River Tourism at its best !
Prepare your river cruise 2008 with Nicols !
Discover our entire range of river boats to prepare your next cruise aboard a Nicols houseboat ! 450 boats to hire without navigation licence from 18 bases throughout France, 2 in Germany and 1 in Portugal are available this year : choose your destination of river cruise, your Nicols boat, and we will arrange the rest !
Grande lago / Portugal : AMIEIRA MARINA
The Grand Lago : the biggest artificial lake in Europe with its 250 km², situated near the Spanish border, is 83 km long and has a perimeter of 1160 km.
From Amieira Marina, you will cruise on waters of an incredible quality, where the Nature lovers will take delight in bathing, fishing, scuba diving and taking pictures.
With your family or friends, you will have the choice to moor on an islet to be “Robinson Crusoe” for one night or at nautic Stops allowing an easy access to the beautiful surrounding Villages and places of interest such as Alqueva dam, amazing piece of work inaugurated in 2002 ; the village of Luz, in the past swallowed up and then identically rebuilt on the bank of the Grande Lago (don’t miss the museum); Mourao, its castle and its fortifications of the 13th century; Monsaraz, fortified city with its narrow and paved streets endowed with a splendid bullring still used for corridas…
With more than 300 sunny days per year, go for a cruise on the Grande Lago in total freedom!
The attractions :
Sunny area,
Bathing, in a clean and hot water
Fishing (black bass, carp …)
Bicycle and Mountain bike
Richness of fauna and flora.
Historic patrimony : village with fortifications, archeological patrimony, local handicrafts (pottery), regional traditional cooking.
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How to get to the base :
Easily accessible via A6 motorway (2hrs from Lisbonne), 2hrs from Faro via A2 motorway, & 45 min. from Evora by the IP2. Spain : at 1:30hrs from Badajoz, 3hrs from Sevilla & 5:30hrs from Madrid. Airports : Lisbonne & Faro (Portugal), Badajoz, Sevilla & Madrid (Spain). Train station : Evora.
A 2 day week-end
| Itinerary | Km / Locks |
| Amieira / Luz / Mourao / Monsaraz / and return | 0 lock. Nbr of kms : depending of your navigation on the lake. |
Tourist places
Amieira : nautic base and panoramic restaurant. Renting of canoes, canoeings and sailboards.
Luz : an engulfed city reproduce identically on the shores of the lake (Museum).
Mourão : castle and fortifications of the XIIIème century, its church and its fetes (February, Easter, end of July and beginning of August)
Monsaraz : fortified city with narrow and paved ways, endowed with a great arena which is yet used for the Corridas. Archéologic site, the fetes od September and the museum of Monsaraz.
Mini week
| Itinerary | Km / Locks |
| Amieira / Alqueva barrage / Estrela / Luz / Mourao / Monsaraz / Jerumenha and return | 0 lock. Nbr of kms : depending of your navigation on the lake. |
Tourist places
Amieira : nautic base and panoramic restaurant. Renting of canoes, canoeings and sailboards.
Barrage d’Alqueva : remarkable work inaugurated in 2002. Information center.
Estrela : view.
Luz : an engulfed city reproduce identically on the shores of the lake (Museum).
Mourão : castle and fortifications of the XIIIème century, its church and its fetes (February, Easter, end of July and beginning of August)
Monsaraz : fortified city with narrow and paved ways, endowed with a great arena which is yet used for the Corridas. Archéologic site, the fetes od September and the museum of Monsaraz.
Juromenha : fortified city with its church, chapel and houses with typical fireplaces.
1 week
| Itinerary | Km / Locks |
| Amieira / Alqueva barrage / Estrela / Luz / Mourao / Monsaraz / Jerumenha and return | 0 lock. Nbr of kms : depending of your navigation on the lake. |
Tourist places
Amieira : nautic base and panoramic restaurant. Renting of canoes, canoeings and sailboards.
Barrage d’Alqueva : remarkable work inaugurated in 2002. Information center.
Estrela : view.
Luz : an engulfed city reproduce identically on the shores of the lake (Museum).
Mourão : castle and fortifications of the XIIIème century, its church and its fetes (February, Easter, end of July and beginning of August)
Monsaraz : fortified city with narrow and paved ways, endowed with a great arena which is yet used for the Corridas. Archéologic site, the fetes od September and the museum of Monsaraz.
Juromenha : fortified city with its church, chapel and houses with typical fireplaces.
10 days
| Itinerary | Km / Locks |
Tourist places
2 weeks
| Itinerary | Km / Locks |
Tourist places