Portugal Adventure
Portugal
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Jul 13 - Jul 26, 2025
Joao did an amazing job planning our two week adventure and was very patient and accommodating of all our requests and revisions. While we were sad not to meet him in person, he was great about checking in with us throughout our trip.
Highlights in Lisbon were Casa Balthazar, dinner with locals, cooking class and shopping the open air market on Avenida da Liberdade.
Highlights in Porto were dinner at Cantinha de Avillez, the food tour and gelato! Unfortunately we didn't have the intel that we needed to purchase tickets to the Lello bookstore way in advance, and Cafe Magnifico had too long a line to wait.
We had high expectations for Nazare and Obidos, and sadly, because of the number of tourists and a Renaissance Fair, respectively, these two stops were the most disappointing of the trip.
Highlights in Monsaraz were the beautiful Montimerso Skyscape (though we were there when the famed restaurant was closed) and the cork tour. The olive oil tour was good, but not exceptional because the oil wasn't being produced at that time, and the ceramics class was good but frustrating, for we couldn't take home our creations.
The Algarve highlight was by far the sailing excursion with Skipper Rob and spending time in Lagos. The Aldeia de Pedralva is great for a family with children, but not super conducive for a couple looking for privacy and quiet.
We visited a friend in Setubal and getting there by ferry was an awesome suggestion. The 34 Guest House was lovely.
We learned some important things to consider when planning our next trip:
1. We were interested in learning about the Portuguese culture overall, but many of the recommended stops and sights centered on visiting castles, palaces, monasteries, convents and fortresses. While we understand that they are deeply rooted in the history of the country, we completely tired of them mid-trip. We found out during our ceramics class, for example, that that part of the country is famous for making pottery, with many, many pottery shops. We would have loved to explore those, but found out about them too late.
2. When renting a car, we need to request a mid-size vehicle since my husband is very tall and could barely fold himself in and out of the Kia Stonic.
Overall, we had an amazing adventure and certainly plan to use Kim Kim again in the future.
Hotel Reviews
Fantastic hotel and the most delicious breakfast of the trip. Concierge Ruth went above and beyond and was amazing.
Great hotel and location. Loved the free parking and the roof deck.
Over the top hotel in a great location with a good breakfast. Our room had some maintenance issues: broken lamp and towel bar and electrical sockets falling off the wall in the bathroom. Surprisingly they updated us to a room with jacuzzi on the balcony, which we definitely took advantage of, but could not figure out how to drain
Dark, dingy room with musty, mildew smell and a terrible, cold breakfast. Accessibility and parking were very difficult, especially in the middle of a Renaissance Fair.
Beautiful location and accommodations. We would have loved to try their famed restaurant, but sadly it was closed during our stay. Good breakfast!
This was an interesting choice for a couple, as this village is more geared to families with children that stay up late and are very loud. There is no privacy - the windows need to stay open for air circulation (no AC) but the windows, including in the bedroom, are at eye level, so passers by can look straight into the bedroom and living area! The restaurants in the village are good, but breakfast was not - it was cold and they did not replenish the food during serving hours, so we were frequently left with very few choices.
Great hotel with very accommodating staff. Parking was difficult.
Activity Reviews
A great way to learn about the local cuisine and meet others!
Sofia and her husband Carlos welcomed us into their home with warmth and grace and served us a deliciously authentic meal, from appetizers to dessert with wine pairings throughout. We had a wonderful meal with awesome people who we can now call friends!
Loved beginning at the market and having the opportunity to walk the city and sample such a great variety of food typical to the region. Ricardo was exceptional about his knowledge of the region and the food/wine. Very highly recommend!
We learned so much about this local resource and it was super interesting to visit and learn about the forest and estate.
This was a fun activity with an awesome instructor, but we couldn't take home our creations.
We learned a lot about olive oil and had even more fun tasting it! Unfortunately they weren't producing the oil when we visited.
Skipper Rob and first mate Anatoli were incredible! They made this trip an absolute pleasure, and even served us tapas! A true highlight of our two week vacation.
Hi Carin, thanks so much for your review! I'm happy you had a memorable adventure. It was a pleasure helping you plan the trip. I truly appreciate your honest feedback about the parts that could be improved—those insights are super helpful, and I’ll definitely keep them in mind for future planning to make each journey even better.
All the best.