Preparing for Your Journey
Abstract Folk Painting with Heather Chontos
May 16 to 23, 2025
Lisbon + the Alentejo, Portugal
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU! Please read this doc carefully, especially the information about workshop supplies.
We are so excited to spend time with you in Lisbon + The Alentejo, Portugal as we learn with Heather Chontos. Please take a moment to read through this document in full as it contains important information related to your Ace Camps Travel Trip. The purpose of this document is to help you prepare for your trip.
Your Ace Camps Travel Trip will connect you to an incredible community where you’ll meet and form bonds with many wonderful individuals. Given the small-group nature of Ace Camps Travel Trips, the health, safety, and well being of you, other guests, the instructors and workshop hosts, and the local communities are a key priority for us.
YOUR ACE CAMPS TRAVEL HOST
We want every aspect of your trip to be an amazing experience. To help us do that, you will have the support of an Ace Camps Travel Host who travels with the group. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will be there to make sure your trip runs as smoothly as possible. While they are not a local guide, they will assist you in answering questions you may have along the way. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will be Tanya Staples, who you can reach at: tanya@acecampstravel.com or at +1.805.217.6448 via WhatsApp. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com.
ON-THE-GROUND COMMUNICATION with WHATSAPP
While on the ground in Portugal, we will be using WhatsApp to communicate. Before you arrive in Portugal, please make sure you have the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp downloaded, installed, and an account set up and working on your mobile device. Your Ace Camps Travel Host will use WhatsApp to send you daily reminders, updates, and any other important information during the course of your trip. In addition to one-on-one communication with your Ace Camps Travel Host, we’ll be creating a group chat with all registered guests where we will send updates that affect the entire group while on the trip. We encourage everyone to engage on the group chat, as it’s a great place to get to know the rest of your new Ace Camps Travel friends, discuss travel plans and ideas, and share trip photos.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
In the case of an emergency, the local emergency number to dial in Portugal is: 112 (police, fire and medical aid).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
To enter Portugal (or any country in the EU), you will need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your departure date and at least 2 blank pages so your passport can be stamped upon entry and exit at EU customs.
ARRIVAL INFORMATION | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025
Please plan to arrive by 4pm local time on Friday, May, 16 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal so you have time to get settled before we meet as a group for our Welcome Dinner. RX). The closest arrival airport is Aeroporto Huberto Delgado in Lisbon (airport code LIS). Gentle Reminder: Please complete your Arrival and Departure Form as soon as you have your flight details.
Ground Transportation and Getting to the Hotel: The best way to get to our hotel is by taxi or Uber, which is easy to hail at the airport. Be sure to use the official taxi cabs and don’t be swayed by people who may approach you inside or outside the airport asking if you need a ride.
Hotel check in time is 3:00 pm on Friday, May 16. If you arrive earlier than 3:00pm, you can drop off your luggage at the front desk and they will store it for you until your room is ready. The hotel rooms are preassigned.
WELCOME DINNER | FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025
Once we’re all settled at our hotel in Lisbon, we’ll be hosting a casual welcome dinner so you can get to know the group. Please plan to arrive at our hotel no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, May 16, 2025 if you want to join the welcome dinner so you have time to check in and get settled before we head out for dinner together. We’ll share more specific details about when and where to meet for dinner a few days before the Trip start date. If you can’t join the welcome dinner, your Ace Camps Travel Host will be in touch with you to make sure you have all the information you need to join the group the next morning.
