Chris Trost's Travel Blog

Azore Islands - Lisbon - Sintra - Cascais - Casablanca

January 28 - February 6, 2025

Assorted Photos from My Trip

Flag of Portugal

Table of Contents

Post-Trip Summary

Day 1 - Tuesday, January, 28, 2025 - Depart for Azores

Day 2 - Wednesday, January, 29, 2025 - Tour Azores - Nordeste

Day 3 - Thursday, January, 30, 2025 - Tour Azores - Furnas & East

Day 4 - Friday, January, 31, 2025 - Tour Azores- Sete Cidades & West

Day 5 - Saturday, February, 01, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Day 6 - Sunday, February, 02, 2025 - Lisbon Day Tour (Sintra, Cape Roca, Cascais)

Day 7 - Monday, February, 03, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Day 8 - Tuesday, February, 04, 2025 - Travel to Casablanca

Day 9 - Wednesday, February, 05, 2025 - Tour Casablanca

Day 10 - Thursday, February, 06, 2025 - Return to US

Post-Trip Summary

Instead of returning to the US from a 13-Day Morocco tour, I extended my stay in the region 10 days, spending 7 of those day in Portugal (4 Azores, 3 Lisbon) and the last few days back in Casablanca, Morocco before returning to the United States. This was my second time in Portugal, having circumnavigated the entire country and the island of Madeira solo in November 2002.

How Long Was Your Trip? When Did You Go? Where Did You Go? The trip lasted 10 days from January 28 to February 6, 2025. I spent:

1/2-day flying back and forth from Morocco to Portugal
3-1/2 days in the city of Ponta Delgado on the Azore Island of Sao Miguel
3 days in Lisbon and environs (Sintra, Cape Roca, Cascais)
2 days in Casablanca, Morocco
1 day flying back to the USA via Boston

Did You Do This on Your Own or with a Tour Company? I did this trip on my own. By consulting travel guides and websites, it was easy to plan.

How Did You Get There and Back? I flew from Casablanca, Morocco to San Miguel Island in the Azores via Lisbon. I then flew back to Lisbon for a few days, then back to Casablanca to catch my flight home. Once on the ground in the Azores and Lisbon, I traveled about 160 miles on jeep tours (Azores) and 50 miles via public transportation (Lisbon and environs).

Air Travel Map - 6,014 Miles

Azores Ground Travel Map - 160 Miles

Lisbon Ground Travel Map - 50 Miles

Was It Easy Navigating Your Way Around? Yes, because we were situated in the heart of each town within walking distance to most everything or within easy reach of public transportation.

Where Did You Stay? We stayed in a couple of 3-star hotels. All were were in the center of town. All were modern, clean, and comfortable, with excellent restaurants and amenities.

Azores, Lisbon, Casablanca Hotels

In Portugal, power plugs and sockets of type C and E are used. The standard voltage is 230 V at a frequency of 50 Hz. You'll need a plug adapter to fit the electrical sockets.

European Type C/E and F Plugs & Sockets

Meals? Since we were not on a tour, I enjoyed finding our own places to eat and took advantage of the tasty local fare wherever I was.

How was the Weather? I traveled in January-February. The weather was chilly at night (low 50's F) and moderate during the day (mid 60s F) It rained occasionally.

Portugal Weather in January - February

What Clothing Did You Pack? I brought more clothes than usual for the trip since I was traveling during winter. Hence, long pants and shirts that I could layer, along with my rain jacket/windbreaker, gloves and a hat. I brought two pairs of comfortable shoes. As usual, the socks and underlayers were all "Dri-Fit" material that could be washed every few days in the hotel sink.

What was the Time Difference? The Azores are 5 hours ahead of my home town time zone in Milwaukee (US, Central Time, GMT/UTC −06:00) and Lisbon is 6 hours ahead. Morocco is 7 hours ahead. There was no jet lag since I had already adapted to the time difference on the first leg of this 23-day trip.

What Was the Currency? What Were Prices Like? Portugal uses the Euro. I used my credit card as much as I could and got cash from bank ATMs as needed. The conversion rates and fees were outageous (14%+) so I'd recommend getting Euros before leaving the US.

Euro - 1 Euro = $1.06 as of 1/15/2025

What Did This Whole Trip Cost You? This trip extension was relatively inexpensive. I spent $2,300 in total, or about $230 per day. It was money well spent and an excellent travel value. I paid 78% of the trip cost ($1,800) before leaving the US. Once on the ground, I spent another $500 on meals and incidentals.

Trip Extention Cost - $2,300 ($230/Day)

Special Trip Considerations.

Safety. Portugal boasts good security services, and the government prioritizes tourist safety. Petty theft is the most common issue you might encounter, but terrorism and kidnapping, though less frequent, are also concerns. In addition, certain travelers, namely women, may need to take certain precautions during their travels. You can get the lastes US Dept of State Travel Advisories here.
Air Quality. Air quality was generally quite good everywhere except car exhaust in Ponta Delgada irritated my throat during rush hour.
COVID. There are no mask or vaccine requirements but if you are concern, take action to protect yourself.
Physical Condition. We traversed a lot of steps, uneven surfaces, and steep grades absent high temperatures and humidity. If you have mobility or heat issues, this is probably not the tour for you.

