The Fabled Algarve Portugal
“If there is one portion of Europe which was made by the sea more than another, Portugal is that slice, that portion, that belt. Portugal was made by the Atlantic.” – Hilaire Belloc
After a wonderful all be it a bit rainy respite in Evora, we were on our way south to Lagos on the fabled Algarve. More train travel, this time requiring us to be speedy with changes that required lugging our mountain of luggage up and down, changing platforms and making tight connections. Oh! For the joy of group travel where your luggage is magically whisked from your room to show up in your room at the next destination.
I also discovered the fun in shared travel as Sabina and I laughed hysterically and made new memories together. Travel can make or break friendships but this time I think it created lifelong memories.
Lagos, that magical fairy tale like town in the Algarve. Even though it’s November and off season we still saw a fair number of people enjoying the ambiance.
We spent the day wandering, exploring the promenade, the town, sampling the food and wine.
The Benagil cave. I missed the money shot because, a. it was cloudy and overcast, b. my seat, the movement of the boat and the position of the other people on the boat did not let me line up my shot well and c. I could kick myself and make all kinds of excuses but this time I just failed as a photographer. Regardless of pictures we had a fabulous experience as we rocked across the water as if riding a wild bronco.
We got to wind in and out of various caves and grottoes, had seals swimming next to our boat even as we held on tight as we rose and fell with the waves.
Albufeira, the party town of the Algarve. When I look at scenes like this it reminds me how similar the French Riviera, the Italian Riviera and even the Greek Riviera look with their picturesque seaside villages.
It was a no brainer that we had to sample the abundant sea food in this region, Portuguese style accompanied by delicious local wines.
The next morning, we set out to explore more of the picturesque towns of the Algarve. First stop Sagres and the Cape St. Vincent, the Southwestern most point of Portugal and continental Europe. Henry the navigator established a school for navigators here in the old fort. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky that the sun shone brightly and there were not too many people around thanks it being a bank holiday.
This lighthouse situated on the tip of Cape St. Vincent was first established in the 1800s guarding one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. It was an essential landfall for sailors returning from Africa and the Americas.
Due to it being a holiday the entire complex was closed, and we could only wander the outside and look at it from a distance.
Just a little distance from the Cap well before the town of Sagres, is this beach one of the most popular surfing spots in Portugal and Europe.
Just as surfers were busy in the water, parasailers were aloft in the sky spreading their colorful sails over the beautiful blue ocean.
For a complete change of pace, we headed inland towards the beautiful woodsy town of Monchique. The town center is picturesque filled with cute cafes, quirky statues and colorful murals. The town is known for its honey, thermal springs and sparkling clear water that rumor has it is better than any bottled mineral water you can buy.
We drove up to the lookout that gives you a beautiful view of the ocean and Lagos in the far distance and a vista of green. As we drove through the beautiful forests, we were fortunate to see harvested cork trees for the first time. Did you know that Portugal supplies 50% of the cork in the world and it takes 30plus years to get the first harvest from the tree.
Oranges and Grapes grew along the sides of the roads that we traversed. We were amused to learn that the oranges are harvested and juiced in Portugal and then the juice is shipped to Spain for bottling where it’s stamped as Made in Spain before being shipped worldwide.
Our final destination in the Algarve was the historical town of Silves. Dominated by the Moorish castle. In a country dominated by yellow and white the red brick structure serves a striking note.
After tantalizing glimpses of the castle from the distance we made our way to it and the cathedral that stands right by it. Silves is a town that seems to get into the Christmas spirit early and we could already see decorations on the streets announcing Christmas.
Once ruled by the Moors, Silves still has areas that preserve the culture of thos times.
While I haven’t met a stranger that I can’t friend and have the good fortune to chat easily with people along the way some friends are lifelong protectors and companions. Such is my knight here who consented to a photo with me.
Lisbon is calling, so it’s time to say Goodbye to the beautiful Algarve with dreams and hopes of a return perhaps in May or September which are the better, less crowded times to visit.