Last week in Portugal

We visited Portimäo without expectations, having had only one positive recommendation but a couple of negative ones. As it’s a quick and cheap train ride away we decided to give it a chance....and happy that we did - it was a very enjoyable day trip!
The historic centre is filled with open-air cafés and plazas, and has a distinctively Portuguese feel. There’s also a large pedestrianized shopping area, with huge “sails” above the streets to provide shade.
Leaving the train station we made our way towards the riverfront - a place that everyone agrees is a highlight of this city. We took what turned out to be the “long” way there - but we’re pleased that we did, as it gave us the opportunity to see both the back, and the side streets - where the city’s residents were going about their daily business. An unexpected treat along the way was that we (finally) saw a stork on top of its nest....something we’ve been hoping for all summer, having seen many nests - but all were empty!
Considered bad luck to kill a stork - legend has it that the death penalty was given for this crime in ancient Greece....in Portugal the punishment was less severe...just one hand was cut off! The stork is a protected species world-wide, and in Portugal it’s illegal to demolish anywhere they have a nest.....which accounts for the large amount of old chimney stacks - a favoured place for these birds to set up “home.” The Portuguese farmers love the storks, due to money they save on pesticides.....these birds eat, among other things, large insects. Mainly monogamous, the storks return to their nests each year - their offspring often building their own nests close by. The wetlands around Portimäo are a perfect habitat for them....their intricate, large nests top many telephone poles, industrial sized brick chimneys and even a roof or two!
We walked along the Ribeirinha (the old riverfront), which is almost a kilometre long - admiring the boats, docks and the marina....there’s also some interesting artwork along the way. After spending some time at one of the many cafés that surround the main square of this riverfront area, we made our way to the city’s Museum to learn the history and heritage of Portimäo.
On the banks of the River Arade, the museum is housed in an old fish canning factory, which like the scenic promenade, has been responsibly transformed. After paying the small entrance fee, we first enjoyed the lobby’s current art exhibition. This modern area was filled with work by the Dutch artist Meinke Flesseman, who lives and works in the Eastern part of the Algarve. Influenced by the land and the ocean, this current exhibition - “Summer Secrets” - contains paintings so startlingly real they appear to be photographs.
The rooms of the museum took us through a progression from ancient times - with evidence of pottery, tools, etc - through the traditional ways of agriculture and fishing, including its Industrialization. A major part of the museum is dedicated to the fish-canning industry, particularly sardines, for which the country and this area are famous. We did miss one exhibition which was, unfortunately, temporarily closed....titled “Under the Waters,” it’s in the former factory’s cistern. This unique artificial reef is made with four Portuguese sunken Navy vessels...and from the posters, it looks amazing! We therefore had to be content with learning lots about the evolution of the fish-canning process - which although sounds boring, was not - being brought to life with vivid displays, wonderful photographs plus lots of information boards. Interesting mannequins, in life-like settings, visually tell the story of both the work and social aspects of the recreated surroundings. If all the information proves tiring - there’s a lovely café attached to the museum. We skipped the café, but after walking back down the promenade sat in a lovely waterfront park - the Jardim Visconde Bivar - and enjoyed a gelato.
The remainder of the day was spent wandering the town and the streets. We took a look at the Baroque Câmara Municipal de Portimão (city hall), the Igreja do Colégio, and although we intended to go inside the main church of the city - the Nossa Senhora da Conceição - it was closed due to the whole front facade being refurbished.
We did spend some time in the Praça da República, which is considered the heart of this city. With the usual surrounding cafés, it also provides direct access to the shopping precinct - plus it’s a lovely place to do some people watching! On this very hot day we enjoyed watching children running through arches of water, spouting from its fountain - especially the ones who were hot and sweaty from their soccer games.
With a final walk through the back streets, including the ancient Rua da Barca which is famous for being an area of traditional restaurants, we made our way back to the train station and home - not forgetting to pick up a couple of Pasteis de Nata along the way - that were so good, we returned to Portimão a few days later!
Actually we didn’t go back for the pastries, although they were yummy, we returned to see some places in the area - some of which we’d thought about visiting, but without a car caused a bit of a problem. On our day trip to Portimão we accidentally stumbled upon a good way to get around these difficulties, by using the services of a small mini-bus.
Similar to the “Hop on, hop off” tours offered in many cities this utilizes the the same idea, except there’s no double-decker and no big crowds...in fact we shared our mini-bus only twice, and both times for just a few minutes....other than that we had our own driver!
This time we took the early train to Portimäo, walked through streets where the shops were just opening, and made it to the waterfront in about 20 minutes. After paying just €10 per person we were off on our Rota das Falésias (Cliff route) tour, and all before 10.30! With 18 stops to chose from, we got off at the first one - Farragudo - an authentic, fishing town, on the Eastern side of the Arada River, directly across from Portimäo. During the summer, water taxis run regularly between the 2 harbours.
