rhinodadz
Universal Exports - Q Branch
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2012
- Messages
- 541
We were on the adult-exclusive Portugal adventure May 10-18. An amazing adventure in a beautiful country!
Porto Day 1:
Arrived in Porto on time (notwithstanding the disaster of EWR). Passport control took about 15 minutes, grabbed our luggage and met the driver just outside of baggage claim. After waiting about 20 min for other adventurers we made the half-hour drive to the Intercontinental Hotel. Met the guides, Dusty (ABD) and Maria (Local) who were beyond fantastic! After getting the preliminaries out of the way our room wasn't quite ready so we headed out in search of lunch. Went to the Sao Bento train station (a half block from the hotel) and ate at the Time Out Market. It's a great food hall with multiple options. Got some cash from the ATM (make sure you use the Multibanco (MB) ATMs and NOT Euronet, and always decline the conversion). We then walked around the old town for the afternoon ultimately making our way to the riverfront, and found a funicular to get back up the hill as we were starting to feel a bit tired. Got back to the hotel to freshen up for the opening dinner which was a nice buffet in the hotel. Also found my new favorite adult beverage - Port & Tonic (didn't know that white port was a thing). After dinner crashed hard and got a solid night's sleep.
Day2: Breakfast in the hotel (all days) - typical European breakfast buffet which was very good. Walked to the train station to see the azulejos (Portugese tiles). Then boarded tuk-tuks for a city tour. Stopped at Liveria Lello, an old bookstore where JK Rowling allegedly hung out. Very crowded but we had ABD magic fastpasses and got right in. Then toured the 12th century church of St Francis (did you really go to Europe if you didn't visit a centuries-old church?), unfortunately no photos were allowed in the church. Next was lunch at Brasao Coliseu where we had the famous franchesina sandwich (Google it). It was delicious and honestly too much for one person to finish. For the afternoon we chose the bridge climb on the Arribida bridge which was very enjoyable, even with a fear of heights. Very safe and great views. After a stop at the hotel to freshen up, we went to Cockburns (pronounced Co-Burns) for a port tasting (bottles were purchased) and then to Graham's for dinner. The dinner was a variety of appetizers which were great, and and entree which was just mediocre at best. Then back to the hotel.
Day 3: After breakfast we had about a 90 minute bus trip into the Douro Valley for our kayaking excursion on the Douro River. A very scenic drive. Kayaked for about an hour (2 person kayaks) and while the temperature was only in the 60s it was very pleasant and peaceful. After changing clothes, went to a winery for a participatory cooking demonstration and lunch. Very delicious! After lunch we had a cork crafting activity which was more fun than I expected. Back to the hotel where we were on our own for the evening. We walked to the Bolhao Market and ate at the Casa Vegetariana restaurant (we're not vegetarian but the menu looked good). Had a couple glasses of wine and several appetizers, all of which were delicious. We then walked to the Clerigos Church (just a couple blocks from the hotel) for a laser/light projection show called Spiritus. It was about 20 minutes and interesting, but we didn't get whatever meaning they were trying to convey. But it was entertaining. Back to the hotel to pack for the transfer to Lisbon.
Lisbon
Day 4: 8am bus transfer from Porto to Lisbon. Took about 4 hours with a rest stop halfway through. When we arrived in Lisbon we immediately boarded a catamaran for a lunch cruise on the Tagus River, giving a unique view of the city. After the cruise we visited the Monument of Discoveries and the Belem Tower. Also walked through the gardens at the Jeronimos monastery. Arrived at the Tivoli hotel to check in and have dinner on our own. The food was hit or miss. Overall a chill day.
