Portugal — To Portugal with Love

Arrival in Lisbon

On an overnight flight, the group arrived at the Lisbon International Airport and was expedited through customs formalities through our previously-planned ‘Fast Track’ service.  We whisked them away to waiting coaches and off to their hotel for a well-deserved freshening. 

Lisbon is an easy gateway to Europe with excellent flight connections from the US and Canada. A cosmopolitan capital city, Lisbon has a unique cultural and historical heritage.  Known for its food, based on the Mediterranean cuisine, Lisbon offers diversity, tradition, simplicity and quality, especially with fresh fish and seafood, and exceptional and unique wines from such areas as the Porto, Madeira and Moscatel—i.e., perfect destinations for an incentive program.

Hotel Tivoli, Lisboa

For their first night’s stay, the group was booked at Hotel Tivoli.  Fashionable and distinguished, the Hotel Tivoli Lisboa is one of the Lisbon’s leading hotels. Situated on the main avenue, Avenida da Liberdade, it offers all the facilities of a first-class hotel with a high degree of service and individual attention.

The Belcanto

No trip to Lisbon is complete without having an opportunity to sample the city’s haut cuisine—especially since the group was only spending one day in Lisbon.  Distinguished with two Michelin stars, Belcanto restaurant opened in 1958, in Chiado, the city’s historic center. Its location, its legendary service and its cuisine quickly won over the city’s elites.  The restaurant reopened in 2012, after a complete renovation  was awarded a Michelin star, and, in 2014, it received a second one, making it the first restaurant in Lisbon to have this honor. In 2015, Belcanto was named as one of the best 100 restaurants in the world.  Needless to say, the group was seemingly pleased to be having their only dinner in Lisbon at such a prestigious restaurant. 

The next morning, after a relaxed day, and having got somewhat familiarized with Lisbon after their city tour, the group headed to the Island of Madeira.

If you're searching for untouched nature, walks through mountain escapes and green scenery, a place where a 20-km drive will take you from sea level to mountain tops reaching 2,000 meters and high above the clouds, then this cute island is just the place.  We knew where our group would be able to bask in a land known for its hospitable and welcoming local people, good local food and wine; and 300 days of sunshine.  After a packed day of sight-seeing and adventure seeking, the group was ready for a sumptuous dinner.

Dinner at Adega de Quinta

Surrounded by vineyards on the southern slopes of the main wine producing area of Madeira, the Adega da Quinta (‘the Cellar’) is situated at the Quinta do Estreito, a former manor house and now a small boutique 5-star property.

Its exceptional location, in one of the Madeira wine producing regions, and the wonderful surrounding landscape, rolling vineyards, our guests got to also enjoy a magnificent view of  the Atlantic Ocean and a stunning sunset.  The group got to enjoy the best of the traditional Madeira cuisine, namely the famous “Espetada” (BBQ beef kebab) while enjoying a local folklore performance, giving them an opportunity to experience this Island’s cultural heritage; and some even learned a couple of dance steps.

Discovery Day: Off to the beautiful City of Funchal

Our introduction to this beautiful city started at its Botanical Garden, making it the highlight of the day. Endemic flowers from around the island as well as those brought from all over the world, seemed to have turned the landscape into a palette of a painter. Our second stop was at “Mercado dos Lavradores,” where ladies dressed in traditional costumes were selling the exotic flowers produced on the island. On a lower floor the smell of fresh fish attracted some participants to go and see the ‘catch of the day’ for themselves, where the “espada”--black scabbard fish is the most popular. Our next stop was at a lace factory where one of the most famous handicrafts of Portugal is made. Madeira embroidery are still today used in palaces and noble houses all over the world.  The group then boarded cable cars heading to Monte, where they enjoyed the spectacular views of the City of Funchal.  The adventurous members of the group got to try the wood toboggans, long a tradition in the Madeiran capital.  The ride down the mountain from Monte to Funchal on (or in) a wicker or wood toboggan looked like quite an experience.

Restaurant 'Monte Garden‘

Time to eat again!  The restaurant 'Monte Garden' maintains the traditional green flair of the old manor houses of Madeira. It also provides a superb view overlooking the extensive gardens. The group was treated to a complete menu with a wide range of Madeiran, Portuguese and international dishes coupled with a carefully selected wine menu of Portuguese wines.

After that sumptuous lunch, the group headed to the north side of the island to discover yet another gem of a city– Porto Moniz   

Leaving Funchal along the Estrada Monumental, crossing the deep green valleys and mountain, with its beautiful waterfalls, we reached CÂMARA DE LOBOS (where Sir Winston Churchill spent some time painting during his stay in Madeira) and CABO GIRÃO, the world’s second highest sea cliff, stopping at RIBEIRA BRAVA along the way. Driving up the mountain, through the beautiful green valleys dotted with little white washed houses and dramatic waterfalls dropping from the heart of the mountain, all the way to ENCUMEADA surrounded by a LAURISSILVA FOREST, we reached PORTO MONIZ known for its natural swimming pools, originally created when the volcanic lava first reached the Atlantic Ocean’s cold water. Driving along the spectacular West Coast of the island, our next and last stop was in the Village of SÃO VICENTE for cocktails while enjoying a 360º panoramic views of the Ocean, after which we headed back to FUNCHAL via the Village of SERRA D’ÁGUA.

Back in Funchal—and a quick freshening—we took the group to Villa Cipriani Restaurant for dinner. 

Informal but chic, the Villa Cipriani enjoys a magnificent cliff top location alongside Reid’s Palace Hotel. Owned and managed by Orient Express Hotels, it takes its name from the famous Cipriani Hotel in Venice, which is also owned by the same group. The food is authentic Italian and includes excellent homemade pasta and risotto along with fish and meat dishes. The group got seated on a large outside terrace with dramatic ocean views.

A Day at the Sea

What is an incentive program without some teambuilding or competition activities? 

The participants were divided into groups of 7, each sailing in a modern sail boats regatta style. As we arrived at the port, each group was assigned a professional skipper. Each skipper gathered up his group and after a safety briefing and assigning roles to each member of the team. Once everyone was onboard (and after some practicing), the regatta got under way—and what fun that was.  Once in a rivalry situation, the group turned out to be very competitive which made the exercise exhilarating for all.  

For cooldown and an end to an excitement-filled day, we set off to do some dolphin and whale watching.  Accompanied by a marine biologist, the group got a few lessons in marine life and then fun started.  Equipped with binoculars, whale and dolphin spotting started.  What an unforgettable experience.    

Adeus

The incentive trip of a lifetime soon came to an end.  Armed with enormous wealth of experience, excitement and adventure, the group headed back home with cameras filled with lasting mementos of what is possible.

Let the Maxxus Group create that unique and out-of-the-ordinary incentive programs for your top performers.