Across Portugal an excellent choice for a first time traveller in Portugal!
Portugal
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Sep 12 - Sep 25, 2026
Porto was by far my favorite place. Our driver, Ivo, was entertaining and seemed to enjoy showing off his beloved Porto. The hotel, Porto Bay Flores, was especially wonderful - right in the middle of the action (no cars, just pedestrians) with a lovely outdoor seating area to sit and people watch. An easy walk to shops and food as well. The trip to the Douro Valley was interesting and I would have loved a longer boat ride. The stops at Navarre and Obidos on the way to Lisbon were also very enjoyable and added dimension to the experience..
Lisbon is a busy city! Our driver, Hugo, did an excellent job driving us to Sintra, Cabo de Roca, and Cascais allowing wonderful stops along the way. He was exceptionally engaged - found us a lovely lunch stop overlooking the ocean. The Valverde Hotel turned out to be a solid choice - offering a sip of Port at night in the library! It was also on a street with shops and restaurants but busy with traffic. The tuk-tuk ride to Belem was entertaining.
The stop in Evora on the way to the Algarve was interesting but since it was a Sunday not everything was open and the town was pretty quiet - were hoping to have an opportunity to learn more about cork but the factory was closed. The Pine Cliffs Resort was beautiful but not a perfect fit. A quieter less family oriented place might have been preferable. Also, I had a very negative experience with the management which completely soured my experience there.
The excursion to Lagos and boat ride to Ponta da Piedade Caves was a good contrast to the Pine Cliffs Resort.
Hotel Reviews
I loved the location. Also, the amenities - sauna, steam room, and warm pool, were included. The outdoor breakfast seating was lovely - complete with champagne!
I was treated poorly by the manager on staff at check out which soured my experience. Lots of babies, toddlers and kids so if you are looking for a quiet place, this is not it. Beach is not handicap accessible.
The front desk staff and welcomers at the front door were exceptional. I loved the library and servings of Port. The restaurant was a bit slow on service but the sommelier was very good.
Activity Reviews
The drive was long but a great way to see the countryside. I would have enjoyed a longer boat ride on the Douro.
Adding a visit to the town of Sintra, lunch on a hilltop overlooking the ocean and stops at Cabo de Roca and Cacais made the trip to the Villa even more exceptional.
Fun to see other parts of the city - crossing the bridge to the Villa de Gaia side and tasting port at Sandemans. Would have perhaps preferred an additional tasting at a smaller establishment.
Our driver, Ricardo, did a good job of getting us around to see places from the land that we were going to see from the sea later in the day. He made good suggestions for exploring Lagos and took very good care of us.
Getting around the city was difficult, but it was important to have the opportunity to drive through all the different districts to get oriented to the city.