Fantastic two weeks!

Portugal | May 28 - Jun 10, 2023

This is a beautiful historic hotel in the mountains. It was beautifully appointed with fantastic grounds and proximity to hiking in Serra da Estrella.

This is a beautiful boutique hotel. The breakfast was fantastic, and would recommend, including that in any stay. And the staff were friendly and responsive.

Puerto is a lovely city and we like the proximity to the Duro Valley, costa, nova, and the lovely town of Aveiro. We felt the 2 1/2 days we spent there were adequate in terms of timing.

This is the one experience in two weeks in Portugal that I would not recommend. We had a group of seven in the guide, walked very quickly in the front and spoke softly. We have done many food tours internationally, and got a lot more history and perspective on local culture, than were provided on this tour.. in addition, the restaurants we visited, were not the best representation of Portuguese gastronomy!

We did a short boat ride and then a three hour kayaking trip. The beautiful Douro Valley was fantastic to see this way. Our only reservation is that we were dropped off from the boat and sent on our way alone without any offer of additional water or expectation that the kayak trip would be three hours long. In addition, weather was coming in and we were caught in the rain and lightning, thankfully, as we were finishing up, but there was no provision for pick up in case of this kind of weather. In addition, we had no guide. While we loved seeing the Douro Valley this way, I think expectations should be set about the actual kayaking trip if someone chooses it.

I would rate this experience as a five in terms of the fantastic scenery and seeing the valley this way. We did not realize this was going to take three hours and that it was unguided and that’s why I give this a three rating.

Beautiful experience and our guide Nuno was fantastic. The hike, as well as his knowledge of history, geology, and botany really contributed so much to our experience. He also was very accommodating with some last-minute changes because of weather to ensure our safety. His provision of a light snack on the hike, as well as our picnic afterward with local winds, cheeses, and even jelly that his grandmother made was very special. He also provided us with several recommendations of activities that enhance our experience in this area.

Very interesting and unique rock formations. We loved having a private boat with the seven of us. Our captain and guide were very informative and easy to understand.

We did a boat tour which was the highlight of this trip. Other than that, there is shopping and eating so not a ton of kids activities.

Fun, family activity, and a cute way to see historic Lisbon.

Ee stayed at a lovely Beach House in the algarve for five nights, and had a private chef on our last night. He arrived with two staff and everything including cutlery and dishes for a lovely meal experience. He catered to food preferences and presented us with a wide variety of local appetizers and main course.

Our driver, Luis, was great! We never saw Pena Palace as there was a government strike. Fortunately, our driver, noted that there was something wrong with the fact that the lines were short at the gate, where he dropped us off, and took the time to find out that there was in fact a strike, and we would not be able to get in. Joao, from Across Portugal, helped us with a last-minute change of plans to go elsewhere in the area. Also, our driver made excellent recommendations for a local lunch establishment on the way back to Lisbon.

If you have children, do this! The most fun part of this trip was walking the entire city wall. The local town was cute as well.