Day 5: Spent the morning at Sao Jorge (St George) castle, which is an old fortress on one of the seven hills of Lisbon. Great views and quite a few beautiful (and loud) peacocks. Also glimpsed the Disney Fantasy in the port of Lisbon on its transatlantic sailing. Then we went to the LX Factory, which is a former textile factory which has been reimagined as and artist & restaurant district. Had a good lunch at Taberna 1300 and then had a street art (what some would call graffiti) tour. It was fascinating to hear one of the local street artists discuss the process of creating some of these intricate images. Had a bit of time to shop and then a short tuk-tuk tour to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara which is a large park overlooking the city. Had the option to walk (downhill) back to the hotel or take the tuk-tuks back. We opted to walk, visiting the Church of Sao Roque which had several gorgeous chapels, then did some shopping and ended up stopping for some happy hour beverages in a cafe on the Rossio Square. Eventually made it back to the hotel. Since dinner was on our own we found a great pizza spot a couple blocks from the hotel for a late dinner.
Day 6: Probably the longest day of the adventure. Started with a coach ride to Cabo de Roca which is known as "the end of the world" as it is the westernmost point of continental Europe. Great coastal views! Then did an e-bike ride along the coast to the town of Cascais which ended up being one of our favorite towns of the trip. Had some gelato courtesy of ABD and then wandered around shopping and having some lunch. We then travelled to Sintra where we had a brief walking tour of the old town and then some on our own time. We grabbed a snack and then did a port wine tasting. Then we went to the Pena Palace for a private after-hours tour. Spectacular architecture and amazing views from the top of the mountain. Great to see it without masses of tourists! Got back to the hotel around 10pm and packed for the transfer to Carvoeiro.
Carvoeiro-Algarve
Day 7: Left Lisbon for the coach trip to the town of Carvoeiro on the Algarve coast. On the way we stopped at a family owned tile making business and got to paint our own tiles. Also had a cheese making demonstration and tasting. After checking in, dinner was on our own in one of the hotel restaurants overlooking the ocean. A very chill day.
Day 8: Did a boat tour of the caves along the coastline. Stunning! After the tour we wandered around Carvoeiro to do a little shopping and eating. Then did a cliff walk back to the hotel - more stunning scenery! Had most of the afternoon to hang at the hotel pool, and then gathered for the farewell dinner.
This was the best group we've had in our 4 adventures - genuinely nice folks and no drama! Our local guide Maria was amazing - she's passionate about her country and has an incredible depth of knowledge.
If you have the chance to extend a day at the end I'd highly recommend it. We spend the extra day doing some more hiking along the coast and chilling by the pool. A great way to end the trip.
Porto Day 1:
Arrived in Porto on time (notwithstanding the disaster of EWR). Passport control took about 15 minutes, grabbed our luggage and met the driver just outside of baggage claim. After waiting about 20 min for other adventurers we made the half-hour drive to the Intercontinental Hotel. Met the guides, Dusty (ABD) and Maria (Local) who were beyond fantastic! After getting the preliminaries out of the way our room wasn't quite ready so we headed out in search of lunch. Went to the Sao Bento train station (a half block from the hotel) and ate at the Time Out Market. It's a great food hall with multiple options. Got some cash from the ATM (make sure you use the Multibanco (MB) ATMs and NOT Euronet, and always decline the conversion). We then walked around the old town for the afternoon ultimately making our way to the riverfront, and found a funicular to get back up the hill as we were starting to feel a bit tired. Got back to the hotel to freshen up for the opening dinner which was a nice buffet in the hotel. Also found my new favorite adult beverage - Port & Tonic (didn't know that white port was a thing). After dinner crashed hard and got a solid night's sleep.
Day2: Breakfast in the hotel (all days) - typical European breakfast buffet which was very good. Walked to the train station to see the azulejos (Portugese tiles). Then boarded tuk-tuks for a city tour. Stopped at Liveria Lello, an old bookstore where JK Rowling allegedly hung out. Very crowded but we had ABD magic fastpasses and got right in. Then toured the 12th century church of St Francis (did you really go to Europe if you didn't visit a centuries-old church?), unfortunately no photos were allowed in the church. Next was lunch at Brasao Coliseu where we had the famous franchesina sandwich (Google it). It was delicious and honestly too much for one person to finish. For the afternoon we chose the bridge climb on the Arribida bridge which was very enjoyable, even with a fear of heights. Very safe and great views. After a stop at the hotel to freshen up, we went to Cockburns (pronounced Co-Burns) for a port tasting (bottles were purchased) and then to Graham's for dinner. The dinner was a variety of appetizers which were great, and and entree which was just mediocre at best. Then back to the hotel.
