The Algarve.
It's great for golf, brilliant for beaches and superb for seafood, but did you know the Algarve's wonderful for wine? So get set to clink glasses, relish reds and whites, and do it all under a canopy of captivating countryside.
Our first day is always a day of relaxation, so we headed out early in the morning to Praia Vale Centeanes - our closest beach. Sunday lunch was at O Stop. Exactly what you need on the beach, great beach food, friendly staff, cold beer and sangria and shade. After a long hot morning in the baking sun what you need is somewhere with shade, that is relaxing, staff that clearly care and cold drinks. The food is hot and wholesome text book Mediterranean fare. We had grilled Dorado. - Lunch was excellent in the most beautiful location. What's not to like?
There is also a great pool area at Rocha Brava with lots of sun beds and cocktails......
On Tuesday we went along to Casa Bonina to enjoy learning about and tasting some of the varied wines from around Portugal co-hosted by local wine expert Phillip and Manager Jorge. Phillip has a fabulous knowledge of the local wine industry. Cheers. Of course, had to buy a couple of bottles.
Jorge encouraged us to visit Phillip's (also known as Antonio) wine bar in Porches RoLha. Wow, just Wow!!! A great tapas restaurant, with lots of character inside. So many good things on the menu. They have a permanent menu, and then an additional weekly menu. Great selection of local wine and olive oil. One of those rare places where you just have to try everything. A truly great evening. Thank you for your hospitality, a lovely atmosphere.
The story of LAGOS is over 2,000 years old too. It was a Celtic settlement before the Punic Wars of Rome and Carthage. During the Second Punic War the people of Lagos sided with Hannibal and the Carthaginians. That didn't work out so well. The Romans came, then the Visigoths from Toledo, followed by the Byzantines. In the 8th century the Moors arrived. The Moors hung on until the arrival of King Alfonso III in 1241. He declared himself King of Portugal, the Moors then left and Lagos was Portuguese. In 1415 King John I gathered his fleet in Lagos, sailed south and sacked the Moorish port of Ceuta. Lagos became the centre of the expanding empire.
We parked in the large car park near the Marina and then walked over the bridge. Look out for the Boa Esperanca, an old sailing vessel of peculiar design. It is a seaworthy replica of a 15th century caravel.
The religious, civic and military history of Lagos is in its landmarks. One can start with the Flag's Mast Fort. It is a square shaped fort, now a museum (closed on the day we visited), with turrets and a drawbridge guarding the harbour entrance. The Castle of Lagos and the encircling walls were at one time the city's main defence.
Henry the Navigator Statue. The statue was made by Leopoldo de Alemeida, a famous national artist, in 1960. Henrique is sitting. He stares rather vacantly into space. Perhaps, like Antonio in "The Merchant of Venice", he is worried about his rich argosies, dodging pirates on the high seas and crashing on a lee shore. Or perhaps he's planning his next venture abroad.
Old Slave Market. Portugal's maritime ascendency had a dark side - slaves. Prince Infante D. Henrique, who was not actually a seafarer, earned the name "Henry the Navigator" by dispatching expeditions of discovery over the sea to Africa and beyond. The first cargo of slaves was delivered in 1441 by a Captain Antonio Goncalves.
Church of Santo Antonio. You enter via the attached museum displaying various animals, biological freaks pickled in jars, along with displays of archaeological relics, traditional implements, weapons, coins, paintings and religious icons. A short tour of small diverse galleries terminates in the ornate church, a treasure trove of gilded carving. Where the gold stops the white and blue azulejo tiles begin.
In the middle of the large pedestrianised square is the controversial statue of Dom Sebastian by sculptor Joao Cutileiro. Dom Sebastian is the king who raised Lagos to city status. It is safe to say there is nothing else like it. It is beyond modernistic and Dom Sebastian's gender is doubtful. And what is he wearing?
The Lagos fish market, Mercado Municipal da Avenida de Lagos, is a wonderfully restored building overlooking the Marina. The ground floor is packed full of fresh fish. Anything with a fin, tentacle or shell is sold here!
