Marta Côrte Real
Marta Côrte Real
10 Reviews

Tour Destination(s):

LisbonSintraCascaisEvoraCoimbra

Language:

Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian

Experience:

20 years guiding

Lives in

Lisbon, Portugal

I was born in Lisbon and I'm forever in love with it! After my family, guiding is my greatest passion: I love what I do!

I have a 5 year degree called Touristic Information, specifically to work as a Tourist Guide, as well as the Certificate of Competence acquired through a qualifying examination, in order to be able to exercise this regulated profession. I own and manage a tour company licensed by the Turismo de Portugal IP, Portugal's National Tourism Authority.

Tour guiding has been my full time job since 2003 and it has always been incredibly rewarding. In 2021, I was recognized by the Wanderlust Awards as one of the world's "Best Specialist Guides", which I think is a result of doing what I love every day. Waking up knowing I'll meet enthusiastic people who are excited to discover my city makes me a very grateful and happy person.

For almost two decades (how am I that old already?!) I travelled around the world as a tour guide and tour manager in Portugal, Europe, South and Central America. I stopped being so nomadic when my first child was born and in 2016, I became part of ToursByLocals' amazing team and since then I've been 100% dedicated to my lovely Lisbon and its surroundings.

I am a mother of 3. I love planning family trips. I know how important it is to create special family memories. Travelling means getting to know new places and cultures, experiencing nature more closely, walking and playing more, discovering history through cities, monuments and palaces! Our childhood travel memories are often the sweetest and along with other remarkable moments, we build who we are and how we live in the world. So if you're in need of someone to guide you and your kids and have them thrilled about travelling, I'm your guide!

I'm also very fond of small groups of friends, extended family trips and solo travellers. It's a much more personal approach and very interesting and grateful, too. It's so lovely to get to know you! My wish is to make you feel all the unique details of this fairytale country the way I proudly do, welcoming you as a friend, however always assuring professional, original and interesting tours.

I offer walking tours or if you prefer to just sit and relax, I also provide tours with transportation included (private minivan, minibus, bus).

You can choose from my many tours the one you're most interested in, or we can build together a tailored experience, everything at your pace. Once you send me a message, I'll try to answer right away, but if I'm delivering a tour or busy with my family, I'll let you know that I'll get back to you soon.

I'll be happy to create a customized tour just for you and if you have a special request, if it's a family with different age ranges. . . let me know so we can build the best option for your group. Some of my tours can perfectly be combined. I can also help you plan the best timings to avoid the crowds and even buy your tickets, if needed. There are lots of magic places in Portugal: let me know about you, your interests and ideas and according to that I will work on your time here!

The most recent experience has been incredible: the virtual tours. The idea came up with the 2020 pandemic scenery and I decided to keep them going in the future as they're such a pleasant way of travelling differently and sustainably. These tours are perfect to gather families and friends who live away from each other and for schools to complement their teaching, as well as to help those who cannot travel for many reasons, to be able to see the world. I believe we always need to make the best out of the worst.

Portugal is a country to visit all year round: weather is wonderful and even during the winter you can enjoy the simple pleasures of life like sitting on an esplanade, absorbing each sunbeam! Plus, I love cooking and baking and I'm happy to share my recipes. Portuguese food is simply delicious and the wine is just perfect for a toast to celebrate life!

Get ready to deeply fall in love with Portugal! Can't wait to meet you!


