Escape to the Algarve
The Algarve... honestly one of the most beautiful places we've ever been. Last summer when Portugal was just another one of our crazy ideas, photos of the Algarve were calling to us. The sandstone formations and dramatic cliffs reminded us of parts of Australia and the beaches just looked stunning. So of course our first trip from Lisbon had to be south!
The Algarve region is about two and a half hours driving time from Lisbon if you take the main toll road. It was our first experience renting a car in Portugal and I have to say it went very smoothly! I am the designated driver here in Europe as the majority of cars are manual, so that means Justin is navigating (aka we are struggling 😜). In the seven days we spent in the Algarve we drove our tiny little rental car over 700 miles... and long story short we came back even more in love with Portugal. How could you not?
We probably drove way more than most people do when they visit this region. It's totally possible to stay in one area and not drive as much. Our route was very spontaneous and really was proof of how torn we were between the south and the west coasts. I think the south beaches are what you see more of on instagram and when you google search the Algarve... but man the west coast beaches were just as gorgeous. Where the south is more resort like with calm water... the west is rugged, wild, and has the big waves. The sandstone formations of the south transition into black stone cliffs in the west. Basically we couldn't pick a favorite and ended up spending equal times on both coasts.
I also made a video of our week there! Testing out the new gimbal and GoPro:
Western Algarve
West Coast, best coast?? We found ourselves drawn to the rugged, natural beaches of the west that reminded us so much of the remote beaches of Australia and New Zealand. You really feel immersed in nature without any establishments right on the beach. The west coast begins in Sagres, a town that the famous Sagres beer is named for :) We visited one morning stopping at the Fortaleza de Sagres (Sagres Fortress). You can see it more in the video I made but the wind was really strong while we walked along the cliffs of the fortress.
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| I'm addicted to gelato... Justin doesn't share this passion :( |
Nearby Sagres is the lighthouse of Cabo de São Vicente which is the most southwestern point of Europe, and also a particularly good sunset spot. We drove out to the lighthouse our first night, and it was a stunner!
This part of Europe was also known as the edge of the world in the middle ages. Standing on these cliffs I'm sure many wondered what lay beyond, and I can see why the Portuguese were so inspired to explore.
Up the coast from Cabo de São Vicente is the Castelejo Viewpoint. From this point at the top of the cliff you can see one beach to the south and another to the north joined in the center. At some point I'd like to go back and walk along both. While we were at the viewpoint one guy was preparing to parachute off the cliff. He kept running up to the edge then his partner would yell "STOP!", I wonder if the spotter was there to detect wind conditions as he ran to the edge. But continuously having to stop would freak me out, parachuting is not on my bucket list haha.
Going north from there you will find yourself in a town called Bordeira, where one of the most gorgeous beaches I've ever seen is - Praia da Bordeira. A river runs along the south side of the beach and a long wooden boardwalk takes you across, first giving you a really gorgeous view as you walk down from the parking lot. Just don't do as we did and park at the first parking lot you come to... you will end up on the wrong side of the river 😅
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| Confused when we realized a river separated us and the beach! |
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| Praia da Bordeira, the river is hidden by the hill in the foreground |
Our northern-most stop was through the Aljezur region... We stopped in a town called Odeceixe which was our favorite west coast stop.
The drive down to Odeceixe feels remote and goes through a very small town, making you wonder if you're heading in the right direction. Then, a roundabout takes you down a steep hill where you get your first glimpse of Praia de Odeceixe 😍 I loved the white washed houses with beautiful outlines in different shades of blue, and of course the traditional red rooftops.
This quiet town was so nice to spend two afternoons in, there's a cafe with nice espressos and a water closet (aka bathroom) which is important as the sea is freeeeezing!
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| View of Odeceixe cliffs from Praia das Adegas |
Southern Algarve
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| Looking East from Ponte da Piedade |
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| Steep cliffs means lots of stairs to the beach haha |
Since we were so close to this area we decided to come back for sunrise, it's always hard to wake up for but totally worth it! We had the beach pretty much to ourselves.
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| Praia do Camilo |
Though we love a good sunrise, we prefer to chase sunsets :) Justin saw an area he wanted to go to for sunset and it ended up being really interesting, it was near Portimão, a bigger city 30 minutes from Lagos.
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| View of Portimão |
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| A bridge leading to... |
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| A hidden cave :) |
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| Looking at the "path" from the beach |
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| The views were pretty special though :) |
And as the finale to this post... probably the most beautiful beach / area we've ever encountered... Praia da Marinha beach. My jaw literally dropped the moment we walked down from the car park and got our first glimpse of this area. I think it's best seen in the video I made, photos almost don't do it justice!
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| Praia da Marinha |
There's a coastal walk that connects all the beaches along these cliffs and we walked part of it just to see what was nearby. It's definitely a popular beach though, so not hidden away like the west coast ones but it is definitely gorgeous! Just can't get over the colors!
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| Along the cliff walk |
We loved seeing the southern cliffs from above, but I'd also recommend a boat tour to see them from below as well! We did a speed boat tour from Portimão and it was a great experience to see the massive cliffs from that perspective. The boat took us into several sea caves as we learned more about the region. This is also better seen in the video but thought I'd include some photos.
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| Elephant rock, can you see it? |
Oh the Algarve... obrigada for such a wonderful, adventurous stay. We could not get enough of all the beautiful beaches, sunsets, cliff walks, etc. It is a special place, one that we will definitely continue returning to especially as soon to be Portugal residents. In fact we are back in the Algarve as I write this now about to meet Justin's Dad and Tina tomorrow for more adventures! That's why I needed to get this post done :) haha. Thank you for following along as always!
💜
Sarah
"Oh ocean preceding us, your fears
Had coral and beaches and forests to them.
Were the night and fog unveiled,
The past's storms and mystery,
The Afar would blossom, and the starlit South
Shine resplendent on the ship of initiation."
- Part of "Horizonte" by Fernando Pessoa, I saw this quote on display at the Sagress Fortress and enjoyed reading the full poem.