
Enjoyable.day and saw a lot of interesting places and things
We enjoyed our day spent with Frederico who was a charming guide and companion. A long-time goal to visit the Lines of Torres Vedras was fulfilled and new knowledge gained. The opportunity to view the historical landscape first hand and to have context added by our guide combined for a great experience.
We had an incredible experience touring the Lines with a very knowledgeable and wonderful guide. The tour made seeing these very easy, with pickup right at our hotel, and local knowledge that just made things easily. It was a wonderful experience that we would highly recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in these incredible feats of engineering or early modern warfare at all. There are some gorgeous sights to see as well!
I highly recommend Frederico, owner of EPI Travels. On Sunday my traveling companion and I had an all-day private tour with him to the lines of Torres Vedras, Mafra & Ericeira, which was tailored to our interests and needs. Frederick’s English is excellent, as is his knowledge not only of the Peninsular wars but much of Portuguese history. He picked us up right on time and while driving to our first destination, got to know us and our interests for the day, as well as giving us some background so that we would understand what we were seeing in the bigger context of Portugal’s history. At every stop he made sure we were able to explore to our heart’s content, while answering our many questions. My companion’s back began to act up late in the day; Frederico smoothly adjusted our pace to accommodate without issue. He is a friendly, personable guide who clearly loves sharing his country and its history. Thank you again, Frederico!
Thank you so much Cynthia! It was a pleasure spending the day with you both.
Great itinerary! We get to know the history of Wellington's defense lines and we also visit the grand Mafra Palace and beautiful Ericeira, which has beautiful landscapes. Frederico was an excellent guide, he loved explaining about Portuguese history and culture. He picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel in a very comfortable and spacious car. I loved it!
having read several Peninsular war histories I wanted to see Wellingtons defence lines, the Torres Vedras and get a real feel for the terrain and the the defences. This tour was excellent and informative for both myself and my wife. Our guide, Frederico, spoke excellent English and very knowledgeable. We were collected from our Lisbon hotel, at the time notified, in very comfortable, clean and new model car. We could not have asked for more. We visited several defensive sites on the defence line extending from Fort Vincent, near the town of Torres Vedras, westwards to the Atlantic coast. Along the way we visited the 18th century Palace of Mafra where Frederico directed us to pleasant, reasonably priced, nearby cafes for a lunch of our choosing (cost not included in tour). After reaching the Atlantic coast our final part of the tour was around the seaside town of Ericeira, once a small fishing village but now a top surfing venue and seaside resort; popular with both tourists and Lisboners. The charm of the old village and its various chapels is still retained as a central feature of the town. We never felt hurried and Frederico gave us adequate time to explore, and answered our many questions thoroughly and politely.
We booked this trip with Frederico, the founder and owner of EpiTravels, because we had a great experience in the trip organised by him visiting Setubal, Arrabida Natural Park, Sesimbra and Cabo Espichel. We expressed to Frederico our preferences and wishes and he perfectly modified the itinerary and we visited the splendid places Óbidos, Nazaré instead of Wellington’s Defense lines and then Mafra Palace and Ericeira. The private trips with Frederico are an unforgettable experience. He is professional, very friendly and attentive to all customer’s wishes, very well explaining and guiding. His car is perfectly clean and comfortable. All visited places are amazing, real beauty of Portugal and not so crowded by tourists. Frederico also gave us different very valuable advises for our sightseeing in Lisbon and we could address to him any question during our stay. We can only recommend him to your visit to Portugal.
Frederico, Thank you very much for our tour of Wellington's Defense Lines of Torres Vedras. You customized our tour (from picking us up in downtown Lisbon to returning us to our hotel) to exactly meet our schedule and interests . Being able to visit and walk through three major forts, two visitor centers, an exceptional telegraph signal station as well as touring the countryside around the two lines, identifying additional points of interest including the HQ sites for Wellington and Beresford was quite an accomplishment. Nothing is better than seeing and walking the actual sites where history happened. Your knowledge of the area, the Lines, the campaign and the battles greatly enhanced our experience. The conclusion of the tour with a drive-by of the Mafra Palace, the coastal fort overlook and the city of Ericeira was perfect. We highly recommend you/EpiTravels to everyone. Ronald & Martha Rouse
