The VitaSalus Lifestyle Center is located in the mountains near the city of Coimbra: Serra de Santa Maria, 3230-055 Penela, Portugal. You can reach us by:
CAR
Road access is excellent from any part of the country. The best is to use the App GoogleMaps and type in APMP VitaSalus. A place will come up near Espinhal, Penela. That’s where we are located. Just follow the directions and you will come to our door.
Alternatively just click on the following link and our place will appear. Just click on “directions” and it will show you the way to get here: https://goo.gl/maps/xeMtgUts5wQcfFB16
AIR
If you come to Portugal by air, you will most likely fly to Lisbon or Porto. Just choose the best airport to fit your budget needs. Travel time by car form Lisbon airport (LIS) to VitaSalus is approximately 1h45min and from Porto airport (OPO) is 1h30min.
Airport Shuttle
This is by far the best option. A van will pick you up from Lisbon or Porto airports and will bring you directly to VitaSalus.
Lisbon airport: meeting point at Exit 4 next to Vodafone store. Porto airport: Arrivals exit area, near to the taxi zone.
Here is the link you can use: https://www.airportshuttle.pt
Now, let us walk together through the page, to make sure you get what you want from the company:
1. Choose your route (Lisbon or Porto Airport to Center of Portugal), type of ticket (single or return) and dates of travel
2. Choose one from the available times, on the left side of the screen:
3. The price will appear for a trip to the city of Coimbra. Click Continue.
4. Now you will be able to choose the drop-off location accurately. Just go to the bar and write APMP VitaSalus. An option will come up and click on it.
5. You will see that the price will increase by 26 € to a total of 69 € in case you come from the Lisbon airport directly to VitaSalus. If you wish to proceed to payment just click on Continue and you will be taken to the payment page.
This is by far the easiest and quickest way to get to VitaSalus from the Lisbon and Porto airports. But you can come by train, a cheaper option:
TRAIN
You can reach the city of Coimbra by train. Here are a few points to consider:
HOW TO GET TO THE TRAIN STATIONS FROM THE AIRPORTS?
The cheapest way is by METRO. Both airports have METRO train stations.
LISBON: get the METRO and get off at the ORIENTE station. Then, go up the escalator, buy your train ticket to Coimbra-B station and enjoy the journey. We advise you to get the Intercity or Alfa train.
PORTO: get the METRO and get off at the CAMPANHÃ station. Walk a few meters to the train station, buy your train ticket to Coimbra-B station and enjoy the journey. We advise you to get the Intercity or Alfa train.
NB! Notice the “B” at the Coimbra-B station. This is where you must exit the train.
• You can buy the METRO ticket at one of the machines at the airport METRO stations. It is useful to get a 5 € or 10 € notes. METRO tickets vary from 2 to 3 € each.
• You can buy your TRAIN tickets using the following website:
HOW TO GET FROM THE COMBRA-B STATION TO VITASALUS?
VitaSalus offers an internal shuttle service from Coimbra-B station to and from the lifestyle center. There is a cost of 20€ per trip. If 2 or more people are travelling at the same time, the cost will be divided by the number of people traveling.
Please inform Elisabeth about your arrival time at the Coimbra-B station before you leave your country. You can do this via e-mail (elisabethnobrega@medicinapreventiva.pt ), phone (+351 239 098 747) or Whatsapp (+351 938 110 871).
TRAVEL AND MEDICAL INSURANCE
Students who are accepted to attend the THE TRAINING - Adventism and Modern Medicine, must show proof of medical insurance for the period they will remain in Portugal, prior to being accepted on the premises of VitaSalus Wellness Center. For students residing in the European Union, this means that they will have to show proof of a valid European Health Card or of a valid Short Term Travel Insurance which must include coverage of medical expenses and related costs to a minimum of 150.000 € per person. Students traveling from outside the European Union must show proof of Short Term Travel Insurance which must include coverage of medical expenses and related costs to a minimum of 150.000 € per person. The organizers of “THE TRAINING - Adventism and Modern Medicine” are not responsible for students´ medical expenses and related costs.
CLOTHES
The weather is generally hot in summer. Occasionally it rains but the evenings are mild to moderately hot and the morning and afternoons are usually hot. But the weather can surprise us and suddenly temperatures can drop to 18 to 20 degrees. Come prepared with t-shirts, cool pants and shorts but put in a warm jacket or fleece, with a light raincoat or windbreaker.
Shoes: walking shoes are a must. This is a very relaxed environment. On Sabbaths people tend to dress casual but perhaps better described as smart casual.
THE SCHEDULE
Sunday (July 23) arrival/registration
Monday (July 24) course start
Sabbath (August 5) course end
Sunday (August 6) departure
COURSE
Please note, the courses will be in ENGLISH(NO translation).
CURRENCY - € EURO
Don’t leave the terminal without having a local currency because you might need it later. At the airport there are several banks/money changers where you can change your currency with a good exchange rate. After processing the immigration clearance, proceed to the baggage claim area where you can find the money changer kiosks.
ELECTRICAL PLUG
The electrical voltage in Portugal is 220V, and here’s the electrical plug picture
ACCOMODATION
Double or triple bedroom. Shared bathroom on the floor. Blankets, towels will be provided.
MEALS
Meals at the VitaSalus Lifestyle Center are plant based and 100% vegetarian. We do use honey in our food. We serve 3 meals a day (a sumptuous breakfast, an excellent lunch and a light supper).
NB: If you suffer from any food allergy or sensitivity and are unable to eat any specific type of food, PLEASE INFORM US PRIOR TO YOUR COMING. This is very important.
CONTACT PERSON
Any concern about any issues (flight delay etc), please contact:
Experienced Adventist health professionals from around the world will explore and teach about the impact that the Adventist health message has on the different areas of medicine, from a preventive as well as therapeutic perspective. They will link the Adventist Health Message with evidence-based medicine.