DEPARTURE INFORMATION | FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2025
After breakfast, we’ll drive from our rural retreat in the Alentejo back to Lisbon, which is between a 2 and 2.5 hour drive, depending on traffic. You’ll have the option to be dropped off either at the Lisbon Airport or at a pre-determined location in Central Lisbon, in the event you’re planning to extend your stay in Portugal. If you plan to fly or take the train out of Lisbon on Friday, May 23, 2025, we recommend booking your flights or train tickets for late afternoon. If you have questions about departure timing, please reach out anytime at hello@acecampstravel.com
YOUR LISBON HOTEL
The Vintage Hotel Lisbon
R. Rodrigo da Fonseca 2, 1250-191 Lisboa, Portugal
https://www.thevintagelisbon.com/
The Vintage Hotel in Lisbon is located in the Príncipe Real neighborhood in Lisbon. It is one of our favorite neighborhoods as it’s filled with lots of lovely shops, cafes, and restaurants and is easy to access all the major sights in Lisbon.
On-site hotel amenities to note:
Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash
Hair Dryers
Iron and ironing boards
Refrigerator in the room
On-site restaurant and bar
On-site spa with a variety of spa services
Paid laundry service, though it can be expensive. There is a self-service laundrymat, Lavandaria: Alegria no Esendal, right around the corner, which you can find HERE.
YOUR ALENTEJO RETREAT HOTEL
Herdade da Matinha
Cercal do Alentejo 7555-231, Portugal
https://www.herdadedamatinha.com/
On site hotel amenities to note:
Shampoo and Body Wash
Hair Dryers
Refrigerator in the room
On site restaurant and bar
Iron and ironing boards upon request
Paid laundry service
On-site spa with massage service
SNACKS + ALCOHOL
Herdade da Matinha–the location of our workshop retreat in the Alentejo, where we’ll be staying from Sunday, May 18 to Friday, May 23–is in a rural area of Portugal. While all meals are included once we arrive at Herdade da Matinha, (breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily), if you like to snack during the day, we suggest you stock up on snacks before we leave Lisbon.
Unless it is specified on the itinerary, alcohol is usually not included with meals. Both the Vintage Hotel and Herdade da Matinha have a bar on site, where you can purchase alcoholic beverages, put the charges on your room, and pay for the charges at the end of your stay. If you’d like, you’re also welcome to stock up on wine or beer before we leave Lisbon and bring it with you to Herdade da Matinha.
ITINERARY DISCLAIMER
We do our best to keep to the itinerary on the Trip Details page of the Ace Camps Travel website. However, sometimes things happen. For example, we may need to make changes to the itinerary due to inclement weather, timetable changes, or circumstances beyond our control. While we do our best to plan ahead and prevent this from happening, it may be unavoidable. It can also happen with little notice, so please be patient if we have to make modifications to the itinerary on the fly.
CASH + CREDIT CARDS
Portugal uses Euros as the local currency. Most restaurants and shops will take credit cards, however smaller markets or stalls may prefer cash. We recommend having a combination of some cash (Euros) and credit cards on hand.
GRATUITIES
Tips and gratuities for your guides, workshop hosts, group drivers, and group meals are taken care of by Ace Camps Travel. At the end of your stay at The Vintage Hotel in Lisbon, you’re welcome to leave a small tip, if you choose to. At the end of our time at Herdade da Matinha, we’ll pass around an envelope to collect a tip for the hotel staff, which you can contribute to, if you choose to.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is required for all guests and needs to include: trip cancellation/disruption insurance; travel medical insurance; and medical evacuation insurance. Ace Camps Travel does not sell travel insurance. If you have questions, we suggest you discuss concerns about your coverage directly with a local travel insurance provider.
WEATHER
May is a nice time of year to visit Portugal, it’s spring and the flowers are in bloom. Days are usually warm with balmy evenings. Daytime temperatures usually range from 65°F (15°C) to 80°F (22°C), which means you should pack layered clothes for your stay, including a light jacket and umbrella to prepare for the chance of rain showers.
HEALTH + SAFETY
Illness (including COVID)
Our goal is for each of our guests to enjoy the amazing trip we’ve put together. To ensure that happens, we make the health and safety of the group as our top priority. Please keep in mind while traveling with a group, you may need to take additional precautions.
