Fall4LisbonWithMarta

A licensed private guide in Lisbon

Fall4LisbonWithMarta is the website of Marta Côrte-Real, a Lisbon-born private tour guide who runs her own tours. Her about page says she has "a 5 year academic degree called Touristic Information," holds a Certificate of Competence acquired through qualifying examinations, and has been a "Certified licensed Tourist Guide since 2003 (17/26820/1244)." She lists membership of SNATTI (#4282), a master's degree in tourism, and says "I own and manage a tour company licensed by the Turismo de Portugal IP, Portugal's National Tourism Authority."

Her tours cover Lisbon and the places a day trip away: Belém, Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca, Queluz, Setúbal and the Arrábida mountain, Óbidos, and Évora and a cork forest in the Alentejo. The footer gives her base simply as "Lisbon, Portugal." She writes that after years as "a tour guide and tour manager in Europe and both South and Central America," she joined ToursByLocals in 2016 and has since been "100% dedicated to my lovely Lisbon and its surroundings." She counts "close to 5,000 tours since 2003 and 1,100 were with ToursByLocals since 2016," and says she was recognized in 2021 by the Wanderlust Awards as one of the world's "Best Specialist Guides."

Walking tours in Lisbon

Her style, in her own words, is relaxed: "don't expect to be attending an historic conference!" The tours page opens with half-day walks. "Lisbon's Old Districts, my favourite introduction" goes through Alfama, Costa do Castelo and Baixa, passing the 12th century cathedral and the old trams, and she promises to show visitors how to "easily walk up and down some of the 7 hills." "Chic and Elegant Lisbon" covers Príncipe Real, Bairro Alto, the roofless Carmo convent, Chiado ("The world's oldest bookstore is here!") and Bica, whose funicular runs down to Ribeira Market. "Belém: Back to the Age of Discoveries" includes the inside of the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and a custard tart. "Lisbon's Foodie Footsteps" is a tasting walk with restaurant tips. "Lisbon uniquely seen by the river" lasts 4 hours and adds Pink Street, a ferryboat ride and a brunch. There is also a Castle and Graça walk, which opens with the fact that "Portugal has more than 200 castles" and ends among the tile-covered façades and urban art of the eastern hills, a two-part "Essential highlights" tour of the center and Belém, and a full-day "Signature landmarks" tour that adds the Park of Nations.

Day trips by vehicle

Outside the city, Marta offers tours "with transportation included (private minivan, minibus, bus)." The Cascais and Cabo da Roca half day drives to "the westernmost continental point in Europe" and its 18th century lighthouse, then to Cascais, where she says she spent much of her youth. Sintra appears in several versions: Pena Palace with an early drive "to arrive there before all crowds," Quinta da Regaleira, a Vila National Palace day with Cabo da Roca, an off-the-beaten-track day, and a royal day from Queluz Palace to Cascais. Other trips cross the Vasco da Gama bridge to Setúbal and Arrábida, visit walled Óbidos, spend a day in Évora, or tour a cork forest in the Alentejo with tastings of bread, cheese, chouriço and wine, on foot or by bicycle. The cork page notes that the harvest runs from July to September, so it may not be visible off season. The Évora day promises a 7,000 years old cromlech, a Roman temple, a 13th century gothic cathedral and the bone chapel, and Óbidos, "just half and hour away from Lisbon," is described as a walled hilltop town with a Chocolate Festival, a Medieval Fair and a Christmas Village during the year. The Pena Palace half day can end in Cascais "around 1PM" so guests can take the coastal train back, and the Setúbal day returns over the April 25th bridge with a stop at the Cristo Rei monument.

Virtual tours and how booking works

Since the 2020 pandemic, Marta has also run live virtual tours, streamed over video-conferencing: 1-hour walks through Lisbon's old districts with a tram ride, Belém, Sintra and Cascais. Guest reviews also describe an online Pastéis de Nata baking class with participants in 3 locations. She says they suit families spread across countries and schools. The blog post puts it simply: "I walk, you sit and enjoy!"

Booking is by message or email (fall4lisbonwithmarta@gmail.com). She writes that she will "try to answer right away," but may reply later if she is guiding or "busy with my family." She offers to combine tours "in one day, like 2 half day tours," to build a tailored day "if it's a family with different age ranges," and to "help you plan the best timings to avoid the crowds and even help you buy the tickets." Guest reviews on the site mention a 7-hour Lisbon tour in her car, and one describes her arranging a vehicle so a rainy-day walking tour could go ahead.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The site does not publish prices, a cancellation policy or payment terms, and most tours give "half day" or "full day" rather than a time in hours. No group size is stated, and accessibility is not addressed beyond the option of a driven tour. All of that has to be settled with her by message. Her "About Lisbon" page makes the case for visiting year-round, citing "Less than 600mm of rain and at least 2800 hours of sunshine per year," and the homepage also points readers to guide friends in Berlin, London and Paris, a sign of how personal the operation is.

Fall4LisbonWithMarta suits travelers who want one experienced, licensed guide for Lisbon and its surroundings, and who value flexibility over a fixed product. As a mother of 3 who writes that she loves planning family trips, she pitches herself strongly to families, and also to "small groups of friends, extended family trips and solo travellers." Travelers who want to compare set prices online before choosing, or who need a large-group operator, will find the site less suited to that.