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 quite a few days have reached 30. Lounging on the beach wasn't anything we'd planned for, but we did take one day to do just that…well 1/2 a day.

There's a varied selection of beaches around Lagos - from small hidden coves, to long stretches of soft sand. The ones that spread eastwards, away from town, have various names, but it's not really evident where the names change. Together they span the 4.5 km stretch of Meia Praia beach. The longest in the region, this uninterrupted stretch of sand has no rocks and is great for swimming. The clear water is shallow, with a gradual slope - great for young families, especially during summer when it's flat and calm….although not the warmest, with water temperatures of just 20C. In the summer there are lifeguards, but at this time of year they're gone and their stations are closed. There are however, quite a few places still renting beach chairs, with our without shade….many have cafés close by, with toilet and other facilities.

Different parts of Meia Praia beach can be reached by 4 wooden bridges that cross over scrubland, which provide areas for parking. Some, like the one we went to, cross over the rail line, so as mentioned in the previous blog - always check both ways before crossing! 15 minutes after passing the Marina we reached a spot we liked, with chair rentals + an area that also had a pool with more lounge chairs, and a café. With just a few people around there were plenty of vacant chairs and so we spent a pleasant afternoon, enjoying the sun, the view and the sounds of the ocean…..with an added bonus - we never did see the chair rental guy!

On another warm, sunny day we walked westwards away from the old town to see a very different kind of beach - Prai Dona Ana, which was named for a nun, who lived in a convent during World War 1. When invading soldiers murdered all of the nuns, Ana survived by escaping through a tunnel which was attached to the convent and which led to a beach - later named for her.
Not far from town, with high rise rentals and hotels close by, this beach gets very crowded during summer, but in this month of October it was peaceful. Although a warm day we could feel the cooling breeze from the ocean as we looked down at it from above. The surrounding cliff formations are stunning and can be a blessing given the shade they provide in summer...but due to pieces of rock that can easily break off and tumble down, there are dangers by sitting too close. Notice boards give warnings. Many people walk along the well worn paths atop the cliffs, which can also be dangerous when walking too close to the edge.

Although not a huge beach, there are washrooms, rental chairs, a café (plus a lifeguard during the summer months), but access is difficult for many people. Due to landslides it's classed as a "restricted-use" beach, with no wheelchair access. Once down on the beach, we saw a sea that's calm and very clean, with an abundance of sea life, including including sea urchins, starfish and shoals of small fish. It's a popular spot for snorkelling despite the water being cold, even in summer. Unfortunately on the day we were there, there was a large amount of seaweed washed up along the shore. Due to the rock formations surrounding Dona Ana beach, it's quite sheltered and so also a good place to collect seashells. The sand is of a harsher consistency than the long expanse of Meia Prai, but the surroundings and setting are gorgeous.
After walking around and admiring the rock formations at ground level, we climbed back up the stairs - all 93 of them! Back at the top, we spent more time looking at the view of the coastline, rock formations, caves and coves - all of which add to this lovely setting. We also saw lots of birds perched on the ledges and cracks in the cliffs.....the cracks that have gradually been formed by ongoing erosion. Understandably not everyone can make the climb down and back up up all of those stairs, but the view from the top alone is certainly worth a visit. Many travel guides regard it as one of the world's best beach scenes…..although there are others in this area that could also fit into that category.
Just before leaving we were a little concerned when we noticed a dog, who was also admiring the surrounding scenery - while perched atop a small wall....he appeared confident - but we wondered if he'd read the warnings!