Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Lisbon, Cascais, Estoril & Sintra
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Lisbon, Cascais, Estoril & Sintra
WJ Tested: Insight Vacations – Day 5: Lisbon, Cascais, Estoril & Sintra in Portugal
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Lisbon, Cascais, Estoril & Sintra
16-Night Motorcoach Trip in 2011
Portugal: Lisbon
Today, our included 3-hour driving tour of Lisbon was scheduled for the morning, so that still meant a 7 am wake-up call, followed by breakfast buffet in the ballroom with the other tour groups staying at the hotel. We met our local tour guide, Laura, in the lobby at 8:30 am and quickly left on the coach with Joao (his last day as our driver). Laura, born and raised in Lisbon, gave a fabulous commentary as we drove through the city. She pointed out all the main sights and attractions, such as: Castle of Sao Jorge; Rossio Square; Rua Augusta; Avenida da Liberdade; Columbus Monument; Belem Tower.
We also had time to depart the coach and walk with Laura to view the interior of Jeronimos Monastery, the resting place of Vasco da Gama. Javier had been along for the ride through the city this morning, but had disappeared when we left the coach to spend time at Jeronimos Monastery. Upon arriving back at the coach, we discovered where Javier had been and what he had been doing – he was armed with bags of the famous Pasteis de Belem – custard tarts. He had run off to Antiga Confeitaria de Belem, a shop which has been making the Pasteis de Belem since 1837 (they make 10,000 of these delicate tarts daily), and brought us each one to sample. They were to die for!
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Cascais
Optional Excursion: Cascais, Estoril & Sintra
The afternoon’s optional excursion was a visit to Cascais, Estoril and Sintra. Laura continued on as our guide for the 4.5-hour tour and once we boarded the coach again, Joao drove us from Lisbon along the scenic Atlantic coast through Estoril with its famous casino and Portuguese mansions. Upon arriving in Cascais we had 90 minutes of free time. Laura suggested we lunch at Dom Manolo trying either the sardines or chicken piri piri and wander through the town and find Santini in the center of the old town for a scoop (or two) of its delicious ice cream.
Insight Vacations Review – Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco – Sintra
Following lunch we continued along the scenic coastal route lined with beautiful beaches, until we cut inland and made our way through forests to Sintra, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, with architecture heavily influenced by the Moors.
Free Evening
By 5 pm we were back at the Marriott Hotel and had a free evening to ourselves. With the Marriott not being in a central location, most opted to dine at the hotel restaurant or retire to their room rather than taking a taxi into town.
If You Go:
Visit WAVEJourney’s Insight Vacations Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco Review:
Overview | Itinerary | Hotels | Photos | Day 1: Madrid | Day 2: Segovia | Day 3: Toledo & Salamanca | Day 4: Fatima & Lisbon | Day 5: Lisbon & Cascais | Day 6: Sevilla | Day 7: Cordoba | Day 8: Gibraltar & Tangier | Day 9: Fes | Day 10: Fes & Meknes | Day 11: Marrakesh | Day 12: Ourika Valley & Marrakesh | Day 13: Casablanca & Rabat | Day 14: Torremolinos | Day 15: Granada | Day 16: Madrid |
