Alvor and another week in Lagos

Even after the bus-breakdown last week, we still had enough faith in the local bus system to once again board one of their vehicles to travel the 20 minutes that it takes to travel to the town of Alvor. A highlight along the way was a large group of hang-gliders that we spotted about halfway through our journey - there’s a small airport nearby that specializes in both this sport and sky-diving.
Although small, the town of Alvor has plenty of history - from the Roman occupation, when it was a prosperous port - to more recent times, when negotiations that took place there secured Angola’s independence from Portugal. Alvor - which was known as Al-bur during the time of the Moors - did sustain a lot of damage during the great earthquake of 1755, but its rebuilding has left the harbour and the core of the old village more intact than other places in the Algarve....there are, of course, hotels and other modern buildings on the outskirts - but this is predominately along the eastern edge of the beach - which is where we headed when we we first arrived.
The boardwalk in Alvor has has been voted by some, as “best in the area” - it’s certainly up there in this category - and the Portuguese have many excellent boardwalks and promenades to choose from! This extensive wooden structure can also be combined with a beach walk plus a long nature trail that winds through the estuary wetlands and shallow lagoons. The boardwalk which is suitable for wheelchairs and prams - but does not allow dogs (although we saw some) - has plenty of places to rest along the way. We first walked eastwards, parallel to the lovely beach, which is backed by sand dunes, in search of the rock formation known as “The Three Brothers” (Três Irmãos).
After reaching the eastern end, where the ochre coloured sandstone cliffs start to get higher, we found these wonderful and strange rock formations that jut out into the ocean. After spending some time admiring them, we turned back along the boardwalk, and the beach that’s named after them - Praia dos Três Irmäos - towards town...along the way passing Praia da Torralta, a continuation of the same stretch of gorgeous sand. At the point where the river Alvor meets the sea, we turned inland along its banks towards the harbour and the town. With a small marina and a more traditional-looking harbour, this attractive river-front is lined with palm trees and a selection of cafés and restaurants. The mostly ram-shackled fishermen’s huts here are larger than “normal” - and on this day had groups of families, in the area outside, enjoying barbecues of freshly caught fish. After our long, hot walk, we sat at a café next to the water and enjoyed a beer before continuing into the town itself.
The Ribeira Square, at the bottom of town, has at its centre a modern statue of a fisherman - joyously holding up a fish - which gives a clue to what most restaurants here feature! Eating establishments fill both this area, and all along the 2 or 3 streets that lead uphill away from it..........one thing that we did discover about Alvor is that they certainly have more than their fair share of places to eat and drink - we even saw one place advertising a pint of beer for €0.90!
We took one other little detour before heading up the narrow, winding, cobbled streets. After exiting the riverfront walk, we passed the lifeguard rescue-station and a covered old market area where some of the more senior gentlemen of town were playing cards. We continued along the side of the river, entering into what felt lIke the countryside. The paved area doesn’t go very far - at its end is an old, abandoned structure that stands on the edge of a calm, shallow bay. Strangely, we saw no-one else in this peaceful area - either on the way there or back!
We finally wandered all the pretty narrow streets of Alvor - discovering along the way its many small alleyways - all of them full of the traditional whitewashed houses typical of the Algarve. In the old quarter we visited the 16th century Igreja do Divino Salvador, which has pillars carved into fishing ropes and plants. It also has a lovely white wooden ceiling with a painted crest from which hangs a long chandelier. The small, gilded altar is surrounded with beautiful azulejos tiles.
In a square just around the corner from the church, we saw a small chapel inside what was formerly a mosque, before seeing another example of Moorish influence - the remains of a 13th century Moorish castle. Sadly, all that remains are a couple of low, brick walls in a childrens’ park....most of the stones from Alvor Castle were used to rebuild the village after the 1755 earthquake. On one small part of the old wall is a tiled picture, designed by children, depicting 900 years of the castle’s history.
When leaving the park - which is behind the Mercado building - we saw a group of the older ladies of the village sat outside their distinctively Portuguese homes, gathered together they were making some time for their knitting - and, maybe, some town gossip? We slowly made our way back to the bus stop - with only one last discovery....an ultra-modern ice cream café, with a friendly proprietor - how could we say “no?”