Any Parting Comments? Travel is an adventure. It’s an opportunity to experience, learn and appreciate how people around the world live. While I’m always happy to come home at the end, I never come back the same person.

Following is a day-by-day account of my trip. Each day starts with an overview of what we did, followed by my daily journal. I stopped giving history lessons in my posts but added links you can click on to read more about the places I visited. You can just read on from here or go back up to the Table of Contents above and jump to a specific day or topic of interest.

Enjoy!

Go to Table of Contents

Day 1 - Tuesday, January, 28, 2025 - Depart for Azores

Azore Islands, Portugal

Itinerary: Fly Casablana, Morocco to Azore Islands, Portugal (via Lisbon)

About Azore Islands from Lonely Planet

Hotel: NEAT Hotel Avienda

Daily Journal

Weather: 62F and sunny

Today was a travel day. We had been on a Gate1 tour of Morocco for the past 12 days and it was time to move on to the self-guided portion of this 23-day trip. Instead of heading home to the US, we opted to spend another 11 days traveling around the region to the Azore Islands and Lisbon, Portugal. I had never been to the Azores so I was looking forward to 4 nights there. I had been in Lisbon in 2002 so was looking forward to getting reacquainted with this wonderful place. After breakfast at our hotel, we wandered through Casablanca for a few hours. At 12:30 pm, we met our Gate 1 driver, who took us to the Casablanca airport 45 minutes away (24 miles) for our 5 pm flight to the Azores via Lisbon. The process for getting out of Morocco was as cumbersome as getting in. Two baggage scans, four passport checks, and long lines. After an hour, we were at the food court waiting to board out flight to Lisbon. My travel friend's backpack fell off the top of his roller bag and he had to run back to the security checkpoint to retrieve it. Luckily, it had been found and brought to the last security checkpoint and he was happily reunited with it. I saw that bag and heard the commotion over an unaccompanied bag but didn't realize it was his. At 4 pm, we were taken to our plane on a bus. We managed to beat everyone onto the plane and store our carry-ons in the overhead bins before they filled up. By 5 pm, our full TAP Airlines Embraer 190 was airborne 1- 1/2 hours to Lisbon.

Casablanca - Our Plane to Lisbon

We arrived in Lisbon around 5:20 pm, gaining an hour on the way. We had a 4-hour layover in Lisbon, which made me wish I had booked that direct flight to Ponta Delgado when I first saw it. We had something to eat then sat around the waiting area for our gate to be announced. It was at this time that I discovered that Ponta Delgada taxis did not accept credit card payment and I was obliged to go find an ATM machine or currency exchange that did not charge a 14% exchange fee. We left Lisbon at 10:15 pm on our full TAP Air A320neo and arrived in Ponta Delgada on the Azore island of San Miguel around 11:45 pm, gaining another hour en route. Since I needed cash, I got Euros out of an ATM machine in the baggage claim area in Ponta Delgada but failed to find one without a 14% conversion fee, as was the case throughout the Azores and mainland Portugal. Next time I'll get Euros from my bank in the US before leaving the country.

Lisbon - Our Plane to the Azores

Azores - Ponta Delgada Int'l Airport

We caught an airport taxi to our hotel, the NEAT Avenida, three miles away in the center of Ponta Delgada and checked into our hotel at 12:15 am. Then it was straight to bed since we had a 7-1/2-hour island jeep tour in the morning.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 2 - Wednesday, January, 29, 2025 - Tour Azores - Nordeste

Sao Miguel Island (Azores) Touring Map

Itinerary: Jeep Tour to Nordeste (Link), Sao Miguel Island

About Azore Islands from Lonely Planet

Hotel: NEAT Hotel Avienda

Daily Journal

Weather: 62F and sunny

Summary: Today we did an all-day jeep tour in Nordeste, a picturesque region in the northeast corner of San Miguel Island. After the tour, we explored Ponta Delgada's wonderful historic area. We were blown away by everything we saw.

I woke up at 6:15 am despite arriving at the hotel only six hours earlier. We had a leisurely and delicious American breakfast at the hotel around 7:30 am, then met our local guide, Roui, in the hotel lobby for an all-day tour of the northeast corner of San Miguel Island, known as Nordeste.

Azores - Vehicle for Jeep Tour

Our route led us east from Ponta Delgada down the shore road (Ocean Drive) through an affluent area and past the black basalt sand beaches before getting on the expressway and heading 30 miles to the northeast corner of the island.

Azores - Heading Out of Ponta Delgada

Along the way, our guide answered a lot of questions we had about the Azore Islands. San Miguel, where we were, is the largest of the nine Azore Islands with 125,000 inhabitants, or half the total population of the Azores. The climate is subtropical all year. The main industries are agriculture, fishing and tourism. San Miguel is 40 miles long east to west, and ten miles wide north to south.

I discovered quickly that the Azores are best experienced in person since my camera did no justice to the extraordinary beauty we encountered. In the end, it felt like I was on the Road to Hana in Hawaii, the south island of New Zealand, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Swiss Alps, all in one place.

Azores - Halfway Between Ponta Delgada and Nordeste

The San Miguel countryside was serene, with lush green rolling hills, sprawling dairy and tea farms, and quaint sleepy villages. There are reportedly two cows (beef or dairy) for every person. Outside Ponta Delgada, the population is much older.