Making our way towards the harbour, we walked down the steep cobbled streets, admiring the pretty houses and small shops along the way. Although mostly closed during the morning hours, there’s also a fair assortment of restaurants. The harbour here is much more traditionally Portuguese than anywhere else in the area - and far removed from the hectic resort towns close by. Ferragudo is a place to slow down and enjoy the unhurried ambience.....and for people that can’t sit still, there’s plenty of cliff walks to occupy, plus a lot of stunning beaches to frolic on!
Walking along the harbour we picked our breakfast spot, the aptly named, Casa dos Pescadore. With crates, boxes and commercial goods loaded on a cart outside, and right next door to the small market, this local fisherman’s café was perfect. We ordered our toasta mistas (which were hot and delicious) and café com leches before finding a seat outside - picking up our order from the counter/window when it was ready. We shared the scenery of the riverfront with a group of locals - from fishermen mending their nets, to one guy who was grilling vegetables to be used by a restaurant close by. Some tourists hovered close by, anxiously waiting for it to open for their lunch!
Ferragudo is actually one of those rare, hidden gems that have somehow remained unspoiled....It is however, obviously edging its way onto the tourist radar.....so visit soon!
Retracing our steps upwards through the village we took a look at the Main Church (Igreja Matriz de Ferragudo) - similar to many in this area, it was rebuilt after sustaining extensive damage in the 1755 earthquake. There are some great views from the terrace surrounding this church....in addition to the river and across to Portimão, the closest beach - Praia da Angrinha - can also be seen, plus the Castelo de São João de Arade. Dating back to the 16th century, this medieval fortification has an impressive and commanding spot, on top of a cliff. Used as a defence against pirates and the Spanish, it fell into disuse until it was auctioned off in 1896. At one time owned by a poet, but now by the state, it is unfortunately closed to the public - but anyone can enjoy its exterior, that rises up from the town’s main beach - Praia Grande. With the cooperation of the tide, we walked along the beach, taking a look at the ocean side of this large castle - which made us feel very tiny!
Although our usual idea of travel is to stay a while and see a place in depth, we did have couple of other places to see - so we reluctantly left Ferragudo, hoping that it continues to retain its quiet, peaceful ways. We “hopped on” to the next mini bus (still the only passengers) and continued on our way.
The route, mainly coastal, took us over some spectacular cliffs and past gorgeous beaches - included in this stretch were Praia do Molhe and Praia dos Caneiros. Detouring a little inland to service a couple of resorts, we stayed within sight of the ocean before heading down a narrow winding route into Carvoeiro - the next stop on our itinerary.
A hugely popular tourist town, Carvoeiro itself isn’t very big - the town’s accommodations stretch up, up and away from the beach - which is spectacular, but small. It’s easy to imagine how busy the beach and town could be in high season - both still had plenty of people around, even in late September. With no train station and bus service that’s infrequent, it’s not the easiest place to get to, except by car - we’d shelved the idea of visiting quite a few times....but were happy to see it on the “Cliff Route.” It was, unfortunately, not what we expected....the town is surprisingly commercialized, given its location. The beach, however, is spectacular - with huge cliffs on either side, it would be difficult to find many to rival it. The streets leading down to the beach all end in an area of bars and restaurants....actually all the streets are lined with eateries, plus stores selling beach “stuff.” To be fair, we didn’t explore the whole town, being disappointed by our initial impression, but we did hike up a street on the Eastern side, where our disappointment quickly disappeared...the views from the top provided plenty of scope for both exploration and photos!
Sitting atop a terrace is a small church - brilliantly white, it marks the area that was The Fortress of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação - built for both the defence and surveillance of the Algarve coast. Today only the walls of the military building remain, plus a commemorative plaque that indicates the year it was built - 1670. Just beyond the church is yet another one of Portugal’s fabulous cliff-top boardwalks - this one measures almost a kilometre, and it’s memorable!
We walked this remarkable area of cliffs, known as Alvor Seco. Sculpted by the winds and the waves, ochre-coloured limestone mazes have been created here. Algar taken from the Arabic word gár, meaning the cave, is used technically to mean a sinkhole. Alvor Seco is where several sinkholes have deepened and joined together. The views of these caves and cliffs provides outstanding scenery and ocean views - which are hard to capture in photography, and even more difficult to describe! Around the centre section of the boardwalk are steps leading down onto the top of one section of cliffs. Stone steps have been chiseled into the rock to allow further exploration through and into these caves. For those who are brave enough, sections of steps go even lower, and after passing through archways, lead out onto natural platforms that jut out into, and over, the ocean below. It’s not for the faint of heart, so I only travelled so far - with Trevor venturing a little further, while I waited in comparative safety!
At the far end of the boardwalk is an attractive café/restaurant perched on a flat shelf about halfway down the cliffs. There’s also a road leading back into town. We re-traced our way back along the cliff tops in order to get another look at the amazing scenery - at times using one of the wooden bleacher-like seating platforms that provide rest, and also elevated views.
Back in Carvoeiro, we had just enough time to squeeze in an ice-cream before getting the next scheduled mini-bus and continuing along our circular route - joined for a just a little while by 2 or 3 couples returning to their hotels, after a day at the beach. This stretch of the journey took us further along the cliffs, where the views continued to delight and amaze us - as did the size of many of the hilltop villas!