Time for lunch. Right on the Lagos harbour there's an old shack that houses a restaurant call A Barrigada (a full belly). It is a simple place that serves grilled fish (as much as you can eat) with simple accompaniments: boiled potatoes seasoned with garlic and oregano and a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and onion. O Barrigada is always full of people from all ages and nationalities enjoying a bounty of fish.
Life beyond the beach: we are off to discover a different, more authentic Algarve. The Wild West.
Phil decided he didn't want to use the Sat Nav and sat down with a map the night before. We drove to Odiaxere and headed to the Barragem Dam.
This road is a dead end so after viewing the Dam we retraced our steps to Corsino. Driving through the hills of the Serra to N267 (Aljezur-Monchique) where we turned left and headed towards Costa Vicentina with a beautiful panoramic view ahead of us. After 10 km and just before Aljezur we turned towards Lisboa at the roundabout, then after 800m turned left to the signposted Praia da Amoreira. Locals and visitors alike regard it as the west coast's most beautiful bay. In the north it is bordered by a vertical thrust of black volcanic rock and to the south a large rocky outcrop. Time to sit back and enjoy the view and a cup of coffee at Restaurante Paraiso do Mar.
We then returned to Aljezur, where you can see the ruins of a Moorish fort and leave on N120 towards Lagos. After 1 km we turned right on M1003-1 then after 8 km turned right to Praia de Monte Clerigo and enjoyed a delicious lunch at O Sargo. We have visited this restaurant before and just had to return. Shown straight to a table at the front of the restaurant overlooking the beach. English spoken by all the servers and English menu provided. It's virtually all from the sea, which suits us fine. We both chose the tuna skewers with lemon rice. Bread, olives, carrots and a slightly chewy octopus were served accompanied by a bottle of ice cold white house wine and mineral water. Fabulous.
After lunch we returned to Aljezur and turned right to Carrpateira. What appears to have been a recent fire does make one reflect.
Before the town entrance we turned off towards Praia da Bordeira, the beach is a wonderful reward.
We then returned to Rocha Brava.
After all that driving we decided to stay close to home the next day and headed to Nossa Senhora Da Rocha. A striking pilgrim's chapel perched on a cliff that has sweeping views of the coast-line. Fishermen built it in the 16th century. But pillars from the 6th-7th century are a Visigoth testimony to early Christianity.
At the foot of the cliffs there are invitingly beautiful beaches connected to one another by a tunnel.
Time for a swim.
Another beach we love to visit is Praia Grande at Ferragudo. This is a very large, fabulous beach. Apparently a big cleaning machine cleans it every morning. The sand is golden and soft, perfect for children and building sand castles. It is protected by the breakwater and the cliffs, so the water seems to be generally calm. There are gaps between the sunbed places for those who just want to lie or sit on their beach mat or towel. The Restaurante Praia Grande is a favourite of ours and a brilliant place to have lunch. Great sea views, good food and wine and a friendly excellent service and a playground for children. A traditional Portuguese restaurant. What a wonderful spot.
After lunch we headed to Farol da Ponta do Altar: The lighthouse is fine, but the views over the "Bay of Lagos" are the reason to visit. We walked east from the parking lot along the cliffside until we were above Praia do Torrado (we couldn't figure out how to get down to the beach without rock climbing, which we passed on).
Our last day and we headed to Praia de Benagil. It's amazing to watch the madness at Benagil beach. A veritable touristic invasion of the area since Benagil's wonderful cave has been repeatedly extolled over practically every means of communication in the virtual world. Benagil went viral long before the pandemic. In the subsequent years, even during restrictions, pressure on the stunning beach with its equally stunning sea cave has pushed the bounds of sanity. Businesses running 'pleasure trips' to and from the cave have fallen out with each other in their determination to take as many people back and forth as possible. It's overcrowded and there have been serious accidents lately. The government no longer allows kayaks or swimmers to enter the cave and the lifeguards are constantly keeping alert. Pirates too!!
Meet Mary the Harris Hawk who is doing a wonderful job keeping the gulls at bay at Rocha Brava. She does not harm the birds but merely scares them away.
