Hector Molina

After weeks of planning with Hector, our first trip to Portugal during Christmas was fantastic! Hector was patient, flexible, responsive and very helpful, including Marta and the Espiritu Team too.
Highlights:
-Bessa Hotel Liberdade was top-notch!

Tuk-tuk tour of Lisbon was a fun and unique way to see the city. They had one blanket that was great

Marta was very knowledgeable about the different sights we saw on our tour of Cascais and Sintra, from local artists to the history of different famous buildings. She also brought us to an authentic Portuguese lunch spot where we enjoyed a variety of good foods. She was very flexible and accomodating when we expressed an interest in seeing Pena Palace rather than another place. Pena Palace is worth it for the first time visitor, especially during off-season winter holidays. Lines were manageable. Waiting for the shuttle took the longest, but if you're fit, take the 10min walk up the hill. Excellent views and many interesting details inside the palace itself.

Our driver for Obidos, Fatima and Porto was friendly and very helpful.

Braga and Guimaraes were lovely day trips and our guide was excellent! He reserved a fantastic restaurant for lunch in a historic building and gave us a superb tour of the places.

Enjoyed climbing the Clerigos tower on Christmas and going to a Portuguese mass.

The bike tour in Porto with Biclas and Triclas was also great and the company did a good job helping us get to our train on time while still seeing all of the beautiful viewpoints in Lisbon. Piedro, our guide was excellent in navigating us through the city safely and shared his wealth of knowledge about the city sights. Our first time on E-bikes, it was perfect for the hilly terrain.

Our train back to Lisbon was a little delayed and we didn't realize that there were 2 stops in Lisbon and got off early at Oriente instead of the other one!

Things that could be improved:
- Mercure Hotel Santa Catarina in Porto was not 4 star worthy! Staff were pleasant, buffet breakfast was good, but compared to Bessa Hotel, it really was more 3-star caliber. Our first room had a strong moldy smell and they moved us without hassle, but having that experience in the first place was unpleasant. Floor was linoleum out of the 1970s, with no robes or slippers and no view. The room our kids and grandmother were in had a great city view.

Definitely recommend Portugal for the winter holidays.

Hotel Reviews

Mercure Porto Centro Santa Catarina

PORTO

Very surprised this is considered a 4-star hotel. Staff were pleasant, buffet breakfast was good with panoramic city views, but compared to Bessa Hotel, it really was more 3-star caliber. Our first room had a strong moldy smell and they moved us without hassle, but having that experience in the first place was unpleasant. Floor was an odd linoleum with no robes, slippers or body lotion,no view and room was small with a double bed. Surprisingly, practical dental kits were bathroom amenities. Our children’s triple room had a great city view.

Location

Close to the main shopping districts

Staff

Pleasant and professional. Moved us right away when we called about the moldy smell.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Moldy smell, possibly from the bathroom bidet in our first room.

BessaHotel Liberdade

Lisboa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to shops and Rossi, but for some reason, carshare had difficulty finding the place

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Get to know Porto by E-bike

Porto

Piedro, our guide was excellent! Skilled at navigating us safely through the city and sharing his wealth of knowledge about everything Porto. Our first time on E-bikes, it was perfect for the hilly terrain and we covered a lot of ground! Sara was also great helping us get the bikes together and our carshare back to our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Bikes were in excellent condition, easy to ride and maneuver