Exploring Portugal's Algarve

Exploring Portugal’s Algarve

We rented a small car for our second week in Lagos so we could explore more of the Algarve. Each day we chose a different destination. Here’s what we discovered.

Faro

Faro lies about 60 kilometres east of our home base in Lagos and is the southernmost city on mainland Portugal. Its walled Old Town features remnants of Roman, Moorish and medieval history, although much of it was heavily damaged in the devastating 1755 earthquake.

Faro has a noticeably more relaxed and authentic Portuguese feel compared with some of the more tourist-heavy towns in the Algarve. It is also home to an international airport, making it a convenient entry point for visitors arriving from Canada and the United States.

While there, we wandered the narrow streets of the Old Town and visited the Faro Cathedral. This Roman Catholic cathedral was originally built in 1251 on the site of a former mosque. Remarkably, it survived both the 1755 earthquake and a British attack in 1596. Rebuilt over the centuries, the cathedral now displays a unique blend of Gothic, Mannerist and Baroque styles.

The climb up the bell tower was well worth the effort — the view of the town and waterfront was spectacular.

Faro's waterfront

Walls of the Old Town of Faro

Arco da Vila - Access to the old town of Faro. Neoclassical exterior and Moorish interior

Faro Cathedral in the town square

Incredibly narrow and steep staircase to get to the bell tower

Pics from the bell tower

Inside the cathedral

A 13th century sundial carved into the stone wall of the cathedral

Afterward we found a charming rooftop restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing lunch.

Cidade Velha Rooftop Restaurant - Faro

Ferragudo

On our way home from Faro we made a side trip to Ferragudo’s waterfront. Almost 24 years earlier, in 2002, we had spent a week on the Algarve and remembered Ferragudo as an absolutely charming tiny fishing village. Several times during that visit we dined along the waterfront at what became our favourite restaurant.

Whether it was grilled local fish or Portugal’s famous seafood cataplana, the food was outstanding. Cataplana is a traditional Portuguese seafood stew combining clams, shrimp, fish, pork and sausage, cooked in a distinctive copper clam-shaped pot.

So naturally we set out to find the restaurant from our memories.

Unfortunately, tourism and a massive build-up of luxury condos and resorts have transformed Ferragudo so dramatically that the former tiny fishing village was almost unrecognizable to us. But this story of rapid development is repeated throughout much of the Algarve.

Progress…

Ferragudo waterfront

Ponta da Piedade

The next day we visited one of the most spectacular natural attractions near Lagos — Ponta da Piedade, or “Point of Mercy.” This dramatic 20-metre-high golden limestone headland has been sculpted over thousands of years by Atlantic storms into caves, arches and grottoes.

Historically, the cliffs also served as a lookout where local fishermen’s families gathered to pray for the safety of their loved ones during storms. Because of its strategic location near Lagos, the area also witnessed naval battles and piracy during the 16th and 17th centuries.

A lighthouse was built here in 1913 using a fourth-order Fresnel lens — a medium-sized, highly efficient glass lens developed in France in the 19th century.

We spent a couple of hours walking the boardwalks, climbing down the 182 steps to the shoreline, and admiring the magnificent cliffs and grottoes. It’s easy to understand why this is such a popular destination for both locals and visitors.

Down 182 steps to view the grottos 

Carvoeiro

The following day we drove to Carvoeiro, another historic fishing village with Roman roots. For centuries it functioned as a traditional working harbour before gradually transforming — beginning in the 1960s — into a popular destination for holiday villas and beach tourism.

While some of the traditional charm remains — whitewashed houses with red tile roofs set against steep cliffs — the town’s evolution into a thriving resort destination is clearly visible.

Downtown Carvoeiro

Caveiro beach

The highlight of our visit was lunch at Restaurant O, located on the second floor overlooking the ocean, beach, cliffs and town.

In Europe the ground floor is numbered “0,” and the next level is floor “1.” This has nothing to do with the restaurant’s name — which is the letter O, not the number 0 😊

The fish soup and grilled fish were outstanding. Our waiter was a very engaging fellow who was born in Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony off the west coast of Africa. He immigrated to Portugal as a child in early 1974, just before Portugal’s Carnation Revolution.

This largely peaceful military coup overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime, ending 48 years of dictatorship and 13 years of colonial war in Africa. The revolution became famous for the image of citizens placing red carnations in the muzzles of soldiers’ rifles, symbolizing Portugal’s transition to democracy.

Restaurant O

Grilled fish

Fish soup

The White Storks of the Algarve

On many of our drives east from Lagos we frequently spotted white storks. These magnificent birds are an iconic part of the Algarve landscape, known for their massive nests perched on chimneys, church steeples, trees and telephone poles.

While many still migrate to Africa in July, increasing numbers remain in Portugal year-round thanks to milder temperatures and reliable food sources.

A few interesting facts about these storks:

• February–March: Breeding pairs return to their nests to repair them and begin mating.
• Late March–April: Females lay a clutch of 3–5 eggs.
• About 33 days later: The eggs hatch, usually at different times rather than all at once.
• Around 60 days: Young storks begin leaving the nest.
• By 90 days: They are fully independent.

