A DAY TRIP TO SILVESWe enjoyed another fun day out with Lynn and Richard…this time to Silves - a small city that's an easy drive from Lagos - that is if you have a car! We were lucky enough to be invited along to join our friends, who'd rented one. Alternatively there's the bus - but it makes frequent stops along the way. There's a boat cruise - but that depends on the tides, due to the river Arade being quite shallow in town. There's also a train stat...

AN AMAZING BOAT TRIP Ponta da Piedade (Point of Mercy) has often been described as "The treasure of the Algarve," and rightly so. This aptly named natural wonder can be reached by car, local bus or a bone-rattling tourist trolley - which having done once, we would never repeat or recommend! Parking is available, but in high season it can get crowded, with cars backed up along the narrow road leading in and out. There's also a wide range of boat tours...

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BEACHES Almost all of the beaches across this lovely coastline are pristine, safe and lovely….so for beach-lovers, this blog entry is for you!Although we'd expected nicer weather in the Algarve than we would get in Ottawa at this time of year, we've been surprised by the warm temperatures since we arrived. The days are sunny and bright with barely a cloud in the sky. Temperatures are constantly in the mid to high 20s Celsius and on qu...

A DAY TRIP TO ALBUFEIRAIt's been over 5 years since we were in Albufeira, having spent a month there in 2017. At that time we learned that it's a town of contradictions - it can be loud and boisterous, especially in the evenings when Neil Diamond "wanna-be" singers populate the restaurants and bars. It can also be tacky - for example - there are street vendors who like to propel little robotic toys in your path…toys that make annoying sounds ac...

A DAY TRIP TO PORTIMÃO Almost exactly a week after we arrived in Lagos, we were ready to go on one of our day trips, deciding to revisit Portimão - a town we feel is often overlooked in favour of the more modern beach area of Praia de Rocha - approximately 3 kms away. Heading east from Lagos it's a quick and cheap train ride - 20 mins on the slow, but mostly reliable, Algarve line. By trial and err...