Azores - Halfway Between Ponta Delgada and Nordeste

Azores - Nordeste Area

The first two stops on the tour were jawdropping scenic overlooks. The first one, Azores Ecopark - Sunrise and Sunset Balcony. This is a craggy point with waves crashing down below on both sides of a steep cliff. Overlooking the cliffs was a viewing platform with a swinging chair known as the Sunrise & Sunset Chair because you can see sunrise and sunset from this vantage point at the appropriate time of the day. Gorgeous views!

Azores - Nordeste - Sunrise & Sunset Balcony

The second overlook, Salto da Farinha, had beautiful gardens and a picnic area overlooking the waves crashing on the beach. Opposite the beach was a hiking trail going through the woods and over a bridge to a waterfall cascading over a high cliff above with small wading pools a little ways farther down river. Just beautiful.

Azores - Nordeste - Salto da Farinha

Our next stop was Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, home to the "Bridal Veil" falls and gardens. We took the rather daunting hiking trail to the waterfall. We then doubled back to the gardens on the other side of the parking lot where hiking trails take you past the gift shop and down to two more waterfalls.

Azores - Nordeste - Ribeira dos Caldeiroes

Our next stop was lunch at a place called Os Melos, where we enjoyed a sumptuous buffet featuring soup, salad, vegetables and freshly caught entrees like eel, cod, and tuna. I had a local Portuguese beer but the owner, Victor, brought me a local amber that was just as tasty. My travel friend got a whole bottle of Portuguese red wine. Desert was a raspberry yogurt or cheese cake.

Azores - Nordeste - Lunch Stop

After lunch, we toured the southern side of Nordeste, including opposing sides of a huge caldera with scenic overlooks. The first overlook, Miradoura da Ponta do Sossego, was similar to the previous overlooks with jaw dropping views and picnic areas. I even met a nice cat.

Azores - Nordeste - Ponta do Sossego

After Ponta do Sossego, we took the back country to our next destination. Because we were in a 4x4 Jeep, we were able to take roads that regular cars and vans couldn't get too. As we traversed the muddy back roads, we encountered wandering cows and rivers flowing over the road, eventually climbing steep switchbacks to the top of the caldera to a lookout called Parque da Merendas.

Azores - Nordeste - Parque da Merendas

After Parque da Merendas, we drove to the other side of the caldera to a lookout point called Caldeira Das Furnas. This was a precursor to tomorrow's all-day tour where we would go down into the bottom of the caldera for a close up view.

Azores - Nordeste - Caldeira Das Furnas

After visiting the Caldeira Das Furnas Overlook, we drove back to Ponta Delgada and walked through the exquisite historic center. I was not prepared for what I saw. I really loved all of the mosaic tile sidewalks and plazas, as well as all the beautiful baroque churches and buildings. We even climbed the city bell tower for a panoramic few of Ponta Delgada.

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Main Square

Azores - Ponta Delgada

Azores - Ponta Delgada - San Sebastian Church

Azores - Ponta Delgada

Azores - Ponta Delgada - City Hall

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Bell Tower City Hall

After the bell tower, we continued to wander the maze of beautiful streets and did some shopping at a local discount store and picked up some snacks at the grocery store behind our hotel.

Azores - Ponta Delgada

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Main Square

In the evening, we strolled the marina area where there were lots of bars and restaurants. We had a few beers at Bar Do Pi where a large group had gathered to watch Portugal play Italy for an opportunity to go to a major soccer tournament. Then it was back to our centrally located hotel and to bed.

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Main Square at Night

Go to Table of Contents

Day 3 - Thursday, January, 30, 2025 - Tour Azores - Furnas & East

Sao Miguel Island (Azores) Touring Map

Itinerary: Jeep Tour to Furnas Valley (Link), Sao Miguel Island

About Azore Islands from Lonely Planet

Hotel: NEAT Hotel Avienda

Daily Journal

Weather: 61F and partly cloudy

Summary: Today we had an all day tour of the east and central part of the island featuring the Caldeira das Furnas, a huge extinct volcano with a large lake, hot springs, and quaint villages.

At 9 am, our local guide, Joao, picked us up in the hotel lobby for a full day tour or the east side of San Miguel island and the Caldeira das Furnas. The tour's last two stops included places we had seen the previous day, but it was fine with us.

Azores - Vehicle for Tour

We left the hotel and drove to the neighboring town of Vila Franca de Campo, which was the first capital of the Azores. We picked up a Chinese couple who were working in Hungary for a renewable energy company.

