The great poet Miguel Torga said that for him "The Algarve is always a vacation day in the homeland". This feeling for a Portuguese is very obvious. But, although we are not Portuguese, we can feel that something intangible that makes us slow down, take weight off shoulders and relax. Like a vacation day from our childhood. It will be the light of the south, the infinite beaches, the white coastal towns or that nature so rich. We don't know, but there is something there.
Although the Algarvian summers are a classic, lately we are also going to the Algarve out of season. Why? Because it is ideal for a break, a getaway, to go in search of the winter sun and to escape from the masses of vacationers, from the clichés and enjoy that secret art of living in the Algarve, more rural, authentic and full of history.
View of the port and the town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
A sunny region, facing Africa and open to the Atlantic, with small desert islands that invite us to a solitary bath in the hottest waters from the Portuguese coast, the Algarve is a region full of contrasts, where the elderly sit in the sun on the terraces of small towns, while the young drink cocktails in sophisticated beach club. If we move away from the Algarve of the resorts, we discover that there are many areas still to be discovered, very rural and authentic. Especially in the part closest to the spanish border, the eastern Algarve. That's where we started our journey.
When crossing the border by the Guadiana river we find our first stop located next to the mouth of the river and in front of Ayamonte: Vila Real de Santo António. This fishing village was badly destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, so the Marquis of Pombal he rebuilt it from scratch in the years after the great earthquake-tsunami. The historic center of century XVIII it's beautiful and has a rectangular plant hence it is called the people of the Enlightenment. After a walk through the historic helmet we recommend having an aperitif at the beach club Grand House Hotel.
Leaving Vila Real to the north is Castro Marim, the birthplace of ”Luzia”, Paco de Lucía's mother, to whom the virtuoso dedicated an album. Ideal soundtrack for this part of our road trip. In Castro Marim they are the famous salt pans. We recommend visiting Sal Marim, as they organize visits to these historic salt flats. Its salt is famous throughout Portugal.
Ozadi Tavira Hotel, Tavira (Portugal).
the nearly twenty kilometres stretching beach from Vila Real de Santo António to Cacela Velha They are an infinite sandbank with a smooth sea and almost no waves. Very Mediterranean. They are especially pretty the beaches of Altura and the Verde beach, which are also well served by restaurants and beach bars. Cacela Velha, with its Moorish fort and sea views, is one of the most charming villages in the Algarve. From postcard.
We recommend eating very close, at Factory of the Coast, a restaurant above the sea and where you can taste the rich gastronomy of the region, from the seafood to the fresh fish, to rice. The Algarve is the most diverse Portuguese coast in terms of seafood (its oysters are famous) and fish.
The presence of the Arabs for centuries in this region it is noted: from architecture to gastronomy, traditions or vocabulary. In fact, Algarve comes from Al-gharb, which in Arabic means “the west”, the west of Al Andalus, of which it was a part.
Ozadi Concept Store, Tavira (Portugal).
Another of the most charming towns is Tavira, obligatory stop and the center of our journey. There are several options, but we recommend the Hotel Ozadi which, located in Quinta das Oliveiras, is less than five minutes from downtown and ten minutes from the beaches of the island of Tavira. Their impressive terrace it is ideal. It was remodeled in 2014 respecting its architecture and original charisma of the 70s.
A rehabilitation with a signature architecture project and a interior decoration that combines a contemporary atmosphere, vintage items and works by local artisans made in collaboration with the Project Rate. The hotel's handicrafts can be purchased in the heart of Tavira at the shop Ozadi Concept Store, the best place to bring an Algarvian souvenir.
Getting lost in the streets of Tavira is a pleasure. We will notice the architecture of their houses, whose particular roofs may seem of oriental inspiration, in fact we also find them in Goa (India). The scissor roofs They are made up of four small inclines, each one corresponding to a room in the house and together with the grid windows They have their function to improve ventilation, especially in hot summers.
The most famous beach is Barrel with a very extensive sandbank and its well-known "cemetery of anchors". These anchors were placed there in 1964, when the fishing community of this beach disappeared definitively. There are 203 anchors paying tribute fishing for bluefin tuna in the Algarve.
Barrel Beach, Tavira.
In the neighboring town of Cabins of Tavira is one of the gastronomic temples of the area. The restaurant Noelia and Jeronimo It represents the excellence of Algarve cuisine but updated by the imagination of the unstoppable Noélia. Its food and its beautiful location in the middle of the Formosa estuary they never disappoint us.