In the days leading up to and during your Ace Camps Travel Trip, thoroughly washing your hands, wearing a KN95 mask if you feel ill or if you display symptoms of illness, and keeping a safe distance from others who exhibit signs of illness are small, but impactful, things you can do to keep the trip safe for everyone. Please make sure you bring KN95 masks, hand sanitizer, and a few COVID tests on the trip in case you or those around you start to have symptoms of an illness.
During the trip, if you feel unwell, please alert your Ace Camps Travel Host immediately, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance from others until we know more about your situation. If you exhibit signs of, or test positive for an illness, you should be prepared to follow the advice of local health authorities as well as the Ace Camps Travel Host to ensure the health and safety of the entire group. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, viral nature of your illness, and where we are staying, there may be a need to mask, distance, self isolate, or remove yourself completely from the trip which will be determined by the Ace Camps Travel Host with the best interests of the group health and safety as the main priority.
Per the Ace Camps Travel Terms and Conditions, you are responsible for any additional costs if, due to illness, including COVID, you have to leave a trip early as determined by a health care provider or the Ace Camps Travel Host. This is one of the many reasons we require you to purchase travel insurance.
General Fitness
To take full advantage of your Ace Camps Travel trip it is best to be in good health. Lisbon is known for its many hills and stairs. You will be doing some walking, which might take you up some of these hills. You will also find many of the sidewalks and streets are cobblestone, and can be slippery in wet weather.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink in Lisbon + the Alentejo is safe to drink. Please bring a refillable water bottle of your own and avoid using single-use plastic bottles.
Medications and Vaccines
You should consult with your doctor and a specialized travel doctor at least five weeks before the date of your departure for any necessary vaccinations and specialty prescriptions. You may want to ask about a wide spectrum antibiotic in case of gastrointestinal or other infections. If you have a medical condition, you should also share your travel plans with your doctor.
We encourage you to travel with medications that can help you if you encounter any health issues. Here are a few common concerns you may want to consider bringing medications for, though what you choose to travel with is up to you and/or you and your doctor
Nausea, indigestion or an upset stomach
Motion sickness, if car rides affect you
Diarrhea/Dysentery
Constipation
Minor aches and pains
Minor and severe allergies
Cold/flu symptoms
Bug repellant/spray
Minor cuts and bruises
Eye Glasses + Contact Lenses
If you wear eyeglasses, it is advisable to carry an extra pair on the trip. If you wear contact lenses, you may want to take an extra pair of back-up regular glasses.
WHAT TO PACK
Now onto the fun stuff - what should you bring?!? Below are some suggestions, based on our experience. Once we get to our rural retreat at Herdade da Matinha, you won’t have easy access to the resources you’re used to at home so please keep this in mind when you’re planning and packing.
Consider these items:
PASSPORT (make sure it has at least six months on it) and consider bringing a photocopy and/or passport photos. In the (hopefully!) unlikely event your passport gets lost or stolen, an extra set of passport photos can make it easier for you to get a replacement)
Layering pieces, including a scarf, shawl, sweatshirt, sweater, or light jacket for cool mornings and evenings, with much warmer daytime temperatures
Light rain shell or small umbrella (rain showers are always a possibility!)