Azores - Heading Out of Ponta Delgada

Azores - Vila Franca de Campo

The first stop on the tour was Nossa Senhora da Paz chapel with its panoramic view of the sea and surrounding countryside. We climbed 100 steps the chapel and were rewarded with a wonderful view, including Terceira Island with its inland lake.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Nossa Senhora da Paz

We then drove to Lagoa das Furnas, a lake inside a volcano with adjacent hot springs featuring steam and boiling water bubbling to the surface. At a place called Caldeira Terra Nostra, we saw how crock pots bearing food were cooked underground in the hot soil and served at nearby restaurants. We enjoyed this meal later in the day.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Lagoa das Furnas

We then drove to the town of Furnas where we stopped at Poca de Tia Silvina to soak our feet in the hot springs. If your feet get too hot, you can simply swiveled around and put your feet in the cold river water flowing alongside the hot springs.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Town of Furnas

Then we took a short walk over to a number of water spouts where you can sample the hot mineral waters, each with its own distinct flavor. The first sample was rich with iron and natural carbonation, so it tasted like blood. As we progressed, the iron content lessened and the water became more palatable. The last spout was called "holy water," though the priest who shadowed us during the sampling did not partake.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Town of Furnas

After the mineral water tasting, we stopped at a place called Loja le Artesanata to same the sweet liqueurs it produced. We had tangerine, coffee, licorice and cinnamon. I bought two small bottles of coffee and cinnamon liqueur as a souvenir.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Town of Furnas

For lunch, we stopped at a restaurant named Banhos Ferreos. Here we had a huge pot of food that was cooked in crock pots back in Furnas, along with white wine, bread, cheese and dessert. The crock pot dish had beef, pork, taro, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and other vegetables. It was tender and delicious.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Furnas Lunch Stop

After lunch, we stopped at Miradouro Pico de Ferro for an aerial view of the lake and hot springs from a different vantage point. I also made friends with a cat named Mimosa, whom I showered with cat treats. I was happy to see that someone had put out a bed, water and food dish for the cat.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Pico de Ferro

Our last two stops were places we had seen the previous day, Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes (Bridal Veil Falls and Gardens) and Miradoura da Ponta do Sossego.

Azores - Furnas Valley - Ribeira dos Caldeiroes

Azores - Furnas Valley - Ponta do Sossego

By 4:30 pm, we were back at our hotel. I went to the store, China Town, to shop for souvenirs. Later in the evening, we went to Ned Kelly's Irish Pub around the corner from the hotel and enjoyed a few beers while chatting with a 60-year-old couple who were in town from Boston for their 29th wedding anniversary. Coincidently, her daughter lived in Milwaukee off Brady Street and the owner's cousin was a SWAT Team member with the Milwaukee police department.

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Dinner Stop

Then it was back to the hotel. I tossed and turned since I had sinus drainage from the car exhaust in Ponta Delgada that lasted a few days.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 4 - Friday, January, 31, 2025 - Tour Azores - Sete Cidades & West

Sao Miguel Island (Azores) Touring Map

Itinerary: Jeep Tour to Sete Cidades (Link), Sao Miguel Island

About Azore Islands from Lonely Planet

Hotel: NEAT Hotel Avienda

Daily Journal

Weather: 62F and overcast

Summary: Today we took an all-day tour of the west side of San Miguel island, including the town of Sete Cidades at the bottom of the caldera of a huge extinct volcano, the waterfall at Lagoa do Fogo, a pineapple farm, and a rum distillery.

At 9 am, our local guide Joaquim picked us up at our hotel. The weather was not as nice as the previous two days. Our guide joked that in the Azores you could have four seasons in one day.

Azores - West Side - Vehicle for Tour

Azores - West Side - Heading to the Island West Side

From Ponta Delgada, we drove west to Sete Cidades, the location of a huge caldera with a large lagoon and hot springs in the crater. The first few stops were fogged in so we drove lower to Miradouro de Rei where we had a better view. From our vantage point, we could see the two lake s below. The lakes are actually one lagoon but considered two because during the summer one part of the lagoon is green and the other blue. We snapped some photos and admired the view. Behind us at the viewing platform was a large concrete building that was once a 5-star hotel called Monte Palace that was built by a local man but went bankrupt in 18 months. It has since been purchased by a Chinese investor and is still boarded up.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades

As we drove down the road to the lagoon and hot springs below, we admired the many non-native trees and plants like Japanese cedars and hydrangeas. Our guide showed us a picture of the hydrangeas in full bloom during the spring and summer months and it must be a sight to behold.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades - Hydrangeas

At the bottom of the lagoon we crossed the bridge that spanned the two lagoons, Ponte dos Regos.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades

We then drove through the quaint town of Sete Cidades, admiring the tidy homes and streets. We drove along the lagoon to the end of the road where we saw a tunnel that drains water from the lagoon when the water level gets too high. The tunnel goes all the way to the ocean 4 miles away.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades - Lichen

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades

We then stopped in Sete Cidades at Green Love Restaurant for coffee. There were a couple of orange cats there that I fed treats to, and some ducks that the cats ignored.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades - Green Love Restaurant

After coffee we continued through town and stopped at Igrejo de St Nikolau.

Azores - West Side - Sete Cidades

We returned to Ponta Delgada and visited a pineapple greenhouse called Ananas Santo Antonio. Pineapples are not native but grown organically. There are 200 greenhouses around the island. It takes 2-1/2 years for the pineapples to mature. They are very sweet and relished by locals and visitors alike.

Azores - Ponta Delgada

After the pineapple greenhouse, we drove into the nearby town of Cidade Lagoa for lunch at Cervejaria O Carlos. Our appetizers were a delicious local white cheese with hot sauce appetizer and a pork belly puree that you spread on cheese slices and eat with bread. My entrees was tuna with assorted vegetables. Dessert was a local cheese cake. And of course, there was lots of wine.

