For years my Mom has gushed about Peter and Ben, Ana and Esperanza, the core group of Duende Travel. Duende Travel specializes in walking tours of Western Europe, emphasizing beautiful locations, historical context, excellent local food and wine. When my parents asked Ferda and me if we’d like to join them for a Duende walking tour of northern Portugal, well, we didn’t hesitate to say yes. This tour was the reason that we ended up cycling in Portugal. Our original plans had been to cycle in Morocco and Andalucia.
Portugal’s equivalent of Spain’s paradores are pousadas, essentially luxury hotels in historic buildings. We spent the first two nights of our walking tour at Pousada Mosteiro de Amares, an old monastery in Santa Maria do Bouro near the Spanish border and the Peneda-Gerês National Park where we walked the first day of the tour.
After sleeping in the tent for most of the days of our bicycle tour, Ferda and I felt spoiled at the end of our tour in Lisbon to have a private room with a shared kitchen, bathroom, and washing machine. Haha, here’s the Pousada Mosteiro de Amares:
