Algarve, South coast Portugal - towns

 

The miles long white sandy beaches, gorgeous stone and cliff formations, crystal clear blue sea, the ancient fortifications, good supply of food, plenty of sunshine, all contribute to the charm of this area.

Portimao, ruined by mass tourism

Unfortunately the coastal towns are ruined by mass tourism, meaning there are lots of formula ugly hotels and houses around. 

Tavira

The only exception is Tavira, somehow it escaped the trend. 

Tavira

There is a good size old centre, with well maintained traditional buildings.   

Tavira

It is a joy to wander around in that stylish yesteryear's atmosphere.

Tavira

Tavira

Algarve, South coast Portugal - market

market at Olhao

There is good supply of seafood, a lot of varieties and at half the price of France. 

Olhao fish market

 

The beauty of traveling in campervan is to be able to buy what looks good and cook immediately.

campervan cooking

baby cuttlefish

tiger prawn

baby squid

conch

shallow fried octopus dried eggs slices

Algarve, South coast Portugal - Praia da Falesia

Praia da FalesiaAdd caption

Yet another endless long sandy beach, always very clean without any rubbish, this one is famous with red sandstone cliff as backdrop. 

Praia da Falesia

Algarve, South coast Portugal - Moorish castle

Moorish castle at Silves

Nice change to escape from the coast and the crowd to the mountain at Silves to enjoy a different view, the green lush view of the productive countryside, many orange, lemon, olive, vine, almond farms. 

orange grove

Also defensive castle built thousand years ago, using the purplish red sandstone from that area.

Moorish castle at Silves

 

Algarve, South coast Portugal - Praia da Piedade

Praia da Piedade

On sunny days, the colour of water in the south coast is so beautiful, and the rock formation at this beach is fantastic. 

Praia da Piedade

There is a long trail that winds around the top of the cliff to enjoy the view. 

Praia da Piedade

Praia da Piedade

Portugal - wild west coast

Boca do Inferno near Cascais

The windy west coast is not very habitable, but great to go for a visit. 

surf foam at Praia Adraga near Sintra

Pristine small sandy coves dotted all along the coast, with clear blue water, and deep blue sky - on sunny days, very inviting for easy strolls on the sand. 

Porto Covo

Porto Covo

Then there are cliffs further south, vertical walls that go straight down to the deep blue sea, fascinating sight. 

Cape St Vincent

Portugal - monuments

Sintra with castle on top

It is easy to learn history while traveling, like to find out that there is only one earthquake in the history of Portugal, and that it stayed neutral during the 2 world wars. This means historic monuments are in surprisingly good conditions. 

Sintra, Castle of the Moors

There are lots of huge castles with protective walls along hill tops in various locations, like this one in Sintra. 

Sintra, Castle of the Moors

A good 3km hike in the forest leads up to this castle at around 550km above sea level (can easily reached by bus/car too). 

Aqueduct at Evora

This is a 15th Century aqueduct at Evora that brings water from 13km away for use in this hill town. It is still in good condition, with houses built in the arches, ingenious!

Aqueduct at Evora

Aqueduct fountain at Evora

Portugal - Lisbon

Lisbon

In the last few years, Lisbon pops up as a favorite start up market in Europe. 

Lisbon river

The various reasons include warmer weather, first world facilities, a stylish safe environment, lower cost, and most importantly Portugal offers a great tax relief for new residents. 

Lisbon

Indeed after a few days in Lisbon, it is easy to understand the charm of the place. A capital with 7 hills, with districts in different levels all with different characters, reachable easily by subway, bus and trams, and small enough to walk around. 

Lisbon

There are lots of beautiful well maintained old buildings along the streets with lots of trees around. 

Lisbon