Azores - Cidade Lagoa - Local Church

Azores - Cidade Lagoa - Lunch Stop

After lunch, we drove to a scenic overlook at Lagoa do Fogo, but it was too rainy and cloudy to see anything, so we drove down to Salto do Cabrito waterfall instead.

Azores - West Side - Salto do Cabrito

After the waterfall, we went to a rum distillery in the town of Ribeira Grande, Mulher de Capote, for a tour and sampling. I had several samples. One tasted like Bailey's Irish Creme, another like Fireball, and one like lemon.

Azores - West Side - Town of Ribeira Grande

Our last stop in Ribeira Grande were the black sand beaches in Santa Barbara, the surfing capital of the Azores. Despite the gloomy weather, there were quite a few surfers.

Azores - West Side - Town of Ribeira Grande

In the evening, we went back to Ned Kelly's Irish Pub for a cheese burger and beer before heading back to the hotel to pack our bags and get ready for the trip to Lisbon the next day.

Azores - Ponta Delgada - Gentlemen's Club

Go to Table of Contents

Day 5 - Saturday, February, 01, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Lisbon & Environs

Itinerary: Fly from Ponta Delgada, Azore Islands to Lisbon. Tour Lisbon.

About Lisbon from Lonely Planet

Hotel: Hotel Gat Rossio

Daily Journal

Weather: 60F and overcast

Summary: Today we flew from the Azore Islands to mainland Portugal, then spent the rest of the day sighteseeing in Lisbon. I woke up 5:30 am, showered, packed my bags, and went down for breakfast. The hotel restaurant was nice enough to open early for us. At 6:30 am, we caught a cab outside the hotel and headed to the airport 20 minutes away. It took five minutes to check into our flight and find our gate.

Lisbon - Plane from Azores to Lisbon

Lisbon - Arriving in Lisbon

At 8:35 am, our TAP Air A321neo was en route 2 hours to Lisbon. I had an emergency aisle seat with lots of legroom. The meal was a measly little ham sandwich and fruit cup. We arrived in Lisbon around noon and took the metro 45 minutes to our hotel near Rossio Square. As expected, the hotel was just off Rossio Square right next to the subway and walking distance to everything.

Lisbon - Hotel Gat Street on Rossio Square

Our room was not ready so we left our bags with reception and spent the next several hours walking around the old town.

Lisbon - Rossio Plaza

Lisbon - National Theater

Lisbon - Rossio Train Station

Lisbon - Near Rossio Square

Lisbon - Church of Sao Domingos

Lisbon - Near Rossio Square

Lisbon - I'll Go Back on Diet Next Week

Lisbon - Praca da Figueira

Lisbon - Santa Justa Lift

Lisbon - Shopping Area Near Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Near Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Praca de Comercio

Lisbon - Shopping Area Near Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Ocean Front Near Praca de Comercio

Lisbon - Sao Jorge Castle

Lisbon - Shopping Area Near Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Shopping Area Near Praca do Comercio - Tiles

Lisbon - Near Praca do Comercio - Sardine Store

Lisbon - Near Praca do Comercio - Tiles

Lisbon - Near Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Alfama District

Lisbon - Alfama District - St Anthony Church

Lisbon - Alfama District - #28 Street Cars

Lisbon - Se de Lisboa (Cathedral)

Lisbon - Alfama District - St Nicholas Church

Lisbon - Alfama District - Taxis by Cathedral

Lisbon - Alfama District

Lisbon - Alfama District - Food Shops

Lisbon - Alfama District - Coffee Shop

Lisbon - Alfama District - Termas dos Cassios

By early evening, we had had enough walking and went back to the hotel to rest. Castelo de São Jorge looked majestic all lit up on the top of the hill overlooking Lisbon.

Lisbon - Alfama District - Sao Jorge Castle

Go to Table of Contents

Day 6 - Sunday, February, 02, 2025 - Lisbon Day Tour (Sintra, Cape Roca, Cascais)

Lisbon & Environs

Itinerary: Day tour to nearby Sintra, Cape Roca and Cascais

Hotel: Hotel Gat Rossio

About Lisbon from Lonely Planet

Daily Journal

Weather: 58Fand overcast

Summary: At the spur of the moment, we decided to go to Sintra and Cascais a day earlier than planned, opting to save the last day for visiting the remaining sites in Lisbon.

I got up at 6:00 am. The room was very comfortable and I slept well. The hotel breakfast was fantastic. And the hotel location couldn't have more perfect. Instead of waiting another day to visit Sintra and Cascais, we opted to switch our days around and visit these cities today rather than tomorrow. Although the weather wasn't perfect, it was February afterall and you can never tell what the weather will be like.

At 8 am, we met our tour group and local guide, Rita, two blocks away in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. Our group of 8 had couples from Singapore, Malaysia and New Jersey.

Lisbon - Rossio Square - Hard Rock Cafe

Lisbon - Rossio Square - Hard Rock Cafe - Waiting for Tour

Lisbon - Rossio Square - Rita Tour Guide for Sintra/Cascais

Although the weather in Lisbon was overcast, it was foggy and raining in Sintra when we arrived there 45 minutes later. The entirety of Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which easily overshadowed the inclement weather. Our first stop in Sintra was the Pena Palace, a 19th century gem perched on a hilltop above the town and visible from Lisbon on a clear day.

