From Cape to Castle

The overall holiday was a very good experience, the route information was first class - we loved the area and would certainly return. All travel and transport arrangements were excellent. We would thoroughly recommend the wine tour in Azeitão at Fonseca and the cafe opposite (Casa Negrito) for lunch, or just coffee and a cake - we went 3 times in 24 hours! We loved the O Velho E O Mar in Sesimbra - wonderful fish and they were very accommodating about us watching the England vs Italy football - lovely staff.

The shorter route around Sesimbra was particularly pretty. We didn't consider the longer route from Sesimbra largely because I couldn't find the bus time details on line, the link you suggested in the notes didn't provide the information required.  I suggest you provide a local taxi recommendation, like you did for the longer walk from Azeitao to the sea (Which worked excellently).

INNTRAVEL NOTE: The bus timetable link has been recently updated

We encountered unexpected clear skies and high temperatures for mid October, having been warned by friends in Lisbon that this could be a rainy season. However, even the older members of our group of friends managed the walking without too much challenge, and the whole mixture of scenery and varied towns provided superb relaxation. As promised, the varied restaurants - in Lisbon and the three stopping towns in the Arrabida nature park - produced wonderful evening meals, especially fresh fish, at welcome prices. A particularly memorable monkfish stew was discovered and hugely enjoyed in a very modest establishment. And Lisbon was as delightful as ever, with notably friendly welcomes everywhere. Long live the ancient Portuguese-British alliance! Meanwhile, thanks and congratulations to Inntravel.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk From Cape to Castle with our Lisbon City add-on

Lovely, individual hotels; great mix of landscapes to walk through - sea, coast, country and hilltops. Wonderful walk through Portugal's history. Extended stay in Lisbon and trip to Sintra well worth it.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk From Cape to Castle with our Lisbon City add-on

We found this holiday's itinerary with two days at each hotel, good walks in between each and a Lisbon add-on provided a perfect balance. After a week, we felt we had been away much longer.  

Walking in the National Park is wonderful, with fabulous scenery and very few people about. The walking paths mainly take you along quiet country lanes but I recommend using an app that incorporates the GPX files for the more remote sections as this provides reassurance and avoids any confusion. Be prepared for large crowds and long queues at some attractions in Lisbon but using the public transport system is relatively easy and a good way to get around. 

Really enjoyed our stay at the walking hotels and the notes were spot on.

We very much enjoyed our Cape to Castle holiday. The walks were varied and interesting. We have enjoyed many Inntravel holidays and this was up to the usual high standard.
It would be a good idea to take containers to carry picnics in. We were given our picnic from the first hotel in a large cardboard box which was much too big to fit into our backpacks. Some of the items were not wrapped, so you do need a container to carry them in.

On the 2 Convents walk the cafe Bom Petisco was closed on a day that it should have been open and there were for sale signs outside, so don't rely on it for lunch / cold drinks etc.

We walked as far as Convento de Arraãbida, then called for a taxi (they had no trouble finding us there). It saved a long road walk or a slide down the steep decent to Portinho (We aren't as young as we used to be).

We did the tour of Bacalhōa Winary, wine tasting and palace which cost €14 each. It was well worth doing. The whole tour took 3 and a half hours, so you need to allow plenty of time. We booked by email as suggested by Inntravel which worked well. We paid on the day. The tour starts and finishes at the wine shop. You are expected to drive from there to and from the palace. We explained in our email that we didn't have our own transport, they kindly let us travel with the guide in his car.  
We did notice quite a few busses travelling along the N10 between Azeitão and the hotel. There is a hard shoulder if you decide to walk.

The tapas restaurant at the castle in Setūbal looked nice but unfortunately was closed on every evening that we were there because it was booked for wedding parties.

Pousada - be v careful of religious festivals - we had two during our week one before and one after the weekend which meant shops/restaurants/cafes were closed for most of the time!

Palmela - much easier to user Uber taxis to get around and much cheaper - rather than pay euro20 from Pousada to Setubal we paid 7 and 8 respectively there and back

Two extra restaurants to note:  The Wine Corner in Azeito is excellent - good choice of food, amazing wine list and you can have a glass from any of them!  Moments Lounge in Palmela worth a visit - in the middle of the vineyard and needs a taxi to/from the Pousada - good food and wine!

Also note the restuarant you recommend in Palmela - Casa do Castelo was excellent with a very friendly host.

We had a disappointing meal at the Culto cafe.

Excellent holiday! We're looking forward to another one!  

The Arrabida valleys are beautiful and Palmela is very interesting to explore. The stone pine and cork trees are fascinating. As with previous Inntravel walks, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and everything worked to plan. One comment - and we were fully aware of this from looking at the website - is that the area immediately to the north of the Arrabida is becoming increasingly suburbanised, with the same to the south around Setubal. I wonder how long the relative haven of the Arrabida will survive between these encroaching pinchpoints.

