We Went to Portugal

My my, but time passes! Early in January we spent four days in Portugal and we’re only getting around to the blog entry now!

Our ambitions for Portugal were mild. We didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the car, so we figured we’d go to a near-by city (nearby to Seville) and just stay there. The city that seemed good to us was Lagos, only about three hours away (due west, in fact). We thought about Lisbon, but reviews seem mixed; from what we’ve read some people find it extraordinary, others find it more a case of faded glory. We decided to save the extra few hours of driving and spent our four days in Lagos, near the western end of the south coast.

Lagos is a small town, and a pretty town. There is harbor, and an active fishing fleet; some interesting buildings and lots and lots of shops, most of which are closed this time of year! We checked into our bed-and-breakfast, a small place just outside the old city walls. There was a great terrace on the roof, where breakfast was served, that gave an outstanding view of the old town and the harbor. After consulting the map, and getting some great advice from Fernando, the owner of the B‑n-B, we put together a plan to visit along the coast.

The ancient city wall of Lagos and the old town beyond, from our B-n-B terrace

Another view from the terrace, with the towns of Torralta and Prainha far across the bay

Portugal is at the south-western corner of the Iberian Peninsula, south and west of Spain. It has a long coastline, and in the 15^th and 16^th centuries was a major naval power. Portuguese navigators, including Vasca de Gama and Henry the Navigator, were at the forefront of European exploration during this Age of Discovery.

A building in Lagos covered in glazed tiles; unusual, but seen occasional in Portugal

We spent our first day wandering through the town, quiet on the off-season. Most of the interesting-looking restaurants were closed; options for dinner were few! But we managed, and the next day we drove along the south coast. This is an area that has seen some significant growth in the last couple of years. New towns, and large apartment complexes, are all too evident. On the way to Lagos we passed a new Ikea store, opening in the fall of 2017. It was a big store; a sure sign that many new households are forming, and many people are looking for furnishings and housewares.

We came eventually to Farol Cabo de São Vicente, the lighthouse at the westernmost point on continental Europe (or so we are told). It is at this point that the coast turns. North of this point and looking seaward means looking west, towards New York, some 5500 km (3400 miles) away. South of this point and the beaches are south-facing, with the next landfall Morocco, in North Africa.

The sign said there was a megalith nearby, and this sure looks like one. Ever since Brittany we're always on the lookout for ancient stones, and we found this one just off a narrow road in southwest Portugal. Sorry, no other information available...

Turns out the lighthouse wasn't all that interesting, but this ceramic octopus sure was!

A grouper, I think, also in ceramic. Doesn't look too happy.

And, the two coasts are dramatically different. The west coast is subject to the full force of the winds off the North Atlantic, with long, wind-swept beaches and dramatic waves. It’s somewhat milder on the south coast; much rockier, with many small, hidden beaches.

 Cabo de Sao Vincete and its lighthouse: westernmost point on continental Europe
Not my picture, haven't got my drone working yet. For more info and great videos look here:  https://www.facebook.com/Portugalvistodoceu

Looking north from Cabo de Sao Vicente along the rugged west coast

One of the best things we did while in Lagos was to take a small boat ride along the coast. Our second evening in town we drove to the lighthouse to see the sunset, and discovered a maze of trails and stairways leading down to numerous small, hidden beaches. The water was clear, and very blue. This is best explored from the water, it seemed!

The rather unromantic Farol da Ponta da Piedade/Lagos, the lighthouse of Lagos
(photo by Pedro Geraldes, Google Photo Sphere)  

The Lagos lighthouse may be unromantic, but the views from the cliffs are fantastic!

I came down these steps, see...

... and this is what I found! Kayaker's dream.

The streets near the port are lined with booths selling boat rides and other tourist attractions; we normally ignore these “opportunities,” but we’d been told that exploring this coast in a small boat was a must-do experience. And, it being the off season, the tourist count was low. So we signed up, and were the only two passengers on this particular excursion.

Our skipper spoke excellent English, and told us of his experiences growing up near Lagos and fishing in the area for decades. He considers himself quite fortunate to be able to live and work in such an extraordinary area. He was clearly very familiar with the caves and hidden beaches, and also an excellent boat handler, important when maneuvering through the currents in the narrow passages between the rocks.

Our very cool Portuguese tour boat captain, leaving port

Man-made bridge to the former mayor's house

One of a number of hidden beaches just south of Lagos

And a little movie showing highlights of our boat ride

Click here for the Logos Boat Ride Video

It was a completely satisfying ride! The rock formations are amazing, the water shades of blue and green, with great stories and commentary by our highly-skilled skipper. If we had more time, or were to come back, I’d love to kayak this coast, and visit some of those beaches. Generally, though, beach-going is not one of our goals when we travel; I grew up in California and have spent my hours in the sand. And it was December. While the weather was really great, sunny and not cold, it was not beach weather. (And, these days I’m generally better off visiting my dermatologist than lying in the sun!)

Yes, we went through that hole in the rock!

Another little cove we visited

The next day we were back in the car, driving north along the coast to the village of  Vila Do Bispo, then following tiny roads until we got to the ocean. Or rather, a cliff overlooking the ocean. We were told that it was in this area that Christopher Columbus, discoverer of America and so forth, came to realize that the earth was round, and he could get to the East by sailing west. We also learned that Columbus attended the navigation school in Sagres (a city on the western end of the south coast) started by Henry the Navigator, aka Infante Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu. (Although we’ll note here that Henry’s Wikipedia entry calls this school “the legend of the School of Sagres, which is now discredited.” Oh well.)

Legends aside, as we stood on this plateau a couple of  hundred feet above the ocean and looked out at the cliffs stretching north and south, and contemplated the New World far off to the west, we were thrilled by the thought that Chris Columbus may well have trod these same stones that we were collecting. 

Looking toward Praia da Cordoama, Cordoama Beach, about 4 km from Vila Do Bispo

Sunset. Looking south down the coast from near Praia Da Bordeira, not far from the village of  Carrapaterira

After exploring the coast for bit, we stayed to watch the sunset. Normally while travelling we like to get “home” before dark to avoid issues with traffic and the complications of getting lost, but we violated our rule this time. Gorgeous sunset. Totally worth it!

The next day was our last in Portugal, and we took our time going home, taking roads through the coastal towns. This is a bit of a mixed bag, since so much of this south coast is (over) developed. Not at all as bad as Spain’s Costa del Sol, but plenty of new, modern apartment complexes and a few high rises. And as  he driver, I got frustrated with the short stretches of “high speed” (90 kph, 55 mph) followed by yet another roundabout, soon followed by yet another town with traffic. Well, traffic was modest this time of year, but I can imagine in the summer trying to get anywhere along this coast would be time consuming.

So, we hopped on the highway. It’s a toll road (hey, the tourists use it, let them pay for it!), almost empty this time of year and worth the 10€ or so to save an hour or more. Then it was 120 (about 75 mph) all the way back to Seville.

Portugal? Yes! Great weather, incredibly friendly people. Low prices (always a plus). Beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. We will be coming back!