Back in Lagos, we’re still finding new places and things of interest....including the discovery of what has become a favourite roof-terrace bar. Although roof top terraces in this town are often late night “party places,” we found one that is an exception - Mar d’Estórias is a great place to enjoy a quiet drink and tapas. Situated on top of a traditional old building, this small terrace has peak-a-boo views of the water, a church tower and the surrounding rooftops. We’ve found that the roof-top terrace here is rarely busy - it’s a place for a quick drink, Tapas or a prequel to dinner in the restaurant. Walking up to the top of this building is akin to a journey through a labyrinth.....in addition to a ground floor shop selling an eclectic mix of traditional and modern items, there’s a small art-gallery and an area that sells books and records. A tiny, ultra modern restaurant literally hangs over the shop downstairs - all are found on various levels, reached by climbing up a winding set of worn, stone steps. Management claims that everything sold, eaten or drunk in Mar d’Estórias is Portuguese - which seems fitting, given the building’s history. Starting life as a 16th century chapel - that was thought to be built during the reign of Dom Manuel I - it was rented out and used as a grain warehouse in the early part of the 20th century. Until being totally renovated in 2015 and opening as Mar d’Estórias, it was used as headquarters for the volunteer fire service of Lagos.
A couple of favourite casual café/bars have also been added to our list - one at the Marina, The Oasis, is casual, has a great front-row view of the boats....and the cheerful young Irish servers know our order! The other café is much further away - about a 40 minute walk - but worth the effort. Housed in an attractive “wind-mill” looking building, Moinha Café & Bar has a spacious outside terrace that overlooks a small park filled with flowering bougainvillea. The area is distinctively Portuguese and although some tourists (like us) accidentally stumble across it, the clientele is mostly local, making the prices cheaper than “in town” - a beer and a glass of wine costs less than CAD$3.50 or £2!
We found this little gem of a place when I insisted on finding the other Municipal Mercado in Lagos (I’d read about it on-line) - so after promising Trevor a breakfast at the market café, we set off on our search. Once on the far side of Lagos we walked uphill, past the old city walls and then uphill again until we found it. Similar, but smaller than the town’s main market, it also has a section for fresh fish and a separate one for produce. All on one level and open 6 days a week, we went on a Saturday to enjoy the complete neighbourhood feel of the place....and yes, it was worth it! I happily lined up with the locals, who were chatting to me while I smiled and nodded - as though I understood! We had some excellent produce for the next few days....and Trevor got his breakfast - actually we both did!
To walk off all these pastries, beers and great food, we’ve continued, most days, to walk many miles around this town and the cliffs - deciding one day to do a walk along the cliff-tops to see some sights that we’d bi-passed on our way to Ponte de Piedade. After walking the length of the riverfront, passing the harbour and the “town beach,” we walked uphill and through a small winding lane-way that brought us out on top of the cliffs. With a concrete retaining wall on one side and lots of downward heading steps, we were rewarded with our first sighting of Praia do Pinhäo - a small cove that’s surrounded by towering golden coloured cliffs and blessed with shallow, calm clear waters. From our vantage point we could see both the uncrowded beach far below and the sight of a wide range of cliff formations all around. We continued onwards along the trail - which sometimes gets (for me) uncomfortably close to the edge, but is mostly a few feet away from the steep drop off. Around the other side of the first cliff we saw the continuation of Pinhäo beach, which depending on the tide, can be reached through an archway carved out at sea-level. Sometimes accompanied by a little black dog we resumed our trek and, with with frequent stops to admire the scenery, plus attempts to take photos of the dog, who would not co-operate, we eventually sighted Praia D’Ana. This beach, which is wider than some of the other coves, is again surrounded by cliffs and also has the same safe, crystal clear water. Hugely popular in this “suburban” area of Lagos - it’s perfect for anyone who wants to just relax on a beach all day and, although it’s very crowded in season, it’s actually become almost a tourist destination in itself, with quite a few surrounding hotels in the immediate area. One of these hotels provided a bit of a challenge, when the end our cliff trail stopped at its high fence - with the only alternative down was a very steep drop! After a bit of an expedition, which took him past an old ruined dwelling - now cleverly incorporated into a modern villa, compete with solar panels - Trevor found “a way out.”
We made our way over a moderately high wall and onto a walkway which wrapped around the hotel and led to the beach steps...we were very relived we hadn’t taken the “steep route” when we saw the remains of a house that had fallen off the cliff when the area it was built on had collapsed....there was also a piece of pavement missing - complete with hanging cables!
At this point we decided to stop - and make our way back home along the safety of the road....maybe we’d stop in town for another one of those well-deserved cold beers!