Portugal Beach Trips

The itinerary was was fresh and full of Portuguese culture. Traveling throughout the country enhanced my understanding of the history of Portugal all while thoroughly enjoying authentic Portuguese food and drink. Make note to wear comfortable footwear that can handle the steep yet beautifully paved calçada streets. My travel group & I experienced Fado, funiculars, walks along castle walls, a river cruise, winery tours, a horse farm, and so much more. It was girls' trip of a lifetime!

Great trip with a great group of fellow travelers, as usual. I think the hotel in Albufiera should be changed from the Holiday Inn…it was not close to decent restaurants, the beach or shopping. It was an afternoon of free time, which was sparse on this trip, and in a coastal town…but about an hour walk to the beach, shopping and restaurants. We do not travel internationally to stay and eat in American hotels. Loved Faro and the Experience at the horse ranch, but then the long coach rides thru the interior (bland countryside) for hours and hours was not desirable. Travelers do PREFER quality shopping when on trips…not just the tourist souvenirs. Our itinerary did not allow this until the very last full day when we had about 90 minutes in Obidos. Tour Director made it clear that shopping was of no interest to him.

As an Exodus staff member, I had high expectations for this trip – and it exceeded them in every way. Walking the Island of Madeira offers a fantastic mix of dramatic coastal trails, lush levada paths, and panoramic mountain scenery. The itinerary is well-paced, with each day showcasing a different side of the island, from rugged cliffs to tranquil forests. Accommodation, transport, and organisation throughout were seamless, making it easy to focus on enjoying the experience.

This was a trip was several years in the making after only getting a glimpse of Portugal as part of another Trafalgar trip I took. This trip exceeded my expectations and mainly this was due to inside knowledge of Portugal by a local (Nunu) tour director. For the style of travel I like, this really made the difference to obtain perspective and make the trip less "touristy" and more of a learning experience. I really felt connected to Portuguese culture and got to see it more from a local perspective. There were many huge advantages even in community that the tour director had, as opposed to my previous trip in the region, and I saw a huge difference in repeat events I did which were exponentially better. There were local events thst could have destroyed many part of the tour but Nunu successfully helped us get around the local country shortcomings (e.g., strikes, closures). Expert driving as well. Kudos.

It was awesome. We weren’t rushed and most of the drives were less than 4 hours total a day The guide, was unbelievable great. He’s a keeper as well as our bus driver

This tour was packed with sights, sounds, and tastes of Portugal, as well as much history surrounding the castles, palaces, cathedrals, and towns. The main tour guide, Pascal, as well as the Local Specialists were most informative and helped to make this a most memorable adventure. As advised in the brochure, a lot of walking was required, and it was worth it! My favorite location was the Ponta de Piedade, the sea-shaped cliffs in the Algarve, even with the 190 steps.