Not far away is the charming fishing village of Santa Luzia. Here is octopus is the great specialty. We recommend the traditional restaurant Alcatru” to try it. You can go by bike from Tavira through the Coastal Algarve Ecovia, a 214 km cycle route that crosses the entire coast from Sagres to Vila Real de Santo António. Abilio Bikes, in the center of Tavira, rent bicycles. Rita Branquinho, its friendly owner, organizes all kinds of excursions throughout the year.
If we go a little inland we can see the field formed by gentle hills, full of small orange farms (the sweet orange from the Algarve is the best in Portugal), olive trees, cork oaks, carob trees... and if we go a little further north is the ecosystem of the baroque (“dry garden”), which we can find only here and in some parts of the Alentejo.
Michelle and Leo in Quinta Aumonte (Portugal).
In this natural environment and near the town of Santo Estevão we find the Fifth Aumonte, a farm that produces a very high quality oil. Here we are received by its owners, a young couple: Michelle and Leo, Venezuelan and Spanish-Swedish respectively, who years ago have changed Madrid for the Algarve in search of the lifestyle of this region. They organize private visits and oil tastings (free) plus meals or snacks on the porch of this charming estate with sea views. A plan.
Very close to here is another secret Algarve tip: the waterfall Pego do Inferno. Although it is an adventure to arrive, it compensates. The water fall forms a round lagoon, of an intense green, surrounded by a refreshing wooded area and a viewpoint with views that make the walk worthwhile.
On the way to the coast we find the town of Moncarapacho, a sample of the rural Algarve, which has one of the best markets in the entire region. A mandatory stop is the Olaria Moncaparachense, a factory founded in 1953 and a fascinating emporium for lovers of clay and pottery.
Next to Moncaparacho is the town of Fuseta, above the Ria Formosa and of which we highlight its charming train station. Very close to here is Villa Lage, the ideal and luxury accommodation if we travel in a group. Owned by the lovely Sonia Lage, this great house decorated with exquisite taste is a dream. The property sits on 4 hectares of olive and fig trees, umbrella pines, nopales, lavender and rosemary creating an exceptional environment to be admired in the context of the Ria Formosa and the sea.
The gardens, with its swimming pool, descend into a lagoon where the fishermen moor their colorful boats. From the house there is direct access to the pier, running and cycling tracks. When we feel like giving ourselves a dip in the ocean, the villa's private boat will take us from the dock to a seemingly endless and untouched desert beach. The house has a impeccable service and the cook prepares some unforgettable meals.
Here we are already in full Ria Formosa Natural Park. Wetland of international importance, Ria Formosa is a labyrinth of channels, islands, marshes and sandbanks, that extend along 60 kilometers between the beaches of Garrão and Manta Rota. One of the best plans is to make a ride on one of the eco-friendly solar powered boats who take a tour of Ria Formosa. The silence of the boat allows you to closely observe the rich fauna of the estuary: flamingos and other birds typical of this ecosystem, which is one of the paradises for Bird Watching in the entire Iberian Peninsula.
Rooftops of traditional houses in the fishing village of Olhão, near Faro.
Another plan to enjoy the estuary and its islands is to go to the beautiful city of Olhao, the so-called cubist city for its white houses, in which it may seem that we are in tangier, and cross by boat to the Culatra Island, one of the few inhabited islands in the Ria Formosa. After a refreshing swim on its deserted beaches, the best thing is to eat a freshly caught fish in one of the humble fishermen's restaurants in town. Back in Olhão, a visit to his beautiful traditional market, one of the historical and most important markets of the entire region.
Its climate and geography, so attractive, make the area an ideal place for lovers of nautical, cycling, hiking, surfing or kite surfing, horse riding , golf or motorcycling. Various tests and trainings are held in the fall and winter. But at the same time, not only nature tourism or sports move the Algarve. With its rich history, heritage and contemporary artists residing in the region, the Algarve is also culture.
There is even an initiative that combines nature and culture, the Algarve Walking Season, which is made up of 3 walking festivals: Contraband, Archeology and the Arts. In that sense, João Fernandes, President of Tourism of the region, also notes the initiatives around the candidacy of Faro as European Capital of Culture 2027, that are revitalizing culture in the region.
To be continue…