Discovering The Roman Ruins Of Conímbriga And The Caves Of Sicó

Go back in time in Portugal. This tour of Roman ruins was extremely interesting and well executed by our guide Sergio. Pick up and drop off from our hotel were timely and comfortable. The ruins were well laid out and the museum well stocked with artefacts. We also were taken to a remote area to view some spectacular caves or ‘holes’ in the hillside. This tour was a real treat away for the crowds of the city.

Our visit to the Roman Ruins of Conimbriga and the Caves of Sico was wondeful! Sergio is an excellent guide and is very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the area. We learned so much about Roman history as well as findings related to other civilizations in the area. We would not have appreciated the ruins nearly as much exploring on our own. I highly recommend the tour with Sergio to understand the development of the Roman community at Conimbriga as well as the historical and current significance of the Caves of Sico. Thank you, Sergio, for a great afternoon!

Sergio is an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable, personable and his driving put me very much at ease ( doesn’t often happen ) ☺️. Don’t hesitate to use him as your tour guide, am certain he is one of the very best in the area! Thank you for a lovely morning. Wishing you all the best, Cheryl B.

This tour was amazing! It was the best tour we did while in Portugal! It ended up only being my boyfriend, myself, and our tour guide, Sérgio. The ruins are amazing and so well preserved! Sérgio was super knowledgeable and he made it such a great experience!

Sergio was a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable and friendly. He was happy to answer all our questions. We got to see some remote villages and out of the way spots. We are very happy to have chosen this tour. Thank you Sergio for a wonderful day.

Our tour guide, Sérgio, was amazing! We did a small group tour and since he picked us up on time, we were too early for entry to the ruins. Therefore, he took us on a short drive up through the hillside where we stopped to view a cave. The drive took us through a small village where we could get a sense of the lifestyle of those living there and saw several shepperds tending sheep; something I never expected to see! Sérgio's knowledge of the local area and the ruins was immense and he was able to answer all our questions. In addition, the ruins themselves includes almost no signage so without his vast knowledge, which he shared constantly as we walked through the space, the experience would have not been the same and would honestly have been much less impressive. We could tell he cares about his job as he made sure to be well read on the area and that we were getting the best experience possible. He even took pictures during the tour which he shared with us later. Went way above! I would go on another tour with him in a heartbeat!

Was such a great tour just myself and husband went, but really relaxed pace, picked us up right at our accommodation. Sergio really loved showing us the natural cages on spectacular countryside. He brought us around Conimbraga, really brought it to life and then sent us loads of great photoes. Real pleasure and a really unique tour - can’t recommend highly enough

After walking the hills of Coimbra we decided a tour of the Roman ruins at Conímbriga would be a good change of pace. Sérgio picked us up right on time and we drove out to the site passing the pilgrims making their way to Fatima. He was able to share about that as well. The site is large and we would have missed a lot without the helpful information he provided. He was able to point out things we would have missed and provide interesting background information. I can highly recommend this walking tour and Sérgio. We also loved a day off from all the hills and stairs of Coimbra!

Sergio is such a personable and knowledgeable guide. He showed us many small details of things in the Roman ruins that we would not have noticed. He is well versed in the history of the Roman city. He sends you pictures that he took on the tour with you. It was such a great tour. We highly recommend it!!!

Perfect tour- we were shocked by the vast amount of Roman ruins excavated & even more so to learn it's a tiny percentage of those known to be in the area! The Caves of Sicó were far more than we expected a truely magnificent wonder of nature. Sérgio was a brilliant guide with extensive knowledge who made my daughters 21st Birthday a day she'll always remember with fondness.

The site is the most impressive Roman excavation we’ve toured and we’ve seen many of them. Our guide was equally impressive. There wasn’t a question we asked him where he didn’t have a reasoned, factual response; not just regarding the site, also questions about Portugal generally.

We’ve been to quite a few Roman sites over the years. This was one of the best. It was bigger than we thought annd had some unique features, and Sérgio was a very knowledgeable, interesting and charming guide. There’s a good little museum on site too. Oh, and Sergio takes (better) photographs (than me), which he sends for you to download. At the end he takes you down rugged country lanes to the remains of some limestone caves. We really enjoyed it.

We thought this was really good. Conímbriga was more extensive and more interesting than I thought it would be. Sérgio was one of the best guides we have had the pleasure to meet. He was informative, insightful, and a pleasure to be with. We have seen many Roman sights over the years. This trip ranks right up at the top.

The motto of Aventuras Fortes sums it up: "More than just a tour; an adventure." We would both say "More even than an adventure: a treasured experience." From the beginning of the journey to Conimbriga Sergio was helpful and considerate, ensuring we approached the vehicle in the most convenient as well as safe way. On arrival there was little delay and we were escorted throughout the tour with helpful commentary that showed how well he understood the site and its history. The tour followed a gradually revealing route through the buildings outside the late defensive wall, with explanations of why our approach was from their rear. On reaching the front entrance we could see each building layout clearly as well as how it had been overshadowed by the wall that eventually failed in its purpose of defence. Beyond the wall we were of course impressed by the governor's residence and the gymnasium area but both seemed insignificant compared with the magnificence of the merchant's house. How heartbreaking it must have been to have built such a mansion and then have to abandon it before the city was overwhelmed by an enemy. The whole narrative was given to us in an understanding way, and the care Sergio took of two elderly people on a site with deep steps and uneven surfaces was exemplary. The final visit to the site museum to see objects found by excavation added mush of the human dimension to a long-lost city. We are both very grateful and recommend Aventuras Fortes heartily.

