Jewish Heritage tours in Portugal

Following in the Footsteps of Portugal’s Secret Jews
– and a Brief Spanish Interlude
(from our Exclusive series)

The Jewish presence in Iberia has existed long before Portugal itself became a country. The contribution of Portuguese Jews to the arts, philosophy, commerce and sciences helped create the rich cultural heritage of this nation. Our unique tour focuses on places of Jewish interest, as well as the fascinating people who continue to contribute to Portuguese society. These descendants of the Inquisition, often referred to as Marranos, are now known as the B’nai Anusim (Children of Oppression). Forced to convert during those awful days, many secretly, and over the centuries, retained their precious Jewish practices, as well as pride in their true heritage.  These are the Secret Jews of Portugal – proof, to this day, that our people’s soul cannot be vanquished. Staying at gorgeous hotels, you will enjoy both physical luxury and a rare, inimitable Jewish experience.

This Portugal Jewish tour is among the many possibilities for Jewish travel to Portugal and Spain. We also customize travel for individuals or groups all over this region - from luxury Jewish tours to arrangements for the budget minded traveler. Experience not only great hotels and be pampered with private transfers and superior private sightseeing. All our guides are licensed with in-depth knowledge of Jewish heritage in Portugal.

Day 1 Monday Arrival in Lisbon
Arrival at Lisbon airport. Transfer to your luxury hotel in the heart of this beautiful city. In the afternoon, begin a panoramic sightseeing tour of Lisbon. Passing the Rossio, the original headquarters of the Inquisition, reach the Largo da Graça, from where you can admire the magnificent city view, the Tagus River, and the “Seven Hills” of Lisbon. Continue to Porta do Sol, descending on foot through Alfama, Lisbon's oldest area, to the "Rua da Judiaria" the old Jewish Quarter with its narrow, cobbled streets. You will also stand in the Praça do Comércio, where the dreaded “Autos-de-Fé” of the Inquisition took place. Later, a Jewish tour of Lisbon including a visit to Shaare Tikva Synagogue, restored for Centenary celebrations in 2004, and meet esteemed members of the Lisbon Jewish Community. Return to the hotel. In the evening, enjoy Dinner in a local restaurant. Lisboa Plaza Hotel.

Day 2 Tuesday Lisbon – Évora
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, visit the Ohel Jacob Synagogue. This former Ashkenazi synagogue is now the home of the Lisbon Crypto-Jewish (another word  for Marranos and Bnai Anusim) Community. Later, drive to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the main Inquisition Centers of Portugal. In the past, Évora had one of the largest Jewish communities in Portugal, and several houses still bear traces of the old Mezuzot. See the Court of the Inquisition and the Inquisitor’s Palace, which displays the coat of arms of the "Holy" Office. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant. After Lunch, tour Evora and visit the Public Library, where many Hebrew manuscripts dealing with the Jewish communities of the 13th and 14th centuries are collected, as well as Abraham Zacuto’s “Almanaque Perpetuum,” a series of navigation charts useful during the Age of Discovery. The Museu de Evora features a well-preserved, Hebrew-inscribed tombstone, as well as the cornerstone of a 14th century synagogue. Remainder of the day at leisure. Hotel Pousada dos Lóios, Évora.

Day 3 Wednesday Évora – Castelo de Vide – Marvão
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Evora and drive to Castelo de Vide, famed for its authentic medieval Juderia (Jewish Quarter). Along the maze of narrow cobbled alleys nestled beneath the Castle, we find a 15th Century Synagogue and adjacent religious school, recently restored by using the original architectural lines; the Rabbi's home, the village fountain, and even the oven used for baking. In the afternoon, visit the Archeological Museum, where the former mayor, Carolino Tapadejo, will lecture on how Jewish and Christian cultures coexisted even after the Edict of Expulsion. Later, continue to Marvão, a geranium-filled, walled village perched on a high rocky peak from where one can almost touch the sky, and which served as a defensive fortification for people lost in time. After check-in at the hotel, join a short walking tour of this delightful, traditional Portuguese village in which many Jews once lived. Of particular interest, The Museum Municipal houses two tombstones decorated with carved Menorahs, telling of the formerly Jewish presence. A few houses still retain carved crosses on the door posts – paradoxically a sign of Jewish survival. These blatant signs were a necessity at a time when Jews were forced to identify as Christians (and yet carried on their traditions in secret). In the evening, enjoy Dinner in a local restaurant while appreciating a magnificent view of the hilly surroundings. Hotel Pousada de Marvão.