Comfortable, supportive walking shoes, for our gallery tour in Lisbon
Comfortable, supportive shoes for our gentle hike in the Alentejo region
Comfortable, supportive shoes for our workshop days, where you may end up with paint on them or possibly a bit of mud from walking to and from the studio, if it’s raining
Indoor shoes or slippers to use when you’re inside the hotel, if you don’t want to wear shoes, but want to keep your feet warm
Bathing suit, if you want to enjoy the indoor water lounge at The Vintage Hotel or the outdoor pools at Herdade da Matinha
Glasses and/or sunglasses
Earplugs (if you are a light sleeper)
Toiletries kit - including your own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, if you are particular or there are certain brands you prefer to use while traveling
Sunscreen, sunhat, sunglasses, and lip balm with sunscreen
A day pack and/or a small-ish bag you can safely carry around each day
Travel plug adapters, depending on the country you are traveling from
Hand sanitizer
KN95 masks–in an effort to keep our group as safe as possible, you may be asked to wear a mask
Personal supply of COVID Rapid Tests–you may be asked to take a COVID test at any point during your Ace Camp in an effort to keep our group as safe as possible
Small Kleenex packets
WORKSHOP SUPPLIES
Supplies and materials for the four-day painting workshop with Heather will be provided, including:
Painting surfaces (paper, canvas board, and stretched canvas)
Heather’s go-to, non-traditional mark-making tools (hotel key cards, hardware store-style paint brushes, squeeze bottles)
Paint palette and palette knives
Containers for mixing custom colors
Access to acrylic paints, both heavy body and fluid acrylics, in a variety of colors; oil pastels; inks; and Heather’s favorite “model color airbrush ink.”
Note: At the end of our workshop time together, Heather will share best practices for removing your paintings from the stretcher bars so you can roll up your canvases and take them home with you.
Required Workshop Supplies You Should Bring:
There are two things you should plan to bring with you:
A good-quality sketchbook of your choice as well as the pencils, pencil crayons, markers, or pens you like to use for sketching and taking notes.
An apron, smock, and comfortable clothing/footwear to wear during our workshop days. It should be something you're comfortable getting covered in paint, as Heather’s process–especially when working on larger paintings–will be messy.
Optional Workshop Supplies for You to Consider Bringing:
Here are a few things you may want to consider bringing with you. This is optional and depends on whether there are specific brushes, mark-making tools, colors, or paints you want to have access to during the workshop.
Any specific paint brushes or mark-making tools you like to use regularly. We’ll provide Heather’s go-to mark-making tools, which are very non-traditional, simple tools (hotel key cards, large hardware-store style paint brushes, plastic squeeze bottles), and Heather will show how she uses them in her work. Bringing your own brushes or mark-making tools is completely optional in case there are specific things you know you want to have with you for ease/comfort or experimentation.
Any go-to paint or paint colors you like to use regularly. Acrylic paint in a variety of colors, both heavy body and fluid will be provided. Bringing your own paint is completely optional in case there are specific brands or colors you want to have with you for ease/comfort or experimentation.
GROUP TRAVEL ETIQUETTE
Please remember this is a small-group travel experience. It is important for you to join us with compassion, patience, and respect for everyone you interface with during your Trip. For example, if you asked to meet at a certain time, please be on time to avoid keeping the rest of the group waiting. If you choose to skip any activities or meals, please confirm your absence with the Ace Camps Travel Host directly so we’re not worried about your location or well being.
SMOKING, ILLEGAL DRUG USE, and ALCOHOL
Ace Camps Travel Trips are 100% smoke free and we do not tolerate any kind of illegal drug use. We require responsible alcohol consumption. Alcohol is usually not included with meals. If you would like to have alcoholic beverages during your trip, you will need to pay for these separately.
SOCIAL MEDIA
If you are taking photos and would like to share them as a part of our trip story please tag your posts and/or stories on Instagram with @acecampstravel.
MOBILE PHONE USAGE + OTHER HELPFUL APPS
Here are a few other resources you may find helpful when traveling:
Using an ‘e-sim’ app to have data on your phone while you travel (depending on your phone model). There are several companies offering e-sims that can save money instead of roaming through your network provider. Companies like Airalo offer various Portugal options to choose from. Note: While e-sims are great, they do take some time to set up and install so be sure to spend some time before you leave your home country setting it up so you can just turn it on once you land (while we love to help where we can, our Ace Camps Travel Hosts aren’t tech support specialists).
Help manage jet lag with Timeshifter.
Translate words on-the-go with Google Translate.
THANK YOU AND SEE YOU SOON!
Thank you for taking the time to review this information, we hope these details help with your travel planning and prepare you for your time exploring Portugal. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com. See you in Lisbon!