First, we meet Sophia Bergqvist, the owner of Quinta de la Rosa in Pinhão, Portugal.

I first visited Quinta de la Rosa in 2017 and Mosaic Travellers have been loving it ever since!

Here I am having a ball stomping the port grapes!

Sophia, how did you come to operate this beautiful winery and hotel in Pinhão?

The vineyard was given to my grandmother Claire as a christening present in 1906.  Her father and ancestors had a port shipping company that ended going bankrupt in the 1930s. But the vineyard stayed in the family & my father and I started making port from it in 1988. 

More Australians are now coming to visit Portugal. Why is Pinhão, the heart of the Douro Valley a destination they must visit?

It is in the best location to visit many port quintas and is right on the river Douro so very picturesque. Pinhão itself is quite ugly!  But the surrounding landscape makes up for it.

Aside from touring your on site winery, what do you suggest visitors do when they’re in Pinhão?

Other wineries nearby to visit, river & train trips, spectacular walking & biking, sites to see eg Mateus Palace, Roman sites, Neolithic ones and more.

What makes your hotel special, and why is it different to others in the region?

You get to experience living on a vineyard. The rooms are scattered around the wine making part of the quinta all with river views.

Furnished with modern and family antiques we focus on simplicity. No TVs and a brilliantly designed onsite restaurant which has been given many accolades. Guests often thank me for having them to stay!

Finally, we love food here at Mosaic Travel. Is there a particular dish or restaurant that Mosaic Travellers must try when they’re in Pinhão?

Try cabrito (baby kid) or bacalhau (salted cod) cooked many different ways by our chef Pedro Cardoso at our restaurant named after my grandmother, Cozinha da Clara.

To book your trip to Portugal, call Rosie at Mosaic Travel on (03) 5275 4583

The post Meet the People: Quinta de la Rosa appeared first on Mosaic Travel.

The European summer may be coming to an end but there’s good news for the keen traveller: next year’s flights have just gone on sale.

Portugal is set to become one of the must-see destinations of 2017, offering culture, beaches, history and delicious food in one pretty package.

The team at Mosaic Travel knows that a summer by the beach is a summer well spent, so they’ve found a stretch of sand for any occasion – from swimming and surfing to partying until the sunrise, you’re sure to find your paradise.

1. Praia de Adraga Beach, located near Sintra on the Central Coast, is the private person’s dream. Its remote location, dramatic high cliffs, golden sands and pristine rocks, grottoes and tunnels mean the beach is usually close to empty – leaving all the more room for you to enjoy. A small caveat is that you’ll need your own car – it’s so out of the way that public transport won’t get you there.

2. On the completely opposite of the spectrum sits Lagos’ Praia da Rocha. Its vast expanse of soft golden sand is home to a buzzing and vibrant atmosphere, with great caves to explore and established dining options. Lagos may be a tourist trap, but this nearby beach is an undiscovered gem that’s not as busy.

3. Culture and history buffs should be placing Ribeira Beach in Cascais on the list; close to the square and old town, it has a gorgeous backdrop of historical buildings, including grand crumbling villas. Also known as Fisherman’s Beach, Ribeira is home to a lively but small fishing port, so the pretty picture is improved by the presence of small fishing boats. You can try some of their produce at one of the casual restaurants in town – after all, we believe the best way to learn about a new culture is through food!

4. Don’t like sharing the sand? Miramar is the beach for you. An isolated patch not far from Porto, it’s famous from the 17^th century chapel on a rocky headland, and isn’t frequented by many tourists, even in summer. A calm tide makes it great for cutting a few laps.

5. Finally, Praia Tocha is the surfer’s paradise. A secret beach known only by locals (and now you!), it’s resort free and home to a great break – ideal for surfing and bodyboarding. After a long day, you can retire to a Palheiros (a former fishing house sitting on stilts), now used for accommodation.

Pack your bags: Portugal is calling. With five vastly different but equally as beautiful beaches to choose from, you’ll be sand-side in no time.

The post Our top 5 beaches in Portugal appeared first on Mosaic Travel.