Day 4 Thursday Marvão – Valência de Alcântara (Spain) – Alpalhão – Marvão
Breakfast at the hotel. Today’s excursion begins with a visit to neighboring Spain. You will see the Spanish village of Valência de Alcântara, where the 15th Century marriage of Portuguese King Don Manuel of  and the Spanish Princess Isabella took place. This bond with Spain had devastating effects on the Jewish community of Portugal, leading to forced conversions. You will see the small, ancient Synagogue, which has been carefully restored. Continue to the excavations of the Roman Village in Ammaia (Portugal), where the oldest Iberian Jewish vestige was found: a 2nd Century stone from a ring, bearing the symbols of the Sukkot holiday. Lunch will be served at a typical regional restaurant in Portagem. Afterwards, stop in the village of Alpalhão, where marks of Mezuzot are still visible on doorposts, and where one regional house has been recovered and restored to tell the story of the past. Return to Marvão. Remainder of the day at leisure. Hotel Pousada de Marvao.

Day 5 Friday Marvão – Covilhã – Belmonte
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Covilhã, where a visit to a Kosher winery and a private Lunch awaits. After Lunch, visit Museu dos Lanifícios, an 18th Century woolen-textile factory, accidentally discovered during the enlargement of the adjacent University. The textile industry was once dominated by the Jews of the region. At Universidade da Beira, a Center of Jewish Studies has been founded to research and document the significant Jewish history of this area. Later in the afternoon, depart for Belmonte, nestled in the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal. Belmonte is the Birthplace of Pedro Alvares Cabral, discoverer of Brazil, jewel of the Portuguese Empire. Check-in at the hotel with time to rest and refresh. Later, transfer to the Bet Eliahu Synagogue for Kabbalat Shabbat Service, followed by Friday Night Dinner with members of this unique community. Return to the hotel. Hotel Pousada Convento de Belmonte.

Day 6 Saturday Belmonte
Breakfast at the hotel.  Today is yours to enjoy at leisure. Transfer to the synagogue is provided if you wish to attend services. Belmonte today is an active and vibrant community with a unique Jewish history. Only a few years ago, almost all the Jews of Belmonte went to the Catholic church three times in their life: on the day of their baptism, to get married, and for their funeral. Before entering the church, however, they would recite this silent prayer: “I do not worship wood or stone, but the Lord who governs all.” During the feast of Purim they observed the fast of Esther (in which, as we know, the Jews survive their oppressors). Passover, moreover, was celebrated a day earlier than it was by Jews all over the world, to avert suspicions. On this occasion, they would journey to a nearby river to reenact the “Exodus.” There, they beat the water’s surface with olive tree branches, saying certain prayers passed down the centuries orally, from mother to daughter. Hotel Pousada Convento de Belmonte.

Day 7 Sunday Belmonte – Guarda – Viseu – Porto
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Guarda, to visit the Jewish Quarter. Guarda is a 12th century town, once home to a thriving Jewish Community and the scene for a love story between a Portuguese King and a Jewish shoemaker’s daughter. Jews have long roots here. Recently, a repair at “Bandarra's shop” led to the discovery of a long-lost arch with inscriptions believed to be that of the Synagogue. Continue to Viseu, one of the seven counties in Portugal to have its own “Auditor,” a Rabbi who would act on behalf of the Chief Rabbi in all matters relating to the Jews. Vestiges of a possible Synagogue can still be seen in the Old Jewish Quarter. Enjoy Lunch in a local restaurant, followed by a walking tour in Viseu, including a visit to the Grão Vasco Museum (which among its collections has an intriguing portrait entitled “The Jew”). Proceed to Porto, capital of northern Portugal, beautifully located above the river Douro. The wealth of Portugal's colonies flowed into Porto and evidence of it is everywhere. Gold and exotic woods from Brazil embellish the churches, and prosperous merchant buildings are decorated with elaborate paintings and azulejos (decorative tiles). Porto was one of the major centers for Jewish traders during the Middle Ages. Meet members of a very active group of Portuguese of Jewish ancestry at B’nai Anusim (“House of the Oppressed.”). Later, check-in at the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. Hotel Pestana Porto.

