Luxury Portugal Trip Review: Monsaraz, Tavira, Porto, Mealhada, Alentejo Area, Fatima, Dinner with Local Family, Winery Visit

What a fantastic trip to Portugal! Working with Filomena at our travel agency was such a pleasure. She put together an itinerary that was better and more comprehensive than we could have imagined. We were able to see so much of the country without feeling rushed. The highlight of the trip was having dinner with a family in the Alentejo area. They were perfect hosts and are now lifelong friends. Just seeing how they live, interacting with several of their children (16, 13, 12), having vibrant conversation and incredible Portuguese food let us experience the “real” Portugal.  
Our trip was made of experiences. We enjoyed: the different food tours; visiting a cork farm, a winery and the antiquity of Portugal; seeing rugs made, dolls, pottery and tiles painted. Our excellent guides found us so many special places that are not normal “tourist” stops and introduced us to local foods and pastries. The pastry in Monsaraz, the cataplana in Tavira, the bifana in Porto and the suckling pig in Mealhada were all treats our guides introduced us to.
I posted pictures every day on FaceBook and the response was amazing. People who have been to Portugal couldn’t believe how many things we saw and experiences we had. Those who have not even considered Portugal have now put it at the top of their list.
Thank you, Filomena, and your whole company for making our trip to Portugal a memorable experience.