Why does the RS community not have the Parque Natural da Arrábida on their itinerary? Is there a specific reason?
It seems everyone from RS and YouTube has Sintra and Cascais on their list for day trips. In my opinion Parque Natural da Arrábida looks more off the beaten path and nature wise very beautiful. Am I missing something? Are there some sort of challenges that are typically encountered with the region?
Maybe it’s a kind of ripple effect…If Rick’s tours don’t go there, it will not be in his guide books which people often slavishly follow; if it’s not in the guide, people won’t go there if it’s not RS recommended……which leaves many other places that are undiscovered and therefore less crowded for others to enjoy.
Perthaps it isn't on the itinerary because of lack of easy access for tour buses. Isn't access restricted in summer months?
The images online really caught my eye as a beautiful place. I booked a Viator tour which includes to and from transportation from Lisbon. However, I was considering another day if it’s as good as it looks online. Uber is only 35 Euros per way and about 45 minutes away from Lisbon.
My guess is because most people on the forum don’t go off the beaten path too often, especially if it’s a first visit to Portugal, and getting to some of the park’s attractions aren’t served well by public transportation. Vacation time constraints are another probable reason.
I've been there any times but with a car, it's not practical with public transit.
Historically public transport was defined as train, bus or tram. Post 2020 with the low cost of Uber & Bolt would they be considered public transport? For 35€ for a group of 4 it is more cost effective than the national railway system in most European countries.
It’s probably cheaper to get there than the cost of 4 people’s Pastel de nata and their Uma bica for breakfast.
I’m guessing that RS is not as interested in nature as he is in history and people and food. There is no mention of Parque National da Peneda Geres, the only national park in Portugal, nor of Parque Natural da Ria Formosa in the Algarve, both of which we are planning to visit. He doesn’t even mention the Seven Hanging Valleys trail. (Actually, none of the guidebooks we’ve found write very much about the parks.) So it makes sense that fans of Rick would gravitate more towards points of cultural than of natural interest.
