Ever since I arrived in Portugal I was dreaming of those beautiful beaches you see on tourist magazines, you know - the real gems of this country. Actually, when you think about it, the majestic beach-side arches and the unique Benagil cave is one of the first images that pops up in our head when thinking of the sea side in Portugal.
Here, at the university we have a short break this Monday and Tuesday because of the up coming Carneval and my schedule says I am totally free on Friday so I figured why not take the step and book that bust ticket (which is weirdly double the price of the one going to Madrid but who am I to judge, it's just five more hours to go that way).
You may kinda judge me for not enhancing this event of the Portuguese party culture as I should but my heart was driven to the ocean and my ear wanted to hear those waves hitting the rocks.
What do we have to know about Algarve?
With runny sand and crystal-clean water people just can't help, but go for a swim or sunbath for hours. The sixty beaches make a hard choice to be made. You just simply can't chose between the sunny Sotavento and the rocky Barlavento. However, don't think that tourism is the only characteristic for the region, people make a living from almond and orange cultivation and oil making as well.
My idea of a perfect travelling experience is the equally present mix of the cultural and natural elements, this is why my itinerary also contains a lot of time spent in the cities but also near to the water, hiking. Nevertheless, the perfect experience is only one hundred percent total if it contains you trying something you have never tried before, so my plan kinda is to either try scuba diving or kayaking, both are pretty popular in the area.
My first idea of the Algarve region was that I knew about a place called Lagos that looked amazing in the photos. As It turns out that's not even the biggest city in there, so I figured I should definitely visit Faro too. As I kept reading the travel blogs and Pinterest posts, I started to include Albufeira on the list too. Enough talking about reasoning! Let's get started on the actual itinerary.
Exclaimer: This post is a sketch of a plan, what actually happened will be discussed in the posts entitled the City names separately (we all know that sometimes events just don't turn out like you planned them)
Day 0: Olhao
This was not on the initial list at all but when I started searching for hosts on Couchsurfing, Olhao was included in the area and the first person to accept my request was from there. This day I will arrive in the city around 8 pm and meet my host shortly after (maybe stealing some tips from him about what's worth a visit).
Day 1: Olhao
The fisherman's' market
Ria Formosa nature park
Street art tour
Old town
Tasting fresh fish
Observing doors and windows
Day 2: Faro
The bone chapel
The old town
Cabo de Santa Maria lighthouse
Cape st Mary
Day 3: Albufeira
Old town vs new town
Praia de Coelha
Praia de Falesia
Eating cataplana
Day 4: Lagos
Ponta de piedade
Praia do Camilo
Kayak tour
Seven hanging valleys walking trail
Day 5: Lagos -> Lisbon
Trying to hitchhike to Lisbon
Can't wait to share more photos about the trip, stay tuned!
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