Hidden Gems!

Hi travellers!

Again... a (very) long post... and without AI.

Today I decided to write about Hidden Gems or less travelled paths.

It isn't the first time that people ask for it and then change their minds.

I see that when people change their minds the main reason is that no one else talks or posts about those places. They don't show on things to do guides, on any guide written or online. They also don't come up on Tripadvisor, Viator, GetYourGuide or other platforms. And they will not show. They will be hidden. And why?

Because they are known and visited 95/98% of the times by locals, by the portuguese. Most of the services there people don't speak in English, just portuguese. Are they rude? No, they are the friendliest and the most welcoming people of all. But, the destinations, highlights, monuments, gems aren't ready for massive tourism. Aren't prepared for the giant buses arriving every minute, for the pressure that it brings to places.

What are the hidden gems in Portugal? We have more than you can think of, from astonishing landscapes, river beaches, to castles, convents and monasteries, salt extraction without having water or mines, roman ruins, prehistoric sites, villages that still have different law systems, restaurants that serve traditional dishes done like they used to be 200 years ago, bread still made in the village's comunity oven, cross border ziplines, rafting, urban art... and wine, of course.

This is all available and seen away from the common, most visited sites. And you may ask: "Why isn't that for sale on those platforms you mentioned?", now, seriously, the answer is quite simple: most of those sites and tours to go there were once posted there; And nobody bought them so, the companies that offered them changed to whatever "sells" and "forgot" about those gems and those sites.

And, for that reason, they are kept as hidden gems, as the hidden secrets. Until... until someone starts to create hundreds of posts online; until people start searching more for them; until they aren't secret anymore. But... they will be controlled, they will be limited. There are a few examples that this has happened: Benagil cave in the Algarve; Berlenga island; now Sintra (but here things aren't as simple and easy and unfortunately many wrong decisions were/are being made everyday).

How can you find them, know them, get there? Well, to know them and to find them 90% of the times you need to ask a local, google won't help you on it; to get there you will most likely find only 2 options: hiring someone to take you there or rent a car and do it at your own risk; some of those sites they only open to the public when you call ahead, others once a week or a month in a specific schedule, others the key in under the door mat, others is that old lady that keeps it to go there and dust once a week... but, most important, they are there available to visit if know how!

Some other are less hidden, but still not overcrowded. Even a few minutes (or miles/kilometers) away from the "main" sites; less hidden examples: Arrábida; Sesimbra; Setúbal; Peniche; Berlenga; Buddha Eden gardens; Schyst villages; Aguda beach; Vicentina coastline; Lagos caves; Castro Marim castle; Viana do Castelo; Caminha; Valença; and many other places that you almost never read or see about.

What about tours there? Yes, you can plan them and go, on private tours. Luckily the bigger companies don't think they are profitable enough to operate in a shared or bus base. And thank you for that!!

These and others are the sites that only a local guide (that actually studied it) knows it, its history and "how" to visit it. Example: you can search for Trancoso and find the village; you go into the castle and see the views; and what else? Why is it important? Who was that shoemaker that has a statue? Why do people talk about a priest? Why do I see sweet sardines advertised so far away from the ocean and what is that? So when planning your trip, deciding on your itinerary, think well on every little aspect of it.

You must weight what you want for your trip: is it to do checks in a checklist and see what everyone else says and sees? Is your goal to go over changing buses or whatever to go to a site where you have to wait in line (10/15/30 minutes) to see something it takes 2 minutes to see? Or... is your goal to relax and enjoy the trip? To go where the you will only see locals? To have people offering you stuff just because you are there? These are the real questions! And yes, you might not find a restaurant open after 9pm; yes, most stores will be closed for lunch; but, that is life.

I am happy to keep sharing those places with the ones that ask me; to take people there and see the looks on their faces! I am also happy to go to any other "regular" site or place! But when we go away from the ordinary and take people to those hidden gems... It's priceless!

So the next time you see a post asking about hidden gems, places where no one goes, think how to get there: some say "it was super easy and nice"; others "driving in those roads was awful"; one other thing: so you want to just take the pictures? Or do you want to know the what, why, where, who, when?

Talk to us and let us guide through the process, arranging for everything you need!