03 Aug 2025
This was the first of three tours we were to take with Pedro. Picked up outside our apartment we drove out of Porto into the Minho region, with its lush green countryside, in NE Portugal, and the city of Braga was our first stop. It is the 3rd largest city in Portugal, settled by the Romans in1BC, and has the first cathedral erected in Portugal, before the country was founded. These credentials alone, make a return visit necessary, because there is so much history around you to see and absorb, but our host was more intent on introducing us to the local bakery and to sample the cakes and sweets and to enjoy a coffee; culturally more relevant than taking photos! The itinerary is an impressive one - the spectacular baroque staircase with 17 landings at the Bom Jesus Funicular and Sanctuary and the Roman bridge at Ponte de Lima, to list just two, but it is the lunch with unlimited vinho verde in a small corner of the latter town, which Pedro had ‘discovered,’ that provided the most authentic experience…with no tourists in sight!
This tour is a wonderful introduction to northern Portugal by one of their best ambassadors!
Susan & Graeme (Australia) 5*