Portugal Tours for Experienced Travelers

Far Exceeded my expectations. Walking the Remote Coastal Trails in Portugal was an absolutely amazing adventure, with breathtaking views, beautiful beaches, dramatic coastline, sea stacks, arches, and lighthouses galore. This picturesque hike along some of the most spectacular shoreline is a Photographers delight. Our lodging in the small town of Sagress, for the week, was sublime. Quaint coffee shops, excellent dinning options, several beaches, a fishing port and market, and historical fort/museum made for the perfect location. Our hotel, Casa Azul, was quaint, with very spacious well decorated rooms. Their hearty delicious breakfast saw us well prepared for each days activity. Ester is an Exceptional Guide. Very professional, knowledgeable, adaptable, and informative; she provided daily hiking briefings, detailing the terrain, millage, conditions, pointing out the best beaches, vantage points, hidden gems and most importantly… coffee stops. She ensured we were all ready for our daily treks by monitoring our physical and mental state throughout the week. Her light smile masked her real strength in managing/coordination our trip, expertise in hiking and climbing, knowledge of the area, geographical formations, historical accounts of the areas, and multiple languages; all provided indispensable as a guide. Her easy demeanour, made her a delight to all hikers and people we encountered including other tourists, local business, and even shepherds in the field. Adaptable; she adjusted our starting location due to hazardous condition on a trail, providing for our safety. Storytelling; while having our picnic lunch in a narrow ravine out of the wind, Ester retold an adventure, both humours and nerve-racking attempt, to climb an ice mountain. Ester displayed a genuine passion for her life and role as a guide..

I loved every place we visited, but it was too much info and too much of being on the go. U favorite place to visit had to be Montserrat in Barcelona, Spain. The mountains were so unique and the area so remote and beautiful! I also loved the Pyrenees mountains where we were able to pray the Stations of the Cross. The statues depicting the 14 stations were so realistic and I felt I was there. Just being in the mountains was surreal!

This trip blends the best of the coastal route from Porto with the stunning, lesser-known Spiritual Variant trail. Hiking over 100 km (62 miles) along the Portuguese Camino Highlights Walk was challenging but very rewarding. The coastal walks offered stunning views of the coastline and ocean and I loved walking through the quaint fishing villages along the coast. The Stone & Water trail and the Spiritual Variant trail offered stunning scenery, peaceful forests, rivers, and charming medieval villages and country towns along the way. The food was a highlight too—fresh seafood and traditional local dishes at every stop. I highly recommend trying local dishes such as Galician Pulpo (octopus), Galician scallops (in the shell), and Padron peppers! On Day 5 and 6, we stayed at Villa Covelo and stumbled upon a local restaurant called, O Recuncho do lolo, and had an incredible local experience here! The owner Graciela was so hospitable and kind that we dined there two evenings in a row! You must try her cheesecake (she sold us by telling us it was the best in the world- and it very well might be!) The accommodations at A Casa Antiga do Monte and Hotel Melo Alvim were cozy, historic, and full of character. If you’re thinking about doing a "highlights version" of the Camino, this Exodus trip is the perfect way to do it! :)

Benni our leader was excellent enthusiastic cheerful and loooked after our group . The hotel selected (as usual one was having work done ) was too far away from main town so there were no places to wander to nearby other than a main road without a pavement ! Fortunately for the evening meals a minibus was provided to take us from hotel to Funchal ( even if you wanted to go elsewhere in Funchal ) but there wasn’t one provided on the free day . Fortunately could use local buses or taxis / uber

My first time with Collette tours and my first trip to Spain& Portugal. Everything was so well organized, excellent local tour guides and our tour manager Luis was the best, always very helpful and very knowledgeable. Our tour bus was new and comfortable and our bus driver Carlos was the best, excellent driver! I really enjoyed my trip! Will be using Collette again for my next tour.

Very varied and excellent itinerary with food and wine tasting on several occasions. Beautiful scenery and a very knowledgeable guide who enabled us to see most of the island. I love the small group size too and enjoyed getting to know people