Sintra - Pena Palace

We parked the van and trudged up a steep hill to the palace. We toured the castle exterior in the wind and rain, then, soaked thoroughly, ventured inside to view the exquisite rooms and furnishings.

Sintra - Pena Palace

The exterior palace looks like something out of medieval times but with Portuguese flair, most notably, the azulejos tiles which have a white glaze with a painted design on top.

Sintra - Pena Palace

We waited briefly in the steady rain waiting for our turn to go inside the castle. The inside did not disappoint as we visited the living quarters and rooms used for entertaining. Since the palace was used largely during the staggeringly hot summers, there was little heating and a steady cool breeze blew through the palace.

Sintra - Pena Palace

After the palace, we drove down into Sintra old town and had an hour to stroll through the narrow, colorful, cobblestone streets doing some shopping and stopping for coffee.

Sintra - Historic Downtown

Sintra - Historic Downtown - National Palace of Sintra

After Sintra, we drove to nearby Cascais, with a stop at Cape Roca, to admire the scenic view of the cliffs and ocean crashing on the shore below. Cape Roca is the westernmost point on the European continent. At Cape Roca, there was a large police and ambulance presence as someone either jumped or got blown off the cliff to an untimely demise just before we got their. It was incredibly windy and I thought I might get blown off the top of the mountain myself.

Cape Roca - Scenic Overlook

After Cape Roca, we continued to Cascais, an affluent coastal town with a natural harbor. On the way in we admired the beach, Citadel, marina, and charm of the downtown area. We were dropped off at the harbor front and given two hours to explore on our own. We hit the major sites, stopped for lunch and did some shopping.

Cascais - Coming into Town

Cascais - Downtown Area

Cascais - Downtown Area - Citadel

Cascais - Downtown Area

Cascais - Downtown Area - Cascais Mansion

Cascais - Downtown Area

We left Cascais around 3:15 pm and were back in Lisbon by 4 pm.

We relaxed at the hotel for a few hours and then went strolling around town, mostly in the historic Baixa/Chiado neighborhood. We stopped at a number of churches, the oldest bookstore in the world, Livraria Bertrand, Pink Street, and ultimately Time Out Market (Ribreira Market) for dinner and people watching.

Lisbon - Sao Jorge Castle from Rossio Square

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Livraria Bertrand Bookstore

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Our Lady of the Loreto Church

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Lady of the Incarnation Church

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Barber Shop

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Pink Street

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Smallest Bar

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Beautiful Tiles

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Time Out Market

Lisbon - Elevador da Gloria

After dinner we stopped for a beer then back to the hotel for the night.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 7 - Monday, February, 03, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Lisbon & Environs

Itinerary: Self-guided tour of Lisbon.

Hotel: Hotel Gat Rossio

About Sintra from Lonely Planet

About Cascais from Lonely Planet

Daily Journal

Weather: 60F and sunny

Summary: We spent the last day in Lisbon wrapping up our touring on foot, with the highlights being riding the #28 Street Car and visiting Sao Jorge Castle for panoramic views of Lisbon.

I got up at 6 am, showered and went to breakfast. It was my travel friend's birthday so the hotel staff sang happy birthday at breakfast. It was totally unexpected.

Lisbon - Happy Birthday!

After breakfast, we hiked a short distance to Moniz Plaza to catch the #28 street car to Sao Jorge Castle. The street car made a very lovely tour up the hill and over winding cobblestone streets through residential neighborhoods. There was no sign telling you when to get off for the castle so we had to hike back one street car stop to the road leading to the castle entrance.

Lisbon - Moniz Square - Catch the #28 Streetcar Here

Lisbon - Alfama District - #28 Streetcar

Lisbon - Alfama District - #28 Streetcar - Castle Stop - Walk Up Hll

Lisbon - Alfama District - Walking Up to Castle

After entering the castle, we did what everyone does which is to head over to the observation area for some nice panoramic views of Lisbon.

Lisbon - Alfama District - Sao Jorge Castle

We then embarked on a walking tour of the castle, walking through courtyards and up stairs to the castle walls and ramparts. There were a number of peacocks on the grounds that howled like lonely cats.

Lisbon - Alfama District - Sao Jorge Castle

The last stop at the castle was the museum with a number of interesting artifacts found on the castle grounds over several hundred years.

Lisbon - Alfama District - Sao Jorge Castle

After the castle visit, we hiked back down the hill to town, making a few stops at all the local craft stores along the way.

Lisbon - Alfama District - Walking Down from Sao Jorge Castle

Once back in town, we visited some of the places we had seen the previous night under the cloak of darkness, while discovering some new places.

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - City Hall

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Interesting Shops

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Pink Street by Day

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - St Paul Church

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Outside of Time Out Market

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Azulejo Tile

Lisbon - Oceanfront by Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Praca do Comercio

Lisbon - Musicians Near Praca do Comercio

Eventually we returned to the hotel to rest from all the walking. Around 3:00 pm, I went for a walk north up the Avenue de Liberdade to browse the high end stores and see if I could find the hotel I stayed at in 2002 to no avail.

Lisbon - Statue of Marques de Pombal

Lisbon - Ave da Liberdade

Lisbon - Rossio Square - The Tour Ends Where It Started

Around 5 pm, I dropped off my stuff at the hotel then walked two blocks over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a few beers and dinner. My travel friend met me there around 7:00 pm and we sat at the bar having some beers while talking to a US woman named Mindy, who was visiting Lisbon after helping her friend move there over the previous weekend.

