Portugal Local culture Trips

Our seven day trip, covering Porto, the Douro wine region, the city of Lisbon and beautiful Obidos was a fabulous introduction to this beautiful country. Transportation was with a comfortable small coach, which did not involve unduly long journeys between our numerous destinations. Hotel stays were comfortable and well located in the towns and villages visited. Our group of nine people were superbly led, guided, supported (and educated!) by the wonderful Carla Costa, who played such an important role in our overall enjoyment. One of the very best tours I have ever experienced.

The Azores are beautiful and I enjoyed all the nature areas. The people are nice. The volcanic cave and the thermal pool was enjoyable. Whale watching and visiting Pico was well worth it.

We enjoyed all the stops; Elvas the least. The high energy flamenco experience was terrific. The restaurant for the welcome dinner was a bit disappointing—all others were great! La Sagrada Familia and Alhambra were highlights. Valencia was a great surprise. Really enjoyed the paella experience. I have 1,026 photos of wonderful places and memories.

It would be impossible to have a favorite…. As much as I loved seeing all the old city centers as well as walled cities, cathedrals and palaces, I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know all the other members in our group! Some were from the US and others from Australia and Korea. The dinners where we were all together are some of my favorite memories!

There were 22 in our group, 16 associated with a Sun City community and 6 who joined on their own. A very congenial group! Our tour manager, Elena Planas, was top of her class! So prepared each day with information on our stops/tours, all touched by her wonderful humor. She balanced each day with great finesse. Highlights were a dinner with Fado music in Lisbon - and eating pastiche de nata (or Belem...sooo good!); visiting a one-woman olive oil production in a small village in Spain (sooo impressive is she!); Salamanca; bullfighting museum; Douro Valley (stunning!); walking a small bit of the Camino (wonderful guide!) and sharing all of this with our dear friends. A wonderful trip. Shout out to Collette for helping with our return flight - we missed our connection back to the US. Not a problem with Collette!

I travel a lot, but this tour was truly one of my favorites. Everything was thoughtfully planned down to the smallest details. The itinerary included some of the most beautiful towns and cities in Spain and Portugal, comfortable buses, an interesting cultural program, delicious local food and restaurants, live music, and amazing entertainment. The Flamenco show was especially unforgettable. The hotels were beautiful and located in the best areas, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. A very special thank you goes to our guide, who was incredibly helpful, caring, and dedicated throughout the entire trip. He created such a friendly, fun, and relaxed atmosphere for all of us, and it made the journey even more memorable.