Good holiday (Lisbon & Palaces of Sintra and From Cape to Castle Walking holidays) but in first 2 weeks in May there were big crowds particularly in Lisbon and Sintra.

The walk to Palmela was the best, and the pousada/castle is a wonderful place. Might be helpful to tell people that everything is closed on Mondays; we wasted time going to Setubal. The staff at the Pousada were particularly good, and we have emailed our appreciation.

We loved all the walks and their variety. The scenery was amazing, the people very friendly, and the food delicious. Our sense of accomplishment at the end of each day provided new energy for the next. We're already looking forward to planning our next walking holiday with Inntravel.

We did not want to carry the walking guide binder on the walks (we had heavy rain on one day, and it was a little cumbersome to carry and refer to) so we took two clear A4 ring binder sleeves to take four A5 sheets (8 pages, enough for each walk) from the binder.  Easy to carry and they worked in the rain.

We met many cyclists on the walks on the weekends and almost without fail they all wished us Bom Dia, so friendly.

The view from the Esplanada at the Palmela Pousada was breathtaking.

Enjoyed staying in Sesimbra and Pousada in Palmera was excellent.

Highlights were definitely the views - you have to work for them ie some steep climbs but well worth it. If the notes say 'long trousers' then suggest this is exactly what it means. A couple of sections had a lot of overgrowth which can cause discomfort if wearing shorts!

The whole administrative package was excellent, the holiday details comprehensive and we would recommend not only this holiday but Inntravel at large to family and friends. A great value for money experience.

Great three centre holiday (including walking holidays 'From Cape to Castle', 'Palaces & Pathways of Sintra' and a stay in Lisbon at the Hotel Solar Do Castelo) which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Our personal highlight was walking along the ridge from Azeitao to Palmela. It had beautiful views on both sides! Walking in the sunshine along the ridge and then up to the Castelo was a perfect way to end this part of our holiday. I understand that this walking route will not happen next year which is sad because the walks and accommodation were both challenging and yet manageable for us.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: We are currently reassessing this holiday for 2023

This was a perfect holiday. Starting at a beautiful seaside resort, staying at traditional a Portuguese quinta, and feeling like royalty staying at a castle. The walking was perfect, such varied days with absolutely stunning views. From coastal to countryside to vineyards to city views. I honestly don't think we could have asked for more. Inntravel are a great company to work with, every transfer was on time and friendly. We came back having had a very memorable week. Thank you.

We enjoyed a lovely meal at O Zagaia in Sesimbra, the Pousada was outstanding but we really enjoyed every bit of it and did every single walk and tourist highlights. 

Overall a fabulous holiday; some real gems as far as accommodation is concerned and some well documented/thought through walks.

This was our first experience with Inntravel. We were a group of five people. All of us agreed that the trip could not have been better. Our accommodations far exceeded our expectations. The taxi service was excellent. Our first trip with the taxi was from Lisbon to Sesimbra. The taxi was not there at the appointed time. However they called the hotel promptly to let us know they were delayed by a traffic accident and they sent another taxi to transport us. The train was also a pleasant surprise as were our seats which were perfect. I could see the thoughtfulness you put into every detail. We loved the hikes, especially the one from Azeitao to Palmela. We were a bit disappointed in our accommodations there. We were not in the Pousada and the Casa de Italia was a unique inn. My husband and I chose the bedroom on the entry level as we would have been unable to get our luggage up the spiral stairs. The room we chose was dark and we all found the rooms interesting but not functional. The pool there was delightful, however, and the young lady at the desk was extremely helpful, assuring us that we could take the bus to Setubal easily as there were no cabs available. We used many of your restaurant suggestions as we traveled and they were all great. We ate at Casa Mateus twice we had such a wonderful time. The hiking directions were perfect. We were a little uneasy about that aspect but we only missed the Number 10 gate and it didn't matter because we came out at the right place to have our picnic. We feel we would have liked easier to read and more detailed maps but we ended up asking for local maps in the small towns. We did use the city walk directions to get started in the cities and to try not to miss anything. But we ended up veering off on our own when we saw something of interest. All in all, we all felt it was the trip of a lifetime and that we saw parts of Portugal that most people don't see. I am totally looking forward to our next trip with Inntravel. I'll also add that the hotel in Porto was wonderful about making an appointment with someone who came to the hotel to give us our Covid tests before returning to the US. They made it very easy for us. Thank you all so much for your attention to detail and for making this such a wonderful trip for us all.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined a stay in Lisbon, the From Cape to Castle walking itinerary, and the On the Waterfront rail journey.

