Quinta do Bomfim — Attraction in Alijó

Quinta do Bomfim: A Delightful Yet Challenging Adventure

A visit to Quinta do Bomfim starts off enchantingly with an affordable and picturesque ride on a vintage train through the beautiful Portuguese countryside. However, the charm slightly fades as you face a few challenges at the winery itself.

Upon arrival, we were handed an outdated map to navigate a supposed 90-minute hike around the winery. This proved to be a misrepresentation, as the hike turned into a strenuous 2-3 hour climb under a sunny, dusty day, leading to my shoe breaking in the process. Including the return journey, the total time for the hike unexpectedly stretched to around 4-5 hours.

The hike wasn't all difficulties, though. Along the way, we encountered an abundance of fruit trees bearing delicious grapes, figs, and grapefruits. While we're not certain that picking was allowed, the fruits were too tempting to resist and added a delightful surprise to our journey.

The wine tasting session offered at the winery was bypassed after overhearing a rather dull-sounding session nearby. We decided instead to buy our own glasses of wine and enjoyed a self-guided exploration of the two or three buildings open for access.

In conclusion, a trip to Quinta do Bomfim is a mixed bag of memorable experiences - a scenic train ride, a challenging hike, irresistible fresh fruits, and an opportunity for self-guided wine tasting and exploration. If you decide to visit, remember to wear durable footwear and be prepared for a...

The vineyard walk is nice. However my experience at the wine tasting was not. All tables at the terrace were full upon our arrival, we were sat down in an hot room without air conditioner. We were told that the next table that would open up at the terrace would be for us. Two tables opened up, I inquired about sitting at the terrace given we have a baby with us and a hot room is not a good combination for the baby, I was told to wait until the tables were cleaned. Unfortunately, the waiting staff gave the two tables at the terrace to other people instead of us. I complained and they smiled at me and said sorry. We were not offered anything to appease the troubles. I spoke with their manager Elias Graca and he smirked, apologized, but did not try to fix the problem. As we were on our way out to catch the train, he offered a glass of wine after I mentioned that is the least that they could have done. It was not genuine and poking fun at our situation. I suggest looking into improving your customer service experience. I was going to purchase your products,...

Visited in low season (December) and yet had an awesome day despite the fog and the rain. Our guide, who spoke fluent English, helped us choosing which taster combo to purchase before the tour even started, then guided us through the winery with informative bits on port wine making in a very entertaining manner, light and funny at times. The tour, which was a little over an hour, brought us to the tasting room (and terrace, overlooking the river), where all differences among the 6 different ports were uncovered. After lunch in the winery's restaurant we even had a walk in vineyards, where written signage further explained the cultivation techniques, which made the hike as interesting as if there wasn't bad weather. The only downside of the day was that we came with zero knowledge about port wine and its making, so I left knowing a bit more about it but still very confused as no basics were covered, but I'm still giving 5 stars as it was just a nice experience and a lovely way to make a more interesting day on our...