Lisbon - Rossio Square - Hard Rock Cafe

Around 9 pm, we went back to the hotel to pack out bags for the trip back to Casablanca the following day.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 8 - Tuesday, February, 04, 2025 - Travel to Casablanca

Itinerary: Fly Lisbon, Portugal to Casablanca, Morocco. Explore Casablanca on own.

About Casablanca from Lonely Planet

Hotel: Ibis Casablanca City Center

Daily Journal

Weather: 65F and partly sunny.

Summary: It was a travel day. We flew from Lisbon back to Casablanca to spend a day or so exploring on our own before catching our flight back to the US.

I got up at 6 am and was down having a leisurely breakfast at the hotel restaurant by 7:30 am.

At 10:15 am, we caught the Lisbon Metro blue line 300' from our hotel at Rossio Square (Restauradores stop). We transferred to the Airport red line at the Sao Sebastian and were at the airport by 11 am.

Lisbon - Clean and Safe Metro

Despite the long security lines at the Lisbon airport, we sailed right through and had time for lunch before boarding our flight to Casablanca.

By 1:35 pm, our TAP Air Embraer 190 was airborne for the 1-1/2 hour flight to Casablanca. We picked up an hour en route, arriving at 4 pm local time.

Lisbon - Aerial View of Downtown on Way Out

Once in Casablanca, we took the shuttle train 40 minutes directly from the airport to our hotel in the center of Casablanca (CasaPort Station). The trip was far easier than I expected and the train station was clean and safe. The nice part was that our hotel was right across the street from the train station so we did not have to walk far.

Casablanca - Shuttle Train - Airport to CasaPort Station

Casablanca - Shuttle Train - CasaPort Station

Casablanca - CasaPort Station - Natl Port Authority HQ

After checking into our centrally located hotel, we walked across the street to the Casablanca medina and souks.

Casablanca - Hotel Ibis Across from CasaPort Station

Casablanca - View from Hotel Ibis

The medina and souks looked rather sketchy inside so we didn't venture too far in. Our Morocco tour director was right that we didn't want to venture more than a street in and to stay on the palm lined boulevard along the medina perimeter. We were approached by many street vendors trying to get our attention and coax us into their shops. One guy even pretended to have been our waiter that day and shook our hands and tried to steer us into his stall.

Casablanca - Medina - Souk (Market)

Casablanca - Shopping District Across from Medina

Having had enough of the aggressive street vendors, we crossed the street to the pedestrian zone to continue our walk. Eventually, we reached the street in the French Quarter that we had walked on a week earlier with our tour director.

Casablanca - Shopping District Across from Medina

Casablanca - Shopping District Across from Medina - Snails

Casablanca - Shopping District Across from Medina

Since it was getting dark, we went back to the CasaPort train station and grabbed a bite to eat. An affectionate cat jumped up on the seat next to me and begged for food. I gave him several of my cat treats and part of my burger.

Casablanca - CasaPort Train Station - Dining Companion

After that, was back to the hotel and to bed.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 9 - Wednesday, February, 05, 2025 - Tour Casablanca

Itinerary: Explore Casablanca on own.

About Casablanca from Lonely Planet

Hotel: Onomo Hotel Casablanca Airport

Daily Journal

Weather: 60F and sunny

Summary: It was a free day today in Casablanca. We just walked around the area near the hotel then took an afternoon train to an airport hotel for our last night overseas.

I got up around 6 am, packed my bag, then went down to the hotel restaurant for a nice, leisurely breakfast.

After breakfast we strolled through the Casablanca medina, visited a huge shopping mall on the oceanfront, checked out of our hotel, and took the 1 pm airport train to our last hotel of the trip.

The Casablanca medina was so different from the others we had visited several days earlier in Fez and Marrakesh. Grittier, dirtier and definitely not geared to tourists. Nonetheless, we stayed on the outer streets to get a glimpse of life inside.

Casablanca - Inside the Medina

We eventually ran into Rick's Cafe again, which is a reproduction of the "gin joint" operated by Humphrey Bogart in the1942 movie, Casablanca.

Casablanca - Rick's Cafe

Across from Rick's Cafe was a modern shopping mall (Marina Shopping) that seemed like the place where American franchises come to die...Baskin Robbins, Popeyes, Krispy Kreme. The mall's saving grace was Morocco's answer to Walmart, simply called "M," which gave me an opportunity to get rid of my remaining dirhams and marvel at all the interesting stuff, such as a giant case of edam cheese balls the size of bowling balls, Pringles potato chips in flavors I had never seen before, and dairy products stored at room temperature instead of in a refrigerator case.

Casablanca - Marina Shopping Mall

After the mall, we stepped out onto its outdoor promenade for some pics of Casablanca's port.

Casablanca - Major Port City

After the port, we wandered back to the hotel, admiring the outer walls of the medina, among other things.

Casablanca - Medina Wall

After checking out of our hotel, we walked across the street to the CasaPort train station and caught the inexpensive 1 pm shuttle train to the airport, arriving 45 minutes later. By some miracle, our airport hotel's shuttle van was waiting for us outside the main exit at the airport, and we were whisked a half mile to our hotel in just a few minutes. We stayed at an airport hotel 24 miles from the Casablanca city center because of the distance and a 6 am departure. I got to sleep until 2:15 am instead of pulling an all-nighter.