This was one of the best tours we have ever taken. The site is amazing! So much is intact - particularly the mosaic floors!! Often when visiting ruins, I have to use a lot of imagination to visualize what it looked like, but there was so much intact that I could get a sense of the place very easily. Sergio was an informed and helpful guide. He took lots of pictures and then sent them to us. We had a terrific day and highly recommend this tour!!

What an EXCELLANT Tour. We asked if with could combine two tours as we only had one day and wanted to see both Fatima & the Roman Ruins. Sergio was so accommodating. We started in Fatima and then to the Roman ruins in Conimbriga. Sergio was a wonderful guide! He was so informative, knowledgeable and was so very nice. There is nothing bad that I could say about this tour. I would definitely recommend this tour and especially Sergio to anyone especially my family and friends.

This was simply a terrific tour. Sergio was knowledgeable and personable and an excellent host/guide. The ruins are expansive and impressive, particularly the mosaics, the outlines of villas and the sense of place. It was very informative and very personal - only the two of us with Sergio. A very special experience, not to be missed if you are in the Coimbra.

Sergio was an excellent guide. Accommodating with pick up and drop off and most of all very knowledgeable about the Conímbriga Ruins. Excellent Tour!

When we first got there we had no idea it would be so expansive. It's basically a small city that was built between the 1st and 3rd century. The signage is very clear and describes what each area was and how they saw it was built. We toured on our own and really enjoyed all that was there. Definitely a highlight of our time in Coimbra.

Sergio was a fantastic guide and a great companion for a beautiful day at the Roman ruins and the caves! Pick up at the hotel couldn’t have been easier, and he was extremely knowledgeable and thoughtful. He took beautiful photos of my friend and I, but also of all the sites we discussed together. This was a highlight of our trip for sure!

The service and guide were excellent. We did the full day experience with pick-up and drop-off from our hotel in Coimbra. Sergio is very engaging and knowledgeable and we throughly enjoyed our day. We can't imagine visiting Conimbriga without a guide. He brought it too life for us!

Sérgio Forte was one of the better tour guides we had while in Portugal, he is very knowledgeable about the Roman Ruin and the caves, and took the time to answer each and every question we had, no matter what we asked. We also used his services the following day for a trip to Fatima, Nazaza, and Alcobaca (See my review of that tour) . One thing that is really impressive, other than his safe driving and being able to negotiate around one-way streets and lack of parking spaces, is that he photos the tour along with you, and then mails you the photos AFTER you get home.

Sergio was great! Friendly, knowledgeable and out together a great agenda for the day! Saw the Roman ruins and other interesting sights. Would definitely recommend!

Our guide was Sérgio Forte and he was an excellent guide. He arrived on time, was courteous and personable to us on first meeting and the day soon relaxed into a very pleasant experience with Sérgio guiding us through the Roman ruins at Conimbriga and then the Sico cave system. It was a very informative and interesting day made all the more enjoyable by Sérgio's undoubted knowledge and easy expertise.

Sérgio was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. In addition to the ruins we also visited another place called "boracas" which was very beautiful. I strongly recommend.

A welcome tour from the museum and church usuals! Amazing roman ruins and their world class preserved mosaics within a 20min comfortable ride from Coimbra. Wonderful guides, expert in the area, made the tour a real pleasure, highly recommend for any nature and history enthusiasts.

Spent most of the day with a young couple seeing the Roman Ruins and then some of the back country off the tourist scene. Learned a lot!

Super interesting guide with very important knowledge about history. Quiet and quiet we spent an extraordinary time with Sergio. It's a must-do.

I've been wanting to go for a while and today was the day!!! Great place with beautiful ruins, well explained QR codes are available with languages, French, English and Portuguese. Site to absolutely do!!!

I've wanted to visit Conímbriga for a long time because I really like everything to do with Roman civilization. The level of knowledge that Sérgio demonstrated during the visit made the entire experience much better, as many things would have gone unnoticed by us. The Sicó caves were a very interesting passage, especially for those who like natural curiosities.

Excellent experience. the Sérgio was impeccable and since it was raining, changed the morning visit to the afternoon so we could see the ruins better. The trip in the jeep was comfortable, being very clean. The visit to the ruins super interesting with a lot of knowledge of Sergio about everything. To finish in beauty, the Sicó Caves are a pleasant surprise for those who like landscapes and nature. I definitely recommend the visit with Fortes Adventures, since the visit to the ruins would not have half the grace without the explanations and we would never have visited the Caves had it not been for Sergio. We will return to do other tours with him no doubt.

I've been to Conímbriga several times, but having Sergio as a guide made all the difference! We also liked the tour of the Serra de Sicó and the visit to the Casmilo holes. We could make the most of it without worrying about taking photos since Sergio did it during the entire visit and sent us on the same day. Nothing to point out, we were eager to contact again at the next opportunity to make other visits to the region.