Day 8 Monday Porto
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, visit the Makor Haim Synagogue (Fountain of Life) and meet members of the community. With help from abroad in the early 20th Century, this was the first synagogue built in Portugal for native Portuguese Jews in over 400 years. Captain Barros Bastos, also known as “Ben Rosh,” pushed the construction to assist the many Crypto-Jews returning to the open practice of Judaism. Enjoy a lecture of the Captain’s heroic life by Professor and researcher Elvira Mea, co-author, with Inacio Steinhardt, of a landmark book about Bastos. In the afternoon, continue on a walking tour of Porto. You will see both "Rua Monte Judeus” and “Escadas da Esnoga” (which mean ‘Street of the Hill of Jews’ and “Stairway to the Synagogue”), as well as a panoramic view of Dona Maria Bridge (designed by Eiffel), and the picturesque Riverside area. In the late afternoon, enjoy a slide-show and talk with Richard Zimler, author of the best-seller The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon, and other historic novels. In the evening, enjoy Dinner in a local restaurant. Hotel Pestana Porto.

Day 9 Tuesday Porto – Tomar – Lisbon  
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive south to Tomar, one of the oldest and most charming towns in Portugal, founded by the Order of Knights Templar. Visit the 15th Century Synagogue, now the  Museum Luso-Hebraico Abraão Zacuto  located on what was once Rua da Judiaria, Here is a significant reminder of one of the greatest Sephardic Jewish communities, now classified as a national monument. With Gothic vaults upheld by four central columns, this structure houses Jewish gravestones, the cornerstones of the 13th Century Synagogue of Belmonte and the 14th Century Lisbon Synagogue, and other remains of Tomar’s medieval Jewish community. Later, visit the Convent of Christ (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which once served as the headquarters of the Order which promoted the Portuguese Age of Discoveries, assisted always by the contribution of Jewish scientists. In the late afternoon, return to Lisbon and check in at the hotel. Hotel Lisboa Plaza.  

Day 10 Wednesday Lisbon – Estoril – Sintra – Lisbon
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart on a full day excursion to Estoril and Sintra. First, visit Estoril, once a prosperous resort for exiled royalty, and today beloved for its beaches, golf courses and sophisticated casino. Here, visit the Library at Espaço do Exílio, whose collections include documents on the many Jewish families who passed through and settled in Portugal during and after World War II. Continue to Sintra, a World Heritage site also known as "Lord Byron's Glorious Eden.” Sintra was used as a retreat by the Romans, the Moors and the Portuguese Kings, all of whom reveled in it location, beauty, wooded ravines and natural water springs. Its former Jewish Quarter, where Jews lived and mixed at Court before the forced conversions of 1497, is still visible today. In the afternoon, see the glorious National Royal Palace. En route back to Lisbon, enjoy a panoramic visit to Belém-Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which houses the tomb of the famous explorer, Vasco da Gama. View the Monument to the Discoveries, which owes much to the Portuguese Jews and "New-Christians,” as many forced converts were called. From Torre de Belém, guarding the mouth of the Tagus River, explorers once set out on voyages to discover trade routes to Africa, Asia and the New World. (Brazil, of course, is the most famous product of these journeys.) See the striking monument, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, which celebrates the Portuguese adventurers who took part in the Golden Age of Discovery. Return to hotel with time to rest and refresh. Later this evening enjoy a special Farewell Dinner. Depart for Convento dos Cardães, where Graça Sá Fernandes, a specialist in old Marrano recipes, will spoil you with her unique and authentic cuisine. Lisboa Plaza Hotel.

Day 11 Thursday Departure from Lisbon
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.