Your Journey to Lisbon and Madrid

Take an exhilarating tour of Lisbon in partnership with Underdogs Gallery, which works with a diversified roster of Portuguese and international artists connected with the urban-inspired contemporary art universe. Cruise through winding cobblestone streets, around leafy squares and alongside the river to discover the city’s most spectacular works of art.

Join a class at Viúva Lamego, a factory that’s been handcrafting azulejos (tin-glazed ceramic tiles) since 1849. Learn the process, including clay preparation, glazing, painting, and recreating 17th- and 18th-century patterns. To complement your experience, visit Madre de Deus Convent, where the blue-and-white tiles that line its exterior tell detailed stories, making it the centrepiece of Museu Nacional do Azulejo, a museum dedicated to preserving Portugal’s tile art through the centuries.

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” opens with the famous walk-by reflection of Peter Hunt in the Universal Exports sign, and after a brief scene with M, Q and Moneypenny, the action moves to James Bond leaving a coastal area (Cascais) in his new sports car. In this town, drive along the Coastal Guincho road complete with views of the Atlantic and stop for a seafood lunch at Mar do Inferno.

It takes less than an hour from Lisbon to travel back to the age of imperial Portugal and Europe’s original epicentre of Romantic architecture. Don’t miss the storybook Palácio National de Pena, on a hilltop with breathtaking views of the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic.

Admire one of the country’s largest privately owned collections of mid-20th-century Portuguese art at our Hotel – notably the three famed centaur tapestries by José Sobral de Almada Negreiros in our lobby. For even more adventure and inspiration, visit the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to discover the painter’s other famous works and take a private tour of Vhils Studio before ending at his exhibition at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT).

Drive along the Coastal Guincho road – a surfer’s and windsurfer’s paradise, complete with magnificent Atlantic views. Stop at restaurant Monte Mar for Bulhão Pato clams, a local delicacy, then visit Cape Roca, “where the land ends and the sea begins,” according to Portuguese poet Luís de Camões. This marks Europe’s most westerly point. Head to the lighthouse for the best views.

The country’s iconic dance is not “just for tourists” – Madrileños have a genuine love for this Andalusian dance form, inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in 2010. There are plenty of small tablaos we can recommend for enjoying a flamenco performance alongside locals. We can even plan a private lesson.

From the Hotel, it’s an easy walk to three of the world’s best art museums: the Prado, with its masterworks by Velázquez; the Thyssen-Bornemisza, with spectacular pieces by the impressionists; and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, home to Picasso’s “Guernica.” Let us arrange a private tour with an expert art consultant as your guide.

Take a picnic basket filled by the Four Seasons culinary team and drive 50 minutes northeast to El Escorial, home to historic attractions, including the 16th-century Escorial Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy nature at Bosque de la Herrería, where you can hike up to the Silla de Felipe II (the Chair of Phillip II, a rock that marks the summit of Machota Alta) for serene views. Farther down in the park, have your picnic under the chestnut trees.

Take a private tour of our art collection here at Four Seasons Hotel Madrid. Curated by Paloma Fernández-Iriondo, the collection showcases more than 1,500 pieces by emerging Spanish artists – each presenting you with an opportunity for visual exploration and powerful connections, and encompassing a wide range of styles, forms and mediums.