Day 3: After breakfast we had about a 90 minute bus trip into the Douro Valley for our kayaking excursion on the Douro River. A very scenic drive. Kayaked for about an hour (2 person kayaks) and while the temperature was only in the 60s it was very pleasant and peaceful. After changing clothes, went to a winery for a participatory cooking demonstration and lunch. Very delicious! After lunch we had a cork crafting activity which was more fun than I expected. Back to the hotel where we were on our own for the evening. We walked to the Bolhao Market and ate at the Casa Vegetariana restaurant (we're not vegetarian but the menu looked good). Had a couple glasses of wine and several appetizers, all of which were delicious. We then walked to the Clerigos Church (just a couple blocks from the hotel) for a laser/light projection show called Spiritus. It was about 20 minutes and interesting, but we didn't get whatever meaning they were trying to convey. But it was entertaining. Back to the hotel to pack for the transfer to Lisbon.
Lisbon
Day 4: 8am bus transfer from Porto to Lisbon. Took about 4 hours with a rest stop halfway through. When we arrived in Lisbon we immediately boarded a catamaran for a lunch cruise on the Tagus River, giving a unique view of the city. After the cruise we visited the Monument of Discoveries and the Belem Tower. Also walked through the gardens at the Jeronimos monastery. Arrived at the Tivoli hotel to check in and have dinner on our own. The food was hit or miss. Overall a chill day.
Day 5: Spent the morning at Sao Jorge (St George) castle, which is an old fortress on one of the seven hills of Lisbon. Great views and quite a few beautiful (and loud) peacocks. Also glimpsed the Disney Fantasy in the port of Lisbon on its transatlantic sailing. Then we went to the LX Factory, which is a former textile factory which has been reimagined as and artist & restaurant district. Had a good lunch at Taberna 1300 and then had a street art (what some would call graffiti) tour. It was fascinating to hear one of the local street artists discuss the process of creating some of these intricate images. Had a bit of time to shop and then a short tuk-tuk tour to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara which is a large park overlooking the city. Had the option to walk (downhill) back to the hotel or take the tuk-tuks back. We opted to walk, visiting the Church of Sao Roque which had several gorgeous chapels, then did some shopping and ended up stopping for some happy hour beverages in a cafe on the Rossio Square. Eventually made it back to the hotel. Since dinner was on our own we found a great pizza spot a couple blocks from the hotel for a late dinner.
Day 6: Probably the longest day of the adventure. Started with a coach ride to Cabo de Roca which is known as "the end of the world" as it is the westernmost point of continental Europe. Great coastal views! Then did an e-bike ride along the coast to the town of Cascais which ended up being one of our favorite towns of the trip. Had some gelato courtesy of ABD and then wandered around shopping and having some lunch. We then travelled to Sintra where we had a brief walking tour of the old town and then some on our own time. We grabbed a snack and then did a port wine tasting. Then we went to the Pena Palace for a private after-hours tour. Spectacular architecture and amazing views from the top of the mountain. Great to see it without masses of tourists! Got back to the hotel around 10pm and packed for the transfer to Carvoeiro.
Carvoeiro-Algarve
Day 7: Left Lisbon for the coach trip to the town of Carvoeiro on the Algarve coast. On the way we stopped at a family owned tile making business and got to paint our own tiles. Also had a cheese making demonstration and tasting. After checking in, dinner was on our own in one of the hotel restaurants overlooking the ocean. A very chill day.
Day 8: Did a boat tour of the caves along the coastline. Stunning! After the tour we wandered around Carvoeiro to do a little shopping and eating. Then did a cliff walk back to the hotel - more stunning scenery! Had most of the afternoon to hang at the hotel pool, and then gathered for the farewell dinner.
This was the best group we've had in our 4 adventures - genuinely nice folks and no drama! Our local guide Maria was amazing - she's passionate about her country and has an incredible depth of knowledge.
If you have the chance to extend a day at the end I'd highly recommend it. We spend the extra day doing some more hiking along the coast and chilling by the pool. A great way to end the trip.
