Top Travel Deals in Portugal

We had a fabulous trip. It’s what we have come to expect with Explore to be honest but all the same it needs to be said. Tour leader Alex was brilliant all week as was Paulo the van driver and lunchtime caterer supreme! The trip was run at a really good pace that kept everyone together - no mean feat in a group of 16. In the interests of openness and for feedback I would suggest that the hotel in Porto was rather basic. We paid for an extra night here before the event and do not consider the rate we paid was value for money for such a basic hotel room. It was of a lesser standard than a UK travelodge. Other hotels along the route were all of a good quality with Monday and Thursday being especially so.

This was the first time I have been to Portugal and found this trip a great way to get a taste of the south of the country. Excellent tour leader and support driver. I

This was our 3rd trip with Exodus and it did not disappoint. Our guide, Carla, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. The trip was extremely interesting and gave us a great overview of where in Portugal we would want to visit for a longer time in the future.

I can say that Portugal is at the top of my list for bike tour quality. Dejan was patient and knowledgeable and kept the group very informed of the day’s activities. He was direct and funny and made the group feel great about their cycling abilities. Pedro was a great driver and picnic chef. Very kind and knowledgeable about the many areas we biked thru. Thank you!!

It was a fabulous trip! Our leader Alejandro was so kind, patient and helpful. Our support person Paulo was also incredible with his fabulous daily lunch spread. My concerns are as follows : 1) We only had 15 minutes in Obidos, which is somewhere that merited a visit for at least a couple of hours. I was looking forward to visiting Obidos as one of the highlights of our trip as it is such a unique and historic place. According to the itinerary-we were to have a walking tour. Perhaps for the future, the cycling could start a little earlier on the Óbidos day and the coffee break and or lunch could be in Óbidos. 2) We also felt as though the coffee stops every morning were a bit long and generally unnecessary. This is the first cycle trip that we’ve been on where we’ve stopped at restaurants for morning coffee. Perhaps in the future the van could meet cyclists along the route with a snack/refreshments if needed (this is what we’ve always experienced) 3) on our last day we cycled on unpaved roads that were billed as “well graded” on the itinerary.. I would go so far as to say they were barely graded, rocky alternating with sandy and very uncomfortable to cycle on.

This was our first trip with Explore! My wife and I found it to be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. The itinerary gave us a chance to see a lot of Madeira and the hikes we went on were interesting and allowed us to experience different terrains and conditions! (Rain in the north and lush forest, sunshine in the south and dry paths). We also got to sample many of the regional dishes and beverages (poncha!) as well as visit some iconic sites on Madeira e.g. the western lighthouse, rumours factory. Our guide, Felipe, was excellent and very knowledgeable and helpful. Easy to talk to and we appreciated how well he took care of the group. Felipe also had some great suggestions for restaurants and things to do on our free time. One of which led to us going whale watching and having a whale go right under our boat! Such a great experience! Overall this walking tour was a terrific experience. It did challenge me to get out of my comfort zone (the 'Stairway to Heaven' walk !) but I'm glad I did it! I'd recommend this tour to anyone who likes hiking and has a good level of fitness (the terrain can be a challenge). You even get to meet many lovely people with similar interests. Walking Madeira with Explore! will live long in the memory.