05/19/2026
Study Abroad in Portugal: Days 8, 9, and 10 – Entrepreneurship, Culture, Cork Farms, and Fado
As our time in Portugal continued, the last several days of the study abroad program perfectly captured what makes international travel and experiential learning so impactful. From independent exploration around Lisbon to business visits and cultural experiences, students continued finding new ways to connect classroom concepts to the real world.
Day 8 – Independent Exploration in Lisbon
Day 8 gave students a full free day to experience Lisbon however they wanted, and it was incredible seeing the variety of adventures students chose for themselves.
Some students spent the day golfing while enjoying Portugal’s beautiful coastal scenery and mild weather. Others traveled to different areas around Portugal to experience more of the country beyond Lisbon. Several students headed toward the seaside to relax near the Atlantic Ocean and experience Portugal’s coastal culture firsthand.
Others explored Lisbon through tuk-tuk tours, which have become one of the city’s most popular ways to navigate its steep hills and historic neighborhoods. The tuk-tuks gave students a fun and efficient way to see famous districts such as Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Chiado while learning more about Lisbon’s history, architecture, and local culture.
A few students also participated in food tours around Lisbon, sampling traditional Portuguese cuisine and learning about the importance of food culture within Portuguese identity. From pastries and seafood to cured meats and local wines, these experiences allowed students to engage directly with another important aspect of daily life and tourism in Portugal.
One of the most rewarding aspects of study abroad is watching students gain confidence traveling independently, making decisions on their own, navigating unfamiliar cities, and discovering what interests them most personally. Day 8 was a great example of that growth in action.
Day 9 – Tiles, Entrepreneurship, and Lisbon’s Creative Economy
On Day 9, we shifted back into structured business and cultural visits beginning with one of Lisbon’s most unique traditional industries.
We visited the Sant’Anna Tile Factory, the last traditional handmade tile factory remaining in Lisbon. Portugal is world famous for its ceramic tiles, known as azulejos, which can be seen covering churches, homes, train stations, restaurants, and public buildings throughout the country.
At Sant’Anna, students learned how the tiles are still produced entirely by hand using traditional methods that date back centuries. The process includes molding the clay, firing the tiles, hand-painting intricate designs, glazing, and firing them again to complete the final product. Every piece is unique and requires a tremendous amount of craftsmanship and precision.
Beyond the production process, students also learned about the company’s business model and how Sant’Anna survives in a world dominated by mass manufacturing and cheap imports. The factory differentiates itself through authenticity, heritage preservation, artisan quality, and customization. Many of its clients include luxury hotels, restoration projects, architects, collectors, and tourists seeking authentic Portuguese craftsmanship.
The visit created excellent discussions about niche markets, premium branding, preserving traditional industries, and balancing cultural heritage with economic sustainability.
Later in the day, we headed to Time Out Market Lisboa, one of Lisbon’s most popular and innovative food and tourism destinations. Originally opened inside the historic Mercado da Ribeira, the market combines some of Lisbon’s best restaurants, chefs, food vendors, bars, and specialty shops into one centralized location.
The market served as an ideal location to discuss entrepreneurship, diversification strategies, branding, and customer experience. Students observed how Time Out successfully transformed itself from a media and publishing brand into a physical experiential marketplace built around food, tourism, and lifestyle experiences.
We discussed how the market creates value by curating high-quality vendors, attracting both locals and tourists, and constantly evolving to maintain relevance in a competitive hospitality environment. Students also examined how food halls and mixed-use markets can contribute to urban revitalization, tourism growth, and small business development.
Of course, students also enjoyed getting lunch and exploring the various food vendors throughout the market while applying the concepts we discussed in real time.
The students had some free time afterward to continue exploring Lisbon before we prepared for our final full day of touring in Portugal.
Day 10 – Cork Farming and Fado
On our final major touring day in Portugal, we traveled outside the city to visit a traditional cork farm, and it quickly became one of the students’ favorite experiences of the entire study abroad program.
Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork, accounting for a significant portion of the global cork industry. Cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees, which can be harvested approximately every nine years without harming the tree itself, making it one of the world’s most sustainable agricultural products.
During the visit, students learned about the full cork production process, the environmental importance of cork forests, and the economic realities of agricultural work in Portugal. Unlike some of the larger tourism-focused visits on the trip, this experience gave students the opportunity to have direct conversations with local farmers and business owners about the rewards and challenges of working in agriculture.
Students learned about labor demands, climate concerns, sustainability issues, international competition, and how Portuguese cork producers compete in global markets. Cork today is used for far more than wine stoppers — it is also used in flooring, insulation, fashion accessories, aerospace technology, and sustainable product design.
Many students commented afterward about how meaningful it was to hear directly from local people whose livelihoods are connected to the land and traditional industries of Portugal.
That evening, we ended the day with one of the cultural highlights of the entire trip: a traditional Fado dinner experience.
Fado is a deeply emotional style of Portuguese music often centered around themes of longing, nostalgia, love, hardship, and saudade — a uniquely Portuguese concept that roughly translates to a deep emotional yearning or melancholy.
Performed with haunting vocals accompanied by Portuguese guitar, Fado is considered one of Portugal’s most important cultural traditions and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The atmosphere of the evening was unforgettable. Between the traditional Portuguese food, intimate setting, and powerful musical performances, students were able to experience Portuguese culture in a deeply personal and emotional way. It was the perfect way to celebrate the end of an incredible experience in Portugal together.
As our time abroad begins winding down, it is amazing reflecting on how much the students have experienced and learned over the past several days. From business visits and entrepreneurship discussions to art, agriculture, tourism, history, and cultural immersion, these experiences have brought classroom concepts to life in ways that simply cannot be replicated at home.
Experiential learning at its absolute best.
