There is an Algarve that you still do not know
travel south of Portugal has become (once again) the hype of the summer. Since the Alentejo opened its doors as one of the new fashionable destinations, there are already those who have decided to **extend their summer in the Algarve** and go to Alentejo lands.
But there is much more than beach and sun in the Algarve. Much more.
PEGO DO INFERNO, THE DISTRESSING LAGOON OF TAVIRA
Tavira is possibly one of the most beautiful cities in the south of Portugal. In fact, it is very common for those who go to Huelva's beaches (Islantilla and Isla Cristina, above all) to make an excursion to nearby Tavira given its proximity.
Tavira, possibly one of the most beautiful cities in the south
And it is that Tavira falls in love and seduces, and also keeps one of the most disturbing legends, because it is said that it is one of the places chosen by the devil to erect one of the gates of hell. This is due to the fact that about 7 kilometers from Tavira there was what its inhabitants knew as the secret waterfall, on the banks of the Asseca stream.
People say that an ox-drawn cart fell into the lagoon under the waterfall and it could never be found, so it was believed that the door to hell was there.
This place in its day was a true oasis, very prepared for tourism and a car park was even built for its access. A powerful waterfall and a small lake with bright green waters; It was the perfect place for those who were looking for something more than just a beach.
Nevertheless, in 2012 a fire devastated the place and with subsequent droughts the water stopped flowing and the place fell into oblivion. Over the years the water began to flow again and Mother Nature ended up doing the rest. Slowly, the green that once existed is being recovered and the waterfall is spitting water again, although still very far from what it once was.
Pego do Inferno
It does not stop being an excursion to discover one of the faces of the other Algarve, very different from what we are used to visualizing in our minds. Of course, you have to go to Pego do inferno first thing in the morning, because the devil usually appears at mid-morning in the form of tourists who, unfortunately, have discovered that the lagoon begins to revive.
AN ALGARVE... THERMAL?
One of the great attractions of the other Algarve, the one that does not appear in the guides, is undoubtedly what it offers as destination for travelers who love rest and health. And we can find it in Sierra de Monchique , which is possibly the most energetic epicenter of the entire country and which is said to the most alkaline waters in the world flow.
The waters of Monchique have been around for more than 2,000 years preaching themselves as miraculous and curative. It is said that the waters of this part of the Algarve were used by the Romans to strengthen muscles and relieve fatigue. Also in Monchique was the largest magnolia tree in Europe, who unfortunately died in 2016, although it is still a reason to visit due to the desire to preserve nature that they have in the town.
6 kilometers from the town are Caldas de Monchique, the only source of thermal waters that exists in the Algarve. This trace of the Romans appears as a breath of fresh air, well away from beach tourism and overcrowding.
Caldas de Monchique
In Caldas de Monchique we found silence among a forest of trees that has seen the passing of centuries, and a spa resort of more than 1,000 square meters where one can stay and enjoy those waters rich in bicarbonate and fluoride.
Although the facilities are not very modern, The spa offers some services such as a Turkish bath or treatments with mud and algae.
SILENCE IS THE TRUE LUXURY: OCEAN AND VILA VITA PARC
Tourism in the Algarve always has a different meaning when what the traveler is looking for, apart from rest, is luxury and exclusivity.
It is true that in this part of Portugal a lot of luxury hotels have proliferated in the last 30 years that offer tourists an experience that goes far beyond accommodation in a dream suite, a movie restaurant and a private beach.
But there is an experience that you have to live at least once in your life, and for this you have to go to porches, a small town of just 2,000 inhabitants and where paradise on earth is located: ** Vila Vita Parc .**
Luxury is a pool like this for you alone
Build up a luxury resort inspired by the Arab world and on the edge of a cliff It is already a great cover letter, even more so when we are in a place where true luxury is found: the silence. Because the tourist who opts for places like Vila Vita Parc seeks calm, enjoying an infinity pool with sea views, of themed restaurants or exclusive meetings in a winery with all the appellations of origin of Portuguese (and non-Portuguese) wines.
And, without a doubt, the ocean experience, the two Michelin star restaurant that Vila Vita Parc encloses inside is something worth telling our grandchildren about. The restaurant runs it Austrian chef Hans Neuer , a lover of Portugal who has made every experience at Ocean become a trip to the Portugal of always, the one of the fruits of its sea and of its land, assembled in an atmosphere of modernity and avant-garde practically perfect.
No detail is missing not even the bell of the Berlin bolinhas, in two menus with an exceptional pairing while the sun disappears crashing into the ocean, surely dying of envy...
Table with sunset views