Reviews

5.0
10 reviews
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Sharon G
April 18, 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Marta of Belém Tower, Jerome monastery and cathedral, and the monument to the Discoverers. The sweet finish was a delicious stop for the special Belém pasteis da nata and other treats. Marta was welcoming with interesting and informative explanations that brought the history of the Belém area alive.
Lia M
April 18, 2024
Best virtual tour guide! I booked this tour to celebrate multiple occasions and invited our family from different parts of the world. Everyone enjoyed the tour! Marta was very engaging! Thank you, Marta, for a wonderful visit to Sintra! We hope to meet you face to face on our next travel to Europe! Cheers!
Co J La
April 18, 2024
I have been neglectful in taking so long to write this review, but it's well deserved. We ended up in Lisbon on what was basically an extended layover until our evening flight to Spain. The original plan was that after getting a little sleep, we wanted to see what we could of Lisbon. Unfortunately, the airline lost our luggage, and we didn't get as much sleep as we had hoped. Luckily, we had booked Marta as our guide. After meeting us at our hotel, and explaining what had happened, she immediately offered to call TAP airlines (it helps having a Portuguese speaker) to help try to locate our luggage. Toward the end of our tour she made sure that we were able to stop & pick up some toiletries to get us through until our luggage showed up. More importantly, in the midst of the luggage drama, she took us to see all the highlights of Lisbon (a beautiful place we'd like to see more of) & to try out local food specialties. As a driver/guide, she was able to take us all over the city and was able to explain the historical importance of everything we saw. At the end of the tour, we stopped back at the hotel, grabbed our luggage, and she dropped us off at the airport. We absolutely would take more tours with Marta when we return to Lisbon.
Pamela S
April 18, 2024
Marta gave us an outstanding virtual tour of Lisbon in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic! She was friendly, entertaining, and thorough. She gave us 360 degree views when appropriate, and pointed out details both in the distance and nearby. Marta answered our questions and followed up with tips for a visit we hope to make in the future. Her advice was that which only a local can provide. Her description of the tour on the web site was fully delivered and more. We have no hesitation in recommending her!
Ilannie
April 18, 2024
Marta made our brief visit to Lisbon exceptional by helping us to see her city despite the RAIN! LOL She was able to accommodate for the unexpected weather conditions and truly made our visit memorable -- thank you!
Donald Z
April 18, 2024
Marta was outstanding! By far one of the best guides we have ever had. She gave us a great overview of the city, insight into current politics and major issues facing the citizens. We learned so much and had a wonderful time with her. (she even seemed to have the ability to make parking spaces open just as we arrived at each site!) We wish we could give her 10 stars!
Rich
April 18, 2024
We hired Marta to take us on a 7 hour Lisbon tour. Marta was very personable. Her car was spotless...her driving was excellent...her English was perfect. We started out with a driving tour of Lisbon. Marta would pull over when she wanted to point out something specific or that sight required a more detailed explanation. We really learned so much about the history and the people....it's amazing how much knowledge she shares. We went to the tile museum and then to a shop to paint tiles. This was a rainy day so it was perfect for being in a car. We went to see the sights in Belem and of course stop at the Pasterie de Belem. Great day spent with a great guide.
James A
April 18, 2024
This is one of the best tours in which I have experienced! Marta is an excellent tour guide who knows how to narrate an excellent story while sharing her knowledge about the place, its salient features, as well as funny tidbits. She is quite the professional, with a strong sense of empathy and affinity. While our travel delays forced the tour to begin late, Marta willingly accommodated us and was never concerned about the delay. She hit it off great with our entire family, including our three teens!
Tatiana K.
April 18, 2024
Marta was a wonderful guide. I learn Portuguese and asked Marta to conduct the excursion in Portuguese. That was a great combination of history and culture. I learnt a lot about modern Portugal and had an opportunity to practice Portuguese.
Paulo Vieira
April 18, 2024
Marta was simply the best guide we have ever had in Europe! We took my in-laws for a “trip of a lifetime” to Spain and Portugal. They hadn’t had a chance to travel much in their lives and this was their big dream trip. Marta made sure that our experience in Lisbon was above and beyond any expectations. Her knowledge of world history is unparalleled no detail on a building, palace, museum goes unnoticed because she has a story to tell. She made all of us feel at home and was super accommodating with my father in law mobility challenges. She took us around town in her spotless van, all while pointing things out here and there that we didn’t even expect to see or tour. I can’t recommend her enough. Thank you Marta for your care for our family and the best tour ever!