The end of the “loop” was Praia do Carvalho - where we turned around and returned along the same route, passing once again through Carvoeiro, before heading a few kilometres inland to the town of Lagoa - which was our last destination of the day.
Lagoa is a small city - not touristy - it has an atmosphere that is very different from the surrounding seaside resort towns. An important wine-producing area, it’s also known for its ceramics. Arriving in the late afternoon we were unable to see inside the main parish church or the 18th century St. Joseph’s Convent that was originally established by Carmelite nuns to care for abandoned girls. Having had a day full of amazing sights, we were content with just looking at the exterior of these and other town buildings, plus wandering the old city centre, that’s full of cobbled streets and whitewashed houses. One old building “The Pink Palace” houses the financial department of municipal services - a plaque on the outside informed us that it took 52 years after purchasing for the renovations of the building to be completed! Just across the road there’s another lovely old building that’s uninhabited and dilapidated....Lagoa is that kind of town...and it’s charming!
After a stroll past, and a peep inside at the old market, which was also closed, we found a café to sit and have a drink while waiting for the next mini-bus to arrive. Situated on a typically Portuguese pedestrian street with patterned tiles, the café and a nearby park allowed us a glimpse into the everyday life of this small city....and although not as visually exciting as other things we’d seen on this day - we enjoyed it just as much....to us it gives both meaning and substance to our travels!
This summer, has been both similar and different, to the two previous ones....we’ve been to great places and once again, seen many amazing things....and no day passes without us acknowledging how fortunate we are to be doing this together. Thank you to our family - Marjie and Glyn - who open up their home and share good times with us. Thank you to Adrian and Kate - who encourage and support us in our wanderings, and always welcome us back into their lives when we return......they give true meaning to the often quoted saying - “our home is your home.”
Finally - Thank you to all who read my blog....my writing would be pointless without your support....I hope that I can write for you again soon!
****Although my intent was finish my last posting of the travel blog here - I would be remiss if I didn’t include a part of our journey home - which I believe, will be something that we will associate with, and laugh about, when we reminisce on the summer of 2018.
Having booked our train tickets to Lisbon a couple of weeks before leaving, we were confident that the day before flying home would go smoothly - after all, we’d done it a couple of times before. With a late checkout from our apartment in Lagos and a sweaty, but relatively easy downhill route of dragging our bags to the train station, we boarded the local train for the 1 hour journey to a “hub” station. Within approximately 8 minutes of arriving there, the train to Lisbon was scheduled....we planned on stowing our luggage, sitting in our reserved seats and enjoying the rest of the journey .....but....this particular Monday was a strike-day for the National Rail - and things did not go according to plan!
After arriving in Tunes station to make the connection, we were told that the train to Lisbon may arrive, but probably wouldn’t....and the next one (in 2 1/2 hours) may not come either! So there we were - a group of maybe 100 people wanting (or needing), for whatever reason, to get to Lisbon. With no visible rail personnel at the station - and just one guy behind the bar at the station café - we were on our own.....the guy at the café had a very busy afternoon! After a lot of intermingling and chatting, we “bonded” with a group of 2 other Canadians, a Polish couple and an Irish couple....together we all started on plan B...and C!
To explain Tunes station - it’s not in a town with taxis or Uber waiting just beyond the exit doors - it’s rural.....but with the larger tourist town of Albufeira not too far away, we were thinking car-rental - perhaps a mini-van? The first place we phoned said they had a large van, but could not deliver it to the station...and (strangely) they were unable to supply us with the address of where to go and pick it up?! The next phone call came with the news that they did not have a van big enough for our group, but they did have 2 cars we could rent. With a drop off in Lisbon, it was an expensive alternative, but splitting the cost between us all would, of course, help.....but again, we would have to go and pick up the cars at the office...this place at least had an address!
After more than an hour or so standing around in the hot sun and swapping life-stories, our group were no longer strangers....so just as we were democratically debating who would drive (and one of the Canadian women had finally located a possible Uber car in the area), there was an announcement over the station’s intercom. A lovely Portuguese woman (a fringe member of “our group”) translated that a train was scheduled to arrive in about an hour....although she told us not to have too much faith that it would!....the next one would be another 2 or 3 hours later - maybe!
Our newly formed “tribe” decided we would wait - and if the next train didn’t arrive as announced, we’d go to plan B.....and...to the surprise and delight of us all...the train appeared! The good news is that everyone managed to get on the train...the bad news is that there were more people than seats. Our reserved seats certainly weren’t available, but we did - eventually - both manage to find one....although we left our luggage 4 train carriages away!
....And so a few more travel lessons were learned - yes it’s a good idea, if possible, to check for impending transportation strikes - and to allow plenty of time if catching a plane. For a while we shared a seat with an anxious young man who was hoping that he’d make his flight from Lisbon to Dubai that evening.
The main lesson we learned is that strangers will (usually) help each other when help is needed - and they don’t stay strangers for very long!
We all high-fived each other, just like old friends, when we arrived in Lisbon!
Happy travels, everyone!