If in Palmela on a Monday, be aware that this small town does not have much open on Mondays. We found a great tapas place just below the castle at Casa do Castelo (I can't remember if this was in the notes already, but it was really great). The food was really good and the view is something to go for if even just for a drink, make sure to go all the way out to the overlook area. Try and time it at sunset and catch the gorgeous view and then all the lights and the castle at night. 

We booked our own flights, we live 20 mins from Luton. To save money we took hand lugage only, this turned out to be a mistake because all liquids had to be bought in 100mil containers  but we had not realised that they had to fit in an Easy Jet plastic bag so some of our stuff was confiscated at check in, probably in value as much as we saved by lumbering ourselfs with our cases rather than paying to have them put in the hold.Also check in at Luton at Six in the morning is efficient but mayhem. There were thousands of people some crying as their goods were confiscated, trying and failing to catch flights because of the security requirments. We swore never to do it again because it was such a nightmare, an unpleasant and exhausting way to start a holliday, of course none of that has any thing to do with Inntravel.

The walks were beautiful and the weather was wonderful. The hotel venues were great!

We totally enjoyed this trip. The hotels were well situated and comfortable. The taxi transfers worked very well. The walking, especially in the cool mornings was wonderful. This was our first trip with Inntravel and we would use them again.

Tips: I photocopied the sections of the Arrabida map for each day's walk and highlighted the route. We carried this and the pages for that day's walk in plastic binder sleeves so that we didn't have to carry the entire binder. The plastic sleeves kept the pages from getting wet or crumpled and we could roll them up and keep handy in a pack pocket.

Lovely holiday again with Inntravel - second time of using. Slick transfer arrangements with taxis collecting and transporting luggaeg (or us). Great variety of walks - the "challenging" optional walk to Portinho was the highlight. Last section was tricky. GPS routes downloaded to Komoot were very useful in combination with the written instructions.

Hotel highlight was Pousada Castelo de Palmela - a lovely hotel with great food. We had a day in Lisbon - would recomend a Tuk Tuk tour to see lots of sights if time limited.

Another thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended Inntravel holiday. We preceded Cape to Castle with a Lisbon City add on for three nights staying at the excellent Britania Art Deco Hotel which is very well situated for all the sights and has lovely modern rooms against the Art Deco backdrop. We highly recommend a trip to the Monastery at Belem and exploring the Alfama area beneath the Castle. We found a great small plates restaurant called Sr Lisboa in Rua Sao Jose (the road parallel to the hotel) which is dotted with other equally non-touristy dining spots. Public transport is excellent in Lisbon. From there we travelled to Sesimbra by local bus. The SANA Sesimbra is a bustling seaside hotel with big rooms and balconies overlooking the glorious golden beach. There is a splendid rooftop pool, jacuzzi and cafe on the 6th floor of the hotel. Sesimbra is full of seafood restaurants, you are spoilt for choice. While staying here we walked up to the Castle which provided amazing views. The transfer walk from Sesimbra was not overly challenging  to reach Hotel Club D'Azeitao, an establishment which has seen better days. Rooms are small, and everywhere is in need of modernisation especially the bathrooms and corridors. However we had an excellent (included) dinner and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We arrived on Sunday when the restaurant was closed so we walked down the (very busy) road to dine at the Casa Nobre d'Azeitao which is an upscale place with excellent food and service. We can also highly recommend the local artisan tile making workshop (Azulejos de Azeitao) which has a fascinating owner who gives guided tours and a very tempting shop. We greatly enjoyed the ridge walk from Azeitao to Palmela which provides stupendous panoramic views of Arrabida National Park and Lisbon. Because the Pousada at the Castle was full we had been billetted to Casa d'Atalaia  in Palmela and we could not have been more delighted with this hidden gem. It resembles a Moroccan riad, with a small door on the street opening into a converted winery which spectacularly combines traditional and modern architecture and design. We were upgraded to a superior room here with magnificent bathroom including freestanding bath. The proprietor Rita is delightful and cannot do enough to help her guests. There is a little rooftop pool and many lovely communal spaces. At Palmela we ate at Culto Cafe in the lea of the Castle, food is adequate but the draw here are the breathtaking sunset views from the terrace. We also had good value pizzas on the second night at Pizzaria de Vila.

Throughout the holiday everything was Covid secure, the Portuguese are strict and compliant about face mask wearing indoors (exemption does not seem to be a thing). During these times, it is well worth carrying printed documentary proof of negative test and vaccination status as we were asked for this at every hotel.

This was a lovely holiday.  Varied scenery, interesting places to stay, opportunities to take time out to visit beaches or local towns.  Inntravel's walking notes were superb, their restuarant recommendations excellent and their service and attention to detail exemplary.  The walks were not arduous though there was one option for people who wanted a real challenge (not us though!). This was the first time we have used Inn Travel and we will use them again.