As a traveler, I often get sucked into the dark vortex of obsessing about pictures. Sometimes I spend more time looking at my phone than at my surroundings. Hours of editing, applying filters and timing when to post eat away at time I could be eating, drinking, and experiencing a place.

As convenient as it is to have a tiny camera in your pocket at all times, there’s something nostalgic about simpler times when we could travel and just soak in the moments, candidly laugh with our friends without worrying if we are capturing it correctly, and instantly flocking to social media to share.

Don’t get me wrong. I do all those things.. and often. But I find it tedious and wasteful and it definitely takes away from the joy of travel (for me anyway).

Thankfully, this trip was a game changer, thanks to our resident travel photographer and friend, Brooke. She dreamed up the idea of having a photographer capture the moments, allowing the rest of us to simply be present—no strings attached.

While I’m sure this trip would’ve been magical no matter what, thanks to Brooke, we were able to really immerse ourselves in the experience. Many of the girls in these photos will tell you they didn’t even know the camera was rolling, giving us a rare glimpse into the candid side of our Girls Trip—the laughs, the scenery, the newly formed friendships, and all the beautiful memories we made together.

Seville, Spain

We started our adventure in Seville, Spain. Our hotel straddled the banks of the Guadalquivir River and we went on a locally guided walking tour of the old town. Our guide Alba showed us the many juxtapositions of Seville—the Moorish architecture, the Jewish history, and the Catholic influence that remains today. We learned about many impressive women that played a role in making this city what it is today. We enjoyed a live flamenco show and ended most evenings on a picturesque rooftop somewhere—dancing, sipping sangria, and planting seeds in the soil of new friendships.

The Algarve, Portugal

From Spain, we made our way west to Portugal, to the Algarve coast. Along the way, we stopped at Cabrita Winery, a locally-owned and operated Vineyard. At Cabrita, it’s not about speed or mass production, it’s a slow, savory experience from start to finish, and one that can’t be rushed. Here, there are no shortcuts. Only the freshest locally-sourced products will suffice. Similar to the relaxed pace one experiences elsewhere in the Algarve, the grapes are in no hurry to mature. They take their time in the rich, arid soil, soaking in the Portuguese sun until they reach perfection. Much like the evolution of the vineyard itself, the wine is cared for delicately and intentionally—recipes and techniques that have been handed down for generations. Our host, Duarte took us on a tour of the vineyard, followed by a master class in the maturation and fermentation process. Finally, we enjoyed locally sourced charcuterie and a sampling of their four most famous wines. Needless to say, many of us came home with cases to enjoy later.

Our hotel was in Carvoeiro along the coast and it had the most beautiful uninterrupted cliffside that guests could hike. One direction took you into town where you could souvenir shop and eat at the most amazing restaurants, and the other direction took you to the beach. Many of us opted to stay at the hotel and enjoy the facilities because they were so relaxing. As you can see, we had the most amazing views you could ask for.

One of the funniest memories from this trip came on Wednesday. We had a boat tour planned to see the coastline and Portugal’s renown cliffside caves. When our driver dropped us off we had a little trouble finding the specific dock we were supposed to depart from as it wasn’t clearly marked and there were so many docks. The captain called and said if you aren’t here in one minute we are leaving without you. We took off in a mad sprint to the dock that wasn’t very funny at the time, but we all shared a good laugh at after-the-fact.

The tour itself was beautiful. There were so many amazing cliffs, each with unique features. The boat ride itself was really entertaining. We passed a nude beach, one of our travelers got pretend engaged, a few of us got a little seasick, while others took a dip in the beautiful water.

The town of Benagil was one of a kind. It’s vibrant buildings were so colorful and interesting even if they wreaked of the 1990s and Saved By The Bell reruns.

Lisbon, Portugal

From the coast, we headed north to the capital of Lisbon. I’ll be honest, I expected this to be my least favorite of all our stops, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Lisbon has so much charm and character and it absolutely stole our hearts. We met our guide, Angela, and promptly tasted Portugal’s most prized treasure, the pastel de nata pastries. These suckers are addictive. From there we took a walking tour through Lisbon’s winding streets and neighborhoods. We definitely put some miles on our feet this day, but we were rewarded with amazing views and delicious Ginjinha, a cherry liquor that is best enjoyed from an edible chocolate shot glass.

We spent the following day exploring the fairy tale town of Sintra. We took TukTuk rides up to the top of the mountain. Our first stop was Pena Palace, where our guide Angela gave us a first hand look at what life was like for the royals. Our visit coincided with the anniversary of their execution, making it a somewhat somber day to visit and walk in their footsteps. We spent the remainder of the day exploring the town of Sintra, shopping, eating, and of course enjoying more Ginjinha!

On our final day in Lisbon we took a walking tour of Belem where we saw preparations underway for a royal wedding. We walked along the water and marveled at some of the beautiful street art in the area. In the evening we went on a food tour where we sampled many local favorites like ham sandwiches and sardines! We ended the evening by honoring three very special travelers, Tammy, Yasmine, and Angela, who combined have traveled to 19 countries with Land + See Tours.