We visited Lisbon, Portugal for the first time ever in late February 2017. In searching for things to do, we decided to follow the beaten path of other travelers who took day tours. We opted to do a private tour led by Joao to visit Sintra (including the National Palace of Pena, Santuário da Peninha), Cascais, and Estoril areas. While in Sintra, João took us to a local restaurant, Restaurante Típico Pão De Trigo. He suggested we try the young, green wine and a local type of fresh cheese which were awesome. But, I must say another of his suggestion, the local dish, “seafood rice” won the lunch; its an absolute must have! There were other areas that we visited that are not common to other tours — our tour was personable which I have come to appreciate (in hindsight). João is knowledgeable of the historical background/importance and is very entertaining, but more importantly, my wife who often suffers from motion sickness had zero issues as he masterfully commanded the Mercedes-Benz van (with manual transmission) through the narrow, winding and mountainous roads that are common in Portugal. João Correia is a great steward for Lisbon and Portugal!
REVIEWS
“The guide was a delight as he knew much about the fascinating history of Portugal. He also was very attentive to our many questions about the culture of today. We stopped to eat at the famous Antiga Confeitaria de Belem for their Pasteis de Belem which was AMAZING! Warm out of the oven. THE ABSOLUTE BEST. Jeronimos Monestary was a must see – magnificent. “