Sheila's Blog: Another lovely holiday at Rocha Brava

The leaves and acorns are falling, the temperatures dipping and it's a perfect time to escape to HPBs Rocha Brava resort near Carvoeiro in the Algarve. After our recent river cruise on the Rhone it was time to switch off and relax and basically do nothing for a week or two. We turned off the alarm clock, put down our phones and stopped worrying about what we will do next. To truly switch off you need to let go of itineraries and allow yourself to enjoy doing nothing at all.

It's easy when you are staying in a lovely apartment. #aptpics #RB445B

Come on in:-

Washing machine but no dishwasher.

The balcony overlooks the workmens' work shop, which can sound rather industrial at times, e.g. cutting tiles.

Parking is about 100 steps away, providing there is a space. If not it's rather a long walk especially if you are carrying shopping and cases.

The HPB internet kept dropping out - we reported it but they were unable to fix it whilst we were there. However, Rocha Brava 11 wifi didn't drop out but was slower.

Talking of shopping - en route to Rocha Brava you will pass three supermarkets in Lagoa. Apolonia has a wide selection of groceries, both local and tailored to an international shopper. There is also beer, wine and prepared foods. An excellent chemist and cash point machine. Open to 8pm. And located right next to Apolonia is ALDI making it easy to hit both at once. I understand you can also do an online shop from Apolonia. And there is also Intermarche a little further down the road.

We purchased a lovely light rose wine called Sexy from Apolonia and some wine from Douro in Aldi. Both very drinkable.

'Nothing' doesn't mean lying in bed all day. A typical day of doing nothing for us involves a lie-in, sporadic dips in the pool or sea, slow meals, meandering walks and time spent reading our books by the pool or on the beach.

Vale de Centeanes Beach is close and this beach is lovely but check tide times as not a lot of beach when fully in. We have spent some wonderful hours at this beach. The sea was a bit cold, 19 degrees, and if the surf is up it can be challenging getting out of the water but I loved watching the children running in and out of the surf. Seaweed can be gone one day and back the next. All depends on the weather....warmer waters, strong winds, rough seas all increase the chances of seaweed being washed up.

O Stop is a fish restaurant right on this beach. It gets very busy at lunchtimes so we always book a table for one p.m. on our way to the beach. What's not to like. Fish of the day, dorado, was excellent at 19 euros, as was the Sangria.

In the evening the Sky Bar at the Tivoli Hotel is a fantastic location to enjoy a cocktail with a beautiful view.

Carvoeiro Boardwalk is the best place to watch the amazing sunsets in the Atlantic ocean. Great for a pre-dinner stroll. The raised boardwalk runs along the coast and is about a third of a mile long with stunning views. We parked near Algar Seco. What a lovely walk into Carvoeiro where we ate at the Restaurante Oasis. The chicken satay was very good at a reasonable price.

We also enjoyed a couple of great evenings at the Cafe in Rocha Brava. Mondays and Fridays there was fantastic live music when the band played our favourite tunes including Dire Straits.

Near by the Rocha Brava resort are a couple of lovely restaurants.

Pashmina Indian Restaurant. So lucky to have this close to Rocha Brave, only a short walk. We went twice on our holiday as we enjoyed it so much. The waiters are so polite and meet old fashioned etiquettte, constantly making sure you are happy. The king tandoori dish is large enough for two! A large menu to choose from. If you love Indian food you will love this place.

Restaurante Jardim do Farol serves excellent authentic Portuguese food. Well located next to Rocha Brava. The service is excellent and the food.....amazing. This is a family run business and the brothers make the atmosphere, lots of football scarves! We often eat here - large portions.

The second week of our holiday we decided to venture further afield.

Silves Castle - the Algarve's best preserved castle. These days, the city of Silves is an attractively sleepy place, all cobbled streets and historic buildings, dotted with souvenir shops and umbrella-ed cafe tables. Jump back a millennium or so and it was a mighty Moorish capital known as Xelb, rivalling Lisbon in influence. Set on the Rio Arade, the beginning of the end came in 1189 when Portugal's Sancho I laid siege to the castle, eventually winning control after three months. (Then losing it a couple of years later. And so on). But as the river started to silt up, its position as a strategic port was also lost, and it wasn't until the 19th century that local cork and dried fruit trades revitalised the town's prospects once again.

All chunky red battlements, the sandstone structure of Silves Castle dates from between the 8th and 13th centuries, mixing Islamic and Christian influences.

