We (my husband and daughter, age 12) wanted an authentic, active experience in Cascais and Joao/Cascais Routes exceeded expectations in every regard. We started the day climbing (first time outside of a climbing wall for all of us) on a cliff with an amazing ocean view. Joao and his team were very supportive and encouraging. Then, we did a boulder hike, trekked through the forest exploring tunnel doors that led to centuries old irrigation systems (so cool!) followed by a delicious lunch at a restaurant only locals know about. It was our favorite meal in Portugal. After lunch, we’d originally planned to go mountain biking but decided to do another hike. It was an untraveled path from a local neighborhood out to the cliffs overlooking the sea. Only a local would know about this hike. It was incredible. We ended the day surfing. Joao could not have been a more gracious host. It was a bespoke day and everything was planned to flawlessly. You cannot go wrong trusting your precious vacation time with Cascais Route.