Casablanca - CasaPort Train Station - Nice!

Once at the hotel, I caught up on 3 weeks worth of email and messages that had gone unanswered. I also worked on my blog and sorted through my thousands of photos. We then went to the hotel's restaurant for a few beers and dinner. I won't be eating tagine again for some time. It was delicious but I had eaten a lot of it over the past few weeks and will need a break.

Casablanca - Airport Hotel - Tagine Dinner

After dinner, we adjourned to the room at 7 pm to sleep since we had a 2:30 am wake up call to catch the hotel airport shuttle at 3 am.

Go to Table of Contents

Day 10 - Thursday, February, 06, 2025 - Return to US

Itinerary: Early morning flight from Casablanca to Boston via Paris with continuation to Milwaukee via Chicago.

Daily Journal

Weather: I didn't stay long enough to find out. But I went from an early morning chilly 45F in Casablanca to an even chillier nighttime 18F in Milwaukee over the course of 26 hours.

Summary: After 23 days on the road, it was time to go home. Today I traveled from Casablanca to Boston via Paris. Then Boston to Milwaukee via Chicago.

There were winter weather advisories for Boston, so there was no telling what the day would be like. At least there were no terminal changes in Paris and Boston, so I didn't have to go through customs and immigration a second or third time.

As expected, the hotel shuttle drove us to the Casablanca airport at 3 am. Much to our delight, there were no lines anywhere and we breezed through check-in and customs and were sitting at a coffee shop in the terminal by 3:30 am.

The mostly empty plane boarded at 5:25 am and by 5:55 am, our Air France A320 was en route to Paris 3 hours away. We had nice views of Casablanca on the way out.

Heading Home - Casablanca, Morocco

We arrived in Paris at 9:10 am. After a 1 hour and 40 minute layover, we departed Paris at 11:45 am in our Delta A330-900neo for the 7-1/2 hour flight to Boston. This plane too was mostly empty and I was able to spread out and sleep on the way home.

Heading Home - Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Heading Home - Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport - Plane to Boston

Heading Home - Paris to Boston

We arrived in Boston at 2 pm. I had a 3-1/2 hour layover before my flight to Milwaukee via Chicago. My American Airlines Embraer 175 departed Boston roughly on time at 5:45 pm. It arrived in Chicago 3 hours later close to schedule at 7:55 pm. I had only 25 minutes to make my connection for Milwaukee, which was irritating because they made me check my bag through to Milwaukee and I doubted my bag would make the connection. But the gate agent assured me it would make it to my connecting flight faster than me.

Well, the gate agent was half right. In his haste, he ended up putting the wrong luggage tag on my bag, sending it to Champaign, Illinois instead of Milwaukee. When nobody claimed my bag in Champaign, they sent it back to Chicago. When I called the American Airlines the following morning, they told me my bag would be in Milwaukee by 11 am. When I went to the airport the following day, I saw my bag going around the baggage carousel. Reunited and it felt so good.

When my flight arrived in Chicago, it was supposed to end up at the gate next to the one my connecting flight was leaving from. Unfortunately, another plane was in our gate and we diverted to one that was quite far away. After sprinting down the concourse, I learned my seat on the Milwaukee flight had been given to a standby passenger and I would have to wait till the following day to get home. No way.

I scrambled to the transportation hub on the shuttle train while simultaneously booking an 8:30 pm bus ticket to Milwaukee on CoachUSA. I missed that bus by seconds and had to wait for the 9:30 pm bus.

During the extra hour of waiting, I called American Airlines customer service to track down my bag. They didn't know where and told me to call them back in the morning. I also learned that they had rebooked me on the next flight to Milwaukee the following day, but I told then to cancel that and send me a refund.

I made it to the Milwaukee bus depot at 11 pm and walked 10 minutes home from there. It felt great to be home after 26 hours in motion.

I was reunited with my bag the following day.

Milwaukee - Reunited with Luggage

Although I love travel, it's always nice to get home and back into my routines.

Now where should I go on my next?

Go to Table of Contents

Chris Trost's Travel Blog

Friday, February 21, 2025

Chris Trost's 2025 Portugal Aventura

Post-Trip Summary

Day 1 - Tuesday, January, 28, 2025 - Depart for Azores

Day 2 - Wednesday, January, 29, 2025 - Tour Azores - Nordeste

Day 3 - Thursday, January, 30, 2025 - Tour Azores - Furnas & East

Day 4 - Friday, January, 31, 2025 - Tour Azores - Sete Cidades & West

Day 5 - Saturday, February, 01, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Day 6 - Sunday, February, 02, 2025 - Lisbon Day Tour (Sintra, Cape Roca, Cascais)

Day 7 - Monday, February, 03, 2025 - Tour Lisbon

Lisbon - Baixa/Chiado District - Azulejo Tile

Day 8 - Tuesday, February, 04, 2025 - Travel to Casablanca

Day 9 - Wednesday, February, 05, 2025 - Tour Casablanca

Day 10 - Thursday, February, 06, 2025 - Return to US

Facebook Badge

Recent Travels

Tags

Blog Archive