White storks on their large nest

Canadians in Lagos

While in Lagos we discovered a “Canadians in Lagos” Facebook group. We learned that many of them gather every Wednesday afternoon at the nearby Dove & Sea Dog Restaurant/Bar, next to the Lagos Marina, for half-priced beer and wings.

The bar is only about 100 yards from our balcony, so we wandered over shortly after 3 p.m. and found the place packed. We joined a long table with a group of eight Canadians from the Ottawa–Pembroke area of Ontario and had a wonderful afternoon chatting and sharing travel stories.

We will almost certainly return on one or more upcoming Wednesdays.

Wings & beer at Dove & Sea Dog

Cape St. Vincent

Cape St. Vincent marks the southwestern most point of mainland Europe. For centuries this rugged headland was considered the “end of the world.” It has served as a sacred site, a navigational beacon and even a theatre of war.

At Cape St. Vincent

Cape St. Vincent lighthouse

To the ancient Greeks and Romans, this place was known as the Sacred Promontory. They believed the gods gathered here at night and that the sun hissed as it sank into the Atlantic.

In the 4th century the body of the martyred St. Vincent of Saragossa was reportedly brought to the cape by boat, protected by ravens. His relics remained there in the “Church of the Raven” until the 12th century, when Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, moved them to Lisbon.

During the 15th century the cape became central to the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Prince Henry the Navigator established a naval school and observatory nearby at Sagres to plan voyages exploring the African coast.

A Franciscan convent was built here in the 16th century, and King John III later added a defensive tower — which was famously destroyed by the English privateer Sir Francis Drake in 1587.

Cape St. Vincent overlooks one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, which made it the site of several major naval battles. The most famous occurred in 1797, when a British fleet under Admiral John Jervis — with a young Horatio Nelson — defeated a much larger Spanish fleet.

The current lighthouse was commissioned by Queen Maria II and began operating in 1846. It was modernized in 1908 with a powerful Fresnel lens and fully automated in 1982.

The Portuguese Age of Discovery

(For the boaters reading this blog!)

In 1419 Prince Henry the Navigator established a maritime research and training centre at nearby Sagres. Rather than a formal “school,” it functioned more like a gathering place for the leading navigators, astronomers, mathematicians and cartographers of the day.

Here they improved ship design, refined mapmaking and advanced navigational tools such as the astrolabe and the quadrant — instruments used to determine a ship’s latitude by measuring the altitude of celestial bodies such as the North Star or the sun.

This centre helped launch Portugal’s systematic exploration of the African coast and ultimately the great voyages of the Age of Discovery.

Legendary explorers connected to this era include Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias and Ferdinand Magellan

Prince Henry's Naval School

Compass rose at Naval School

Portimão

Our next outing was to the nearby coastal city of Portimão. Although the waterfront has been extensively developed for walking and recreation, we found it a little less charming than some of the other places we visited.

Still, we enjoyed:

• Watching white storks nesting in the trees in a nearby park
• A gelato in the town square while people-watching

Portimão waterfront

Stork minding its nest - Portimão park

Gelato treat

Alvor

Alvor turned out to be our favourite destination of all.

Like many Algarve towns, Alvor dates back to ancient times — originally founded by the Phoenicians around 436 BC — and its history reflects centuries of Roman, Moorish and Christian influence. Much of the town’s historical architecture was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake and the tsunami that followed.

Beginning in the 1960s, Alvor gradually transformed from a quiet fishing village into a popular holiday destination. Fortunately, it has retained much of its traditional charm.

Whitewashed buildings with red tile roofs line narrow streets, while the waterfront features endless beaches, miles of boardwalks and a wonderful selection of restaurants.

Alvor waterfront

Alvor beach

Pic of Alvor from the beach 

After reading numerous reviews, we chose A Lota de Alvor, a waterfront seafood restaurant — and it turned out to be an excellent decision.

A Lota de Alvor restaurant

We started with a delicious appetizer of Portuguese razor clams. Then we selected a whole fish from the display case which the chef prepared peixe escalado — butterflied and grilled over charcoal in a wire basket. Seasoned simply with coarse salt and olive oil, it was absolutely superb.

Portuguese razor clams in a delicious broth

Mmm, which one?

Our fish

Chef preparing our fish for the grill

It's on the grill

Our very friendly waiter and chef

Yum....

After lunch we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the narrow streets, did a little shopping, stopped for gelato and then made the short drive “home” for a well-earned siesta.

Driving in the Algarve

Driving around the Algarve is quite easy. Portuguese drivers are generally very polite.

The one big difference for visitors is the extensive use of traffic circles (roundabouts) instead of traffic lights. For example, on the 20-kilometre drive from Lagos to Alvor there are twelve roundabouts.

Out of necessity, you get used to them very quickly.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most rental cars have manual transmissions and parking spaces can be extraordinarily small.

And that wraps up our one-week car-rental adventure exploring Portugal’s beautiful Algarve.