Today, you're greeted by a towering bronze statue of Sancho I, while inside you can walk the walls around the open courtyard. Don't expect audio guides or detailed signs, just let your imagination run wild.

From the battlements, you can also look down on to the cathedral, or Se, a relatively unadorned but striking church with some interesting Crusader tombs.

Just across the street from the Cathedral is the Misericordia Church dating from the 16th century. The Mannerist altarpiece in the interior, which contains eight canvases that represent the visitation and the seven works of mercy, is a peculiarity worth seeing. Today this church functions as an art gallery. But it is worth a visit.

Silves Town Hall is a grand building which overlooks the main square. If it's open, do take a peek inside to check out it's stunning interior.

There is also an archaeology museum where you can see prehistoric, Roman and Moorish antiquities.

We parked, free of charge by the river and the large SILVES sign and then walked up to the castle. As we walked a party of nursery school children happened by. All of them were wearing painters' smocks for some reason, and each child held the tail of smock in front with one hand, and the hand of the child next to them with the other. It made for a very tight and efficient crocodile....They all looked very happy.

It was too early for lunch so we decided to drive to an excellent piri-piri restaurant on the Estrada do Foia (or N-266), the road leading from the village of Monchique to the top of the mountain. A Rampa. But sadly it was closed. Not sure if this is permanent!

So we tried a new restaurant. Luir da Foia. Wonderful views and setting with a warm welcome. Prices above average but well cooked food and plenty of it.

After a day of sight-seeing we decided another day on a beach was called for. Praia Grande in Ferragudo. This is a great beach, plenty of sun loungers, good parking (large overflow car park nearby). Couple of beach bars/restaurants on the beach, plus the fact it has a breakwater means minimal waves so makes swimming a lot easier. Excellent for children and a long stretch of sand to stroll on.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Praia Grande Panoramic Restaurant. Excellent service, food and a fabulous view overlooking the sea....sooo chilled.

After a restful day we were ready to start exploring again. One of the things the western Algarve is proud of is its abundance of storks. Unlike much of Europe, most of the storks here are no longer migratory. We were heading for the suspension bridge at Alferce and drove past what we call Stork City. It is on the left side of the N266 about 2 kms after the Silves turnoff. If you reach the village of Rasmalho you have gone too far. There is a garage opposite a small area where you can pull over to snap some photos. The storks were on their nests at 10.30 am.

We continued for our walk in suspension. In between the gorges of the Serra de Monchique, you can find an exciting wooden walkway perfect for an autumn day out in pure nature. The suspension Bridge on Barranco do Demo trail. We drove to Alferce in the hinterland of Serra de Monchique and parked by the small cemetery. Then its downhill on a normal forest path for approximately 1 km to the start of the boardwalk. About 220 steps lead down into the gorge, then comes the suspension bridge and on the other side it goes up about 360 steps. A wide plank staircase path runs along both sides of the gorge. This looks worse than it is. The staircase is divided into steps of 10 to 12 steps which makes walking relatively convenient. There is a massive railing on both sides. Crossing the gorge is easy. The suspension bridge is not very high. It hardly fluctuates and is completely safe to walk on. The floorboards are close to each other. The two-sided handrail provides additional security. Spectacular views. The hike can be extended to the ruin of Castelo d'Alferce - 7 km.

Time to explore the wild western coast of the Algarve. This is a surfer's paradise. We drove to Aljezur and on to Praia da Arrifana and stopped for lunch at O Sargo. An incredible location with excellent service and delicious inventive food that is reasonably priced. What else could you want in a restaurant?

After lunch we drove to Ponta Branca in the next bay and stopped for coffee and a delicious fresh pastel de nata, sitting on the terrace with a fabulous view watching the surfers. I love the Portuguese tarts, the flaky custard tarts that have come to represent Portuguese cuisine. Bom apetite!

The following day we awoke to drizzle so decided to visit Bar Bacchus in Porches. Porches is the pottery capital of the Algarve and is well worth a visit just to see the potters and painters at work on their colourful creations. Go for the ceramics and stay for a soup and salad in their Bar.

Next day the beautiful Portuguese sun was out again so we enjoyed a lovely walk on Alvor's boardwalk. Took us about two hours, at an amble, stopping to admire the views. The way out hugs the Laguna. The way back is by the beach, a lovely stretch of untouched sand.