Stayed overnight at a campsite at Porto Covo, where not made particularly welcome by the main reception person! then inland to a free aire with good reviews at historic town of Evora. Whilst congratulating myself on how well all was ‘working’ at this aire – nice location, safety in numbers, international community, but brits around if help needed quicker etc, the peace of the Saturday night was disrupted for upto an hour and a half, because Benfica had won the Portuguese league. The disruption consisted of the town’s primarily male Benfica supporters driving round and round the town centre roads (which unfortunately went past the aire) hanging out of their sunroofs, shouting, waving flags, and constant pressing of their car horns. It did come to a stop thankfully around 11:30, and indeed a good night’s sleep was had. Evora was worth the visit, as my first inland Portuguese town, and driving the non-toll roads to get there took me through some pleasing countryside.
Wanted to come here en route to have a look and walk around – have to mark this one as one of the best. The photos say it all:
Stunning beaches at the mouth of the river
Gorgeous restaurant location – still on the Rota Vicentina
It is a shame I can’t appreciate the sea food gastronomy
…… from the beach
More selfi-ing proof
Building from 1600s
not just the visual but coming upon the smell from the honeysuckle
Very interesting construction
Only around 20 degrees, windy but very pleasant in the full sunshine. Does get very busy apparently between mid July to mid August. Prefer this or Cabanas, to the more ‘full-on’ Algarve or French mediterranean coast.
Following recommendations, staying at a lovely Camping Villa Park, at the above. The coast is stunning – the coastal path is beautiful, and here’s my attempt to capture some flora actually along the footpath and cliff tops:
Village at top of the cliffs – beach below
I should also make mention of the fauna I observed on my walk along the cliffs – what looked like herons nesting on a rocky outcrop. Google tells me these may be Egrets. Didn’t take any pictures for my birder friends to check out. as wouldn’t get enough quality given the distances.
Yesterday, decided to leave the Algarve via driving to the above, and then up through the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina.
There have been hints that a few selfies would be in order. which I get, so that readers are reassured that my photos are genuine and have not been taken from Google images in some kind of Capricorn One conspiracy. Despite the fact that I have found it rather difficult, the whole selfie thing, not just the embarrassment factor, drawing attention to the poor loner, but also from a practical pressing the button perspective, I will do a few examples every now and then including this one:
If I didn’t think I’d managed to leave schedules behind, I do after today. And the story is:
Google maps on my little screen (smartphone as opposed to non-digital more contextual map) said the distance to Lagos was about 5 miles. Eminently cyclable it seemed so duly set off fully loaded with beach stuff, including parasol, book etc. Well at least twice that later via main road I finally arrived determined to sort out how I was going to get back without having to cycle that same distance/route, and knew that there was a train line and station, so thought I could at least get most of the way back. It has to be said that the pressure is mounting for the purchase of a Brompton folding bike which I could sling onto a bus, or in a normal-sized taxi.
Turned out there was a water taxi, from Lagos to Alvor which would have taken my bike, subject to space, but not operating today due to rough seas, so the station turned up trumps with a local train running at 15:13 which would get me to the nearest station of Portimao, meaning I’d only have to cycle the 3.8 miles then back.
So I only spent about 1.25 hours hanging around Lagos, before arriving back at the station in very good time, to enable me to negotiate whatever it would take to get me and my bike on that train, including fighting off any other cyclists (number of bikes limited) who may not want to queue in an orderly fashion according to arrival time. Therefore at 14:45, entered the station – no-one around, train in – brilliant. Happened to glance up at the station clock to see it showing 13:45. This now ‘chimed’ (pun appropriate) with my having previously noticed but absentmindedly dismissed as just a phone/GMT thing, the time on my phone being an hour behind my watch. 🤔 Decided I’d better check that the station clock was accurate! and having this confirmed, meant that I had been an hour ahead of everyone else in Portugal since I crossed the border 7 days ago. It also explained why everyone was getting up about an hour later than me, and corrected my assumption that people seemed alot more laid back here.
Anyway – the bits I saw of Lagos indicated it was indeed a busy, but pleasant holiday hotspot, very nice marina, beach, waves.
replica of the sort of ship they sailed in 15th century to explore the seas
So landed yesterday (Sunday 12/5) at Camping Alvor, in Alvor, Western Algarve, after a really enjoyable 65-mile drive on non-toll roads seeing some of the countryside behind the Algarve coastline. Set up to watch the Race for the Title matches, at the back of the van despite the heat etc, to try and mitigate the noise and the irritation it caused, of the strimming being carried out on pitches around mine. Was achieving this reasonably successfully until all of a sudden there was a sound as if a whole load of earth had been chucked at the bonnet of the van. The strimmer stopped ominously. Basically a stone had been thrown up at my passenger door window, resulting in its complete shattering.
What was originally intended as a 2-night stay, I could see turning into more than that, and my sister had literally just booked a flight out on Sun 19/5 to join me in Lisbon and up to Porto for a week.
Long story short, the campsite have organised through their insurance to get a new window which will have to be sent to whichever service centre in Portimao. It will apparently arrive by tomorrow evening, meaning they’ll fit it Wednesday (hopefully!)
The good is that this is a very nice place to stay – spent 4 hours cycling around and about – to Portimao, and back along coast past Praia da Rocha, and these iconic beaches. There’s lots more to explore/do etc, and the campsite is well set up, given that it has a static caravan ‘permie’ presence. Have a very nice pitch under the trees, and have put the awning out for the first time this season. 🙂
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