Find Peace in Portugal — Your Retreat Just Outside Lisbon

Suggestion for the day:

• Take your time driving into Santarém. This historic city, with its Gothic churches and tile-lined streets, quietly tells stories of Portugal’s past.
• Stop at a family-run vineyard for a relaxed tasting—no pressure, just good wine and generous conversation.
• Return to the Refúgio as the sun softens, and let the stillness carry you into the night.

Suggestion for the day: 

• Today is about expression. Join Simone and Patrick for a creative session—clay, color, journaling, or simply silence.
• In the afternoon, perhaps a walk, or simply a pause. This is what you came for.

Suggestion for the day:

• After a peaceful breakfast, head out on a short drive to Óbidos — one of Portugal’s most enchanting medieval villages, wrapped in stone walls and whitewashed charm. Stroll its cobbled streets, explore the castle, browse local bookshops, and sip a glass of Ginja in a chocolate cup.
• Return in time for rest, a journal session, or a quiet float in the natural pool.
• As evening arrives, gather by the fire pit for wine and stories — shared with your hosts or simply savored in the stillness. Some nights say more with less.

The drive from Santarém to Óbidos is approximately 52 km, taking around 33–34 minutes via scenic country roads.

Suggestion for the day:

• Today, follow the road to Tomar, a town where time lingers between convent walls and riverside promenades. Once a stronghold of the Knights Templar, Tomar invites slow discovery — from the majestic Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to its leafy gardens, quiet cafés, and handmade tile shops.
• Let the town’s layered history stir your curiosity, then return to the Refúgio for your final evening: peaceful, present, and exactly what you needed.

The drive from Santarém to Tomar is about 56 km, typically taking 50–53 minutes by car along scenic countryside routes.

Enjoy one last slow breakfast — fresh fruit, local pastries, and a lovingly brewed cup of herbal tea.

Take in the quiet one more time, maybe step outside your bungalow and feel the morning breeze, the same one that welcomed you just days ago.

When you're ready, begin the easy drive back to Lisbon Airport (about 1 hour), returning your car and preparing for your flight home.

You leave Portugal today… but the calm, the clarity, and the connection you found here? That stays with you.
As Simone says, this is not goodbye — it’s até breve.