For our summer Kan Family trip, we decided to spend two weeks in Portugal. In July, we started our trip by flying British Airways to Porto via London. It was the first time we traveled on the A380 and in premium economy class. Audrey’s Family flew from Hong Kong and made a one-day stop at Madrid.
On the first day in Porto, we joined a half-day bus tour and visited places such as the Igreja do Carmo and Sao Bento Railway Station. JK Rowling was living in Porto when she wrote the first book of Harry Potter. Consequently, we visited a few locations where she got the inspiration from when she wrote the first book. We crossed the Douro River to Gaia, where most of the wineries were located. After lunch, we joined a boat tour that brought us closer to the seven bridges that Porto was famous for.
On the second day, we joined another half-day tour to Costa Nova and Aveiro. Costa Nova was a beach town where the houses along the beach were painted in colorful stripes. In Aveiro, we took a gondola boat tour. We then returned to Porto in the afternoon and spent some free time walking around town.
On the third day, we rented a car and drove south to Sintra. Along the way, we made a stop in Fatima. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima was not crowded at all. We found out Pope Francis would visit Fatima in two weeks during World Youth Week and heard that 200,000 people were expected to pack the plaza.
We also stopped in Nazar, which is famous for its huge waves in the winter. However, the sea was very calm during the summer months.
On the fifth day, we had a private tour that took us around Sintra and Carcais. We visited the National Palace of Pena, which includes the Romanticism Palace and its surrounding gardens.
During the private tour in Sintra, we also visited the Quinta Da Regaleira and the nearby Glorious Garden of Eden. Inside the garden were the two famous initiation wells. After lunch, we went to Cabo da Roca, which is the most western end of Europe.
We stayed nearly a week in Sintra. One day, we went to a nearby beach, where the Fabulous Five (ACAKA) took a private group surfing lesson.
Per the girls’ request, we went to Magneto Beach one afternoon. Afterward, we drove to Azenha do Mar beach for dinner. The restaurant sat on a cliff, overseeing the Atlantic Ocean. It was a breathtaking view!
We originally planned to drive to the Algarve, which is three hours south of Sintra. However, our guide during the Sintra tour offered us a private tour of the Algarve instead. We were pleased with his knowledge and service during the Sintra private tour, so we decided to take on his offer. We paid nearly half of what we would otherwise have to pay if we took another Viator tour. We first toured Albufeira. Then, we took a speed boat to see the Algarve beaches and Benagil Caves. The cave was amazing, and many of the beaches were only accessible by kayaks.
After the speed boat tour, our tour guide dropped us off for lunch in Alvor. We tried a Seafood Cataplana. Alvor is where the Torre River widened before it reached the Atlantic Ocean. Afterward, we made a quick stop in Prainha before reaching Lagos, which was the last of our Algarve tour.
On another day, we found an adventure land approximately 30 minutes away from our Sintra hotel. We went through a rope course and flew across multiple zip lines. Fab Five and their fabulous parents had tremendous fun climbing and flying 14″ over the trees! Avril was a bit nervous in the beginning but she managed to complete most of the course. At night, we did some simple home cooking at our hotel and watched the sunset.
After a few days in Sintra, we drove southeast towards Lisbon. We stopped by Belém Tower and had lunch around that area.
Driving and parking the cars in Lisbon was difficult, so it was a big relief when we returned the cars. We had some time to walk around Rue Augusta, which was adjacent to our hotel. At night, the street was packed with tourists and performers.
On our first full day in Lisbon, we scheduled two private Tuk-Tuk tours to take us around the city. We first went to the top level of the Santa Justa Lift, then continued to the Estrela Basilica, the LX factory (which was converted from factory buildings), and the Monument to the Discoveries. We also tried the pastel de nata (Portuguese egg tart) from Pastéis de Belém, where the egg tart originated from.
We initially planned to ride the duck tour (or amphibian tour). However, we switched plans almost last minute and joined a Dolphin-watching tour instead. We were able to see a pod of dolphins almost right away. The ferry terminal was next to where NewJean’s Super Shy MV was filmed, so we stopped by and had lunch in that neighborhood.
On the second to the last day, we went to the TimeOut Market for lunch and passed by the Pink Road on the way. In the afternoon, Dad took Fab Five to an escape room next to our Airbnb. The theme of the escape room was the Portuguese writer, Fernando Pessoa. It was really fun, and the Fab Five managed to escape the room when there were only three minutes left on the clock. The Fab Five were so inspired by the escape room that they set up one for the adults in our hotel suite. It was well thought out and creatively! Thanks, Fab Five!
On the last day, we had to leave the Airbnb around 5 a.m. for a morning flight. 3A came to our room to say goodbye. The drivers said we were lucky to leave Lisbon that day because most streets would be closed in two days in preparation for the Pope’s visit. When we arrived at the gate, we were surprised that our British Airway plane had a special livery, which is uncommon for the British Airway. After stopping at Heathrow, we continued our journey back on another A380. This time, both boys went down the Aft staircase to explore the lower level.
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