Sintra Jeep Safari

It was a great day. Ruben - born and raised in Sintra - was very knowledgeable and a really fun guide. Between his stories, the wind in our hair, the gorgeous scenery and the great music, the whole thing was a vibe. We ended up only passing the Quinta Regaleira and visiting the Palácio de Monserrate (which was a change made after booking due to changes in ticketing procedure at Quinta Regaleira apparently), but it was still really cool and the park/lush grounds were an interesting addition. Ruben was full of inside knowledge about the plants and property that made a tremendous difference in our understanding and appreciation of it. I don’t know what we missed by not going in the other place, but I’m glad we did get to spend so long at this one! Lunch was epic - fabulous and very filling. And over full plates and full glasses, we got to know our traveling companions engaging in lively conversation. The highlight for us Californians was the beach tho. Always a plus when you can stick your feet in the sand and connect with the ocean. You should note (and it’s probably painfully obvious to most, just apparently not me) that you will travel in the back of an open top jeep on bench seats off road, on winding narrow side roads, dirt roads and main roads at high rates of speed with no seat belts or helmets. Just fyi. And it ended up being more like 7-8 hours rather than 5-6 (plus travel time to/from Lisbon). So it was absolutely an all day, beautiful day in a beautiful country.