November 25th, 2024
Another decent day, a slightly overcast morning, but with a promise of sunshine later in the day and a high of 21C. Today we are heading inland to Silves a historic town that was the ancient capital of the Algarve. During the Moorish era (9-12th century) it was a major stronghold and an important trading center. The once-navigable Arade River allowed traders to reach North Africa and establish profitable trade routes. Today it offers a relaxed and unhurried pace with a Portuguese ambience. It is quite close to Albufeira >>> only about a 30-minute drive on the Autoestrada and on arrival, we headed straight for the Castelo de Silves, considered the finest example of Arab military architecture in Portugal:
We had to park down the hill a ways but not a big deal and we got a bonus look at some storks on the way up…
The Silves Castle constructed of red sandstone blocks, has been lovingly restored and offers the visitor an interpretative centre, glimpses of the archaeological excavations and ramparts which can be followed around its entire perimeter. The garden pictured below is outside the walls and currently being restored…
Just below the Silves Castle is the Silves Cathedral. Originally a mosque, built during the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula, it was mostly restructured and converted into a Catholic cathedral following the Reconquista…
We then walked down a pretty street and entered the historic center of Silves via the Portadas de Cidade…
It was time for a break and we stumbled on the Cafe DaRosa located on the Largo do Municipio Praca, just inside the Portadas de Cidade. Who doesn’t love the blue and white tiles of Portugal? Inside DaRosa the walls are full of beautiful patterns and local scenes and as for the pastries, just lovely: who needs a sandwich when you can eat pastries…chased with a delicious coffee!!
Fortified, we walked around the old town checking out the various stores before extricating ourselves from the parking lot and heading home….a very pleasant visit.
After taking in the setting sun we made our way down to the Old Town in Albufeira and had dinner at the Jaipur restaurant which Miguel our “host” had recommended….yes, the restaurant was empty when we got there, but when you are hungry you just have to do what you have to do…we are not huge fans of Indian food but it was very, very good and the beer came in frosty mugs!! Quite happy we waddled back up the hill and called it a night.
November 27th, 2024
The forecast called for a perfect day: sunny, light winds and a high of 22C, as we had wanted to revisit the Sagres, we ate a hasty breakfast and headed out the door. It is about a 75 minute drive and when we arrived there was a smattering of cars in the large free carpark, but nothing like when we drove past it last time…
The gameplan was to visit the Fortaleza de Sagres and then continue on to see some more of the Atlantic beaches which so impressed us on our first visit. The fortress was built in the 15th century by order of Portugal’s Infante Henry the Navigator, located on a steep promontory to the east of Cape St. Vincent making it was highly defensible….today it is one of the most visited monuments in the Algarve.
To orient and inform visitors, several paths have been created with descriptive panels about the various parts of the monument, plant and animal species on the promontory. A two-kilometer walkway was also installed for visitors with reduced mobility…we have noticed that the authorities have made a major effort throughout the Algarve to make the monuments, beaches and other landmarks accessible for the Portuguese citizenry, as well as tourists, by creating ramps, paths and seemingly hundreds of kilometres of walkways. We were quite pleased that the weather cooperated, in the heat of summer, or, on a cold, blustery day this would have been a less pleasant exercise.
The fishers in the pics below arrive by bike or scooter and are fully equipped for a days fishing > note the rods, which must be easily 12 feet long (keep in mind the cliffs are some 40 metres high, so reeling in the catch is quite a production)…
As we walked along the path we came upon a curious structure…once inside you walk along a 2.5-meter-wide natural path in what is a circular maze. Finally upon reaching the innermost circle, there is a 1/2 meter hole in the ground covered by a metal grate. The hole is a natural geological fault that connects with the ocean located over 100 meters underground. As the tide comes in, the pressure from the sea pushes the air up through the hole in the ground and you get the full sensory experience of feeling and hearing the “call of the sea”. ….quite cool and somewhat intimidating! >>> A Voz do Mar maze:
An interesting, low key, but pleasant visit …we are glad we made the effort to come back and see this site…
Then back to our trusty car and we head for the beach, first on the list is the Praia da Bordeira about a 30 minute drive on a paved albeit potholed & narrow road. We passed through Carrapateira a small village in a hard and barren land focused on surfing, mountain biking and horse riding excursions. The beach is not visible from the carpark and we set off following a young couple through the dunes which are expansive and hilly…eventually (about 10 minutes) you reach a small resto (closed for the season) but with dead trees around it, presumably in case the sand dunes engulf it…
… some more dunes and we reached a gorgeous beach some 3 kilometres long…
…it is virtually deserted save for some surfers, walkers and fishers on the nearby cliffs…another outstanding beach…
…time passes quickly and after consuming our sandwiches we were ready to head back…passing a lagoon and some families enjoying the more mellow water…
… we then drove up to the outlook viewpoint where lots of folks were parked enjoying various activities and or just the views:
Well, we still had one beach left in us so we headed to Praia do Amado (part of the Costa Vicentina Natural Park), a short drive away… what can you say, two impressive beaches and if all that surfing, sunning is too much there is also a food truck serving up comfort food, wine, beer and margaritas. Both beaches were lightly populated which is not the case during the summer season >>> I don’t understand why we in Canada are so fussed about drinking et al….seemed like a pretty civilized way to toast this beautiful area…
Another great but long day and we are glad to head back to the hacienda!!!
Beautiful
Thanks it is a lovely area …hope you guys are doing well.