Such a wonderful trip!!

Portugal | Sep 11 - Sep 19, 2024

The location was perfect - very walkable to everything. The room was lovely - having a balcony to sit out and enjoy the marina was my favorite part. The only thing I wasn't impressed by was the breakfast. It was pretty basic and the same thing every day. So if breakfast is important to you, I would simply plan to go to a local cafe.

The location was the best part of this hotel. The front desk staff was lovely but the staff running breakfast were not terribly friendly or helpful. There was one exception - a gentleman who I only saw once. Every other morning seemed to be the same women. The only other downside was the rooms had one-ply toilet paper. At a hotel of this quality I would expect better.

This was my least favorite hotel. It feels like it's trying too hard to be cool. The location is nice and central and the staff was cordial. But the room was extremely small, there was not near enough storage and the pillows were awful. Having everything electronic removed a lot of the character.

I was unable to do this one due to the driver getting in an accident. They would have rescheduled but it was my last night in Lagos so we weren't able to do that. I got a refund instead.

The caves themselves were beautiful but I was hoping for something a little smaller. This tour felt like something I could have booked myself through Viator. The caves were also very touristy - we were never in one alone.

This was one of my least favorite tours. The driver was late and I was unable to reach him to find out if I was in the wrong place or where he was. He was lovely and knowledgeable but it didn't start out good. I also felt very rushed in the village. I wish there'd been more time to explore. The winery was beautiful but a few slices of cheese and meat doesn't equal tapas.

This tour also felt like something I could have booked myself. The guide was fun and the places we went lovely, it just didn't feel special.

This was a lot of fun. My driver was very sweet and made the best of modifying his original plan due to a marathon that kept us from exploring along the river. I feel his company should have done a better job preparing him for that - a marathon is scheduled months in advance and he was totally unaware. He felt bad he couldn't provide the experience he wanted and was very apologetic. I didn't feel jipped though - he showed me lots of fun nooks and crannies of Porto.

My driver was wonderful. He went out of his way to tailor my experience and ensure I experienced Port the right way. The lunch we had with Rafael was very cool. I tried a lot of foods I never would have on my own and Rafael is an absolute jewel. The river cruise was wonderful but this is another experience I could have bought on my own via viator. I would have preferred something smaller. My driver, Rafael and the gorgeous scenery made up for it.

Julia was lovely and clearly loves her city. This was obvious in the time she took explaining the history. She showed me areas I certainly wouldn't have found on my own.

This might have been my favorite experience of all. We got a late start due to traffic and the forest fires impacted one of the places I was to visit but Paulo most definitely made up for any snafu with his warmth and above-and-beyond generosity with his time. I even got to visit the family restaurant and meet his wonderful wife. If I'm able to go back I know I'll have friends to meet up with for a Pastel de Nata and cappuccino.

A perfect way to end my trip! Sofia and Carlos were just wonderful. It is clear they don't host these dinners to make money - they truly want to meet people and make them feel welcome in their country. There were issues with both my booking and the booking of the couples I ate with but Sofia and Carlos went out of their way to make sure we all still had a wonderful time. I will go out of my way to reach out to Sofia and Carlos if I make my way back to Lisbon. They could not have been lovelier.