12 Apr 2023
As he promised, Frederico, the founder and owner of EpiTravels was early and in the location we'd agreed on to pick us up. He offered us a bottled water and had plenty on hand for a long excursion. Frederico explained that he could customize the tour to our liking and cut certain parts shorter to accommodate more of what we wanted to see.
Our first stop was Setúbal and it was a treat! We visited the large central square, the hugh fish/farmer's market and the waterfront. This part of the country is "real" Portugal. There were no throngs of tourists, just a beautiful city being itself with all its' charm.
We then traveled to Sesimbra and stopped at several beautiful overlooks en route. In Sesimbra, Frederico let us off by the beach to minimize our walking while he parked the car. The town is quaint and cute and inviting. We had a delicious lunch of seafood and rice with a fabulous water view.
After lunch we headed to Arrábida, a huge and protected natural park, with several more scenic overlook stops and a visit to an ancient church (whose name I can't remember ;) perched high on a cape.
This area is famous for its' wine and if time had permitted we would have enjoyed a wine tasting. Maybe next time.
I can't emphasize enough how it will maximize your visit to Portugal to go with Frederico on this tour and others that he offers. It will be the best use of your money and time. He is a professional, well-versed in Portuguese history and an all around super guy.