14 Sep 2024
We had a wonderful adventure to the Geles National Park with the amazing guide Andre. The park is stunning, the hike is thoroughly enjoyable and doable (even for us Gen-xers!) and the stop at the lagoon was just magical. The water was ice cold but the sun was just warm enough to encourage most participants to take the plunge and enjoy the incredible natural high. We then had ample time to relax and dry off on the warm smooth rocks before embarking on the hike back.
We saw wild horses and goats, and, at the end, quite a few of the village free-range cows up VERY close! Andre was easy going but extremely knowledgeable, interesting and focused on everyone’s safety and enjoyment. He made an effort to connect with everyone (a diverse group in terms of age and nationality) His leadership truly enhanced an already terrific experience. We can’t wait to come back and try the Douro tour with him!
The ride out to Geles was close to 2 hours each way, but the van was comfortable and there’s a stop on the way out to get breakfast treats and coffee. Note that there is no lunch stop although there is a snack shack at the end of the hike where you can get simple sandwiches, chips, soda and beer.
Thank you Andre - and see you on our next trip!