Boa tarde familia e amigos,
And hopefully everyone has been enjoying the Memorial Day weekend! Adrift in the Algarve – that is the title of this post but in no way is it intended to convey any negativity regarding the southern most region of Portugal. Rather it is simply a reflection on the mesmerizing effect of the sea, the beaches, and the wind. Blue skies prevail – finally found some wisps of clouds on the third day with temperatures stretching to reach 80 degrees.
The Algarve
Praia Camilo
The beaches and grottoes in Lagos, which lies in the far west of the Algarve, are what primarily decided for me that this was the place to “stick my toe in the sand” in the Algarve. As one can see from the photo of Praia Camilo, the beaches in and around Lagos are the definition of stunning with golden sand and spellbinding grottoes. As one can also see from the photo, most of the beaches require a bit of dedication to access. 😉
Of course, to more comprehensively explore the grottoes, one needs to take to the sea. I chose a small boat tour – up to a dozen with guide. Luckily, a slow day, so just me, a French couple from Versailles, and Fabio, our guide. The grottoes take many forms – most the results of nature’s handiwork, but some assisted by man made fortifications being reclaimed by the sea. The photos in the gallery below are my best efforts on a boat that was seldom stable.
Amongst the Grottoes
Bridge up, sailboat through!
And finally, something for the grandsons – Ollie and Danny. Transport and engineering – what a combination! The pedestrian bridge that links the main part of Lagos with the marina and train station, works just fine in place for most of the boat traffic. However, the tall masts of sailboats require some advanced engineering. Also, makes for some nice photo ops!
That’s it for now. Please have a look at the gallery below for full-size versions of the photos above as well as many more photos of the beaches and grottoes plus a few of Lagos and the place I stayed at – Uma Casa a Beira Sol. Unfortunately, due to a series of technical challenges, this newest installment of On The Flip Side was delayed by a few days. As always, please feel free to share this link with anyone who expresses an interest. And of course, if I am cluttering up your inbox, simply let me know and I will correct that. 😉
Lastly, a word about the people of Portugal – helpful to a fault, and everyone under 40 seems to speak Ingles.
Ate tarde,
Papi
