Active retreat in Portugal

Planet

During this trip we spend four nights at FeelViana, a hotel with a focus on the mind, body and soul, who are proud of being a brand that contributes to helping Viana do Castelo grow as a reference for active and nature tourism. Where meals are included, guests can expect a traditional approach with a twist and enjoy a combination of fresh fish, meat and vegetable dishes. When meals are not included, we can dine in town at authentic Portuguese restaurants recommended by our expert guides. By eating at smaller businesses and family owned restaurants, our tourism financially supports the local residents and boasts the economy, as most of the money generated here is usually reinvested into the area.

Activity and Environment
This trip has been designed with rejuvenation and discovery in mind, therefore, we will have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of exciting, low impact activities including cycling, surfing and paddle boarding. We are very conscious of our effects on the environment and how we can reduce negative impact, therefore the activities on this excursion are non-detrimental to the places we visit. We also aim to achieve this by enforcing a ‘leave no trace’ policy, whereby we ensure no rubbish including plastic has been left behind throughout our trip. Guests will also have the chance to experience additional thrill-seeking activities during their free time, such as wakeboarding and kitesurfing.

Water:
Water is a really important issue with trips such as this and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. Wherever possible we provide safe alternative sources of water to buying single use plastic bottles. This may be through large water containers, or encourage our passengers to filter, sterilise or purify water. We encourage all our passengers to come prepared with a reusable water bottle for this purpose.

Group Size:
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.

People

Community and Culture
Despite this trip holding numerous opportunities for sporting activities, we’ll also be able to delve deeper into Portugal and explore the historic center of Viana de Castelo on a guided tour by our expert leader. On our final day, a short orientation has also been arranged so we can get to know the city of Porto and pass by its most notable monuments and learn about the history encompassed. We will continue to support smaller businesses where possible for meals, souvenirs and for refreshment breaks throughout the trip.