Our walking path along the Rota Vicentina
Fernando Pessoa, 1922
Anyone who follows our blog knows we have been several times to the southern coast of Portugal, mostly favoring the salt pans and historical trails in the Eastern coast near Spain which hasn't yet been completely overrun with tourists. But this time, following our favorite explore hiking guide, Bert Palma, we decided to make our way over to the Western Algarve which is rumored to be in a takeover by the Brits and Germans. This coast is wilder and woolier and chocked full of scenic vistas of blue-green oceans from colorful cliffs. So we took the bait. But not before a couple of days in Faro and Tavira.
I won't belabor Tavira as we have written about it in other entries for this blog, but it sits on the tidal Giloa River and empties into Ria Formosa, a natural area created by coastal barrier islands. You can see the Atlantic Ocean and the salt pans in the distance.
Paul's favorite restaurant in Tavira (should you get there sometime) is A Ver Tavira which sits on the hill with the church (formerly also a mosque) and gives you a great view over the city. This dish is fish and the "topper" is a replica of the chandeliers inside.
Yummy dessert. I will try to keep the food porn to a minimum in case you are hungry.
Flamingos are always present in this area, but since we were there during the migratory season, we saw more than usual and also many other species.
When we are usually here, it is colder, but in warmer weather the muddy banks of the salt pans are literally covered in thousands of these fiddler crabs. We haven't seen them in December or January.
Also, the salt pans have been harvested by winter, but at present, the dried salt is awaiting the harvest. These big piles like seen in the distance are used for industry. They do hand harvest sea salt for cooking but it doesn't get piled up like this.
Every visit here requires a walk to the next town, Santa Luzia, a charming seaside village that supplies much of the regional octopus.
Views along the Eastern Algarve. We pretty much never get tired of this!
After a couple of days spent in Faro, the major airport and train hub of the Algarve, we ventured to our hiking base of Sagres, If the name sounds familiar, it may be that you remember the sister city in Spain or from the European lager that is made there (for the beer drinking crowd.) Or it may be you remember one or both of the two important historical figures whose influence is centered here. Definitely the person who most influenced your life no matter where you are living as a non-native species on the North American continent is Prince Henry the Navigator. He is widely acknowledged to be the major instigator of the Age of Discovery. As the third son of King John I of Portugal and governor of the wealthy Order of Christ, he used institutional and religious wealth to systematically finance maritime expeditions down the west coast of Africa and expand the knowledge of the known land masses.
The likeness of Prince Henry the Navigator as per the Sagres Fortress Museum
I remember in history classes learning of Vasco de Gama and Magellan,but not being taught anything about Prince Henry (referred to as Infante in Portugal). Prince Henry is the one who promoted the use and improvement of the caravel, a lightweight, fast ship with lateen sails capable of sailing closer into the wind,and he supported the mastery of oceanic navigation techniques like the volta da mar (using open-ocean wind patterns). Caravels were the design of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. While we have certainly toned down the "discoverer" section of Christopher Columbus's contributions, these are the ships that Europe used to find lands in the Americas and elsewhere. Under Prince Henry's backing, the islands of Madeira and the Azores were mapped and explored. In 1434, his ships pushed past the feared Cape Bojador, opening the path to sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, this accomplishment led to something less than laudable----maritime slave trade which was started by the Portuguese (although much of the rest of the world cannot claim to be blameless.) While historical myths depicting him as a reclusive scientist heading a formal navigation school at Sagres have been largely debunked by modern historians, his real-world political drive directly enabled Portugal's maritime empire and later global sea routes.
There was no formal school, academy, or university at Sagres. Henry did maintain a court and estate there, and he certainly hired experts (like the Majorcan cartographer Jehuda Cresques) to draw maps and analyze data. However, the information gathering was decentralized, highly secretive, and functioned as a royal enterprise rather than an academic institution. And here's a fun fact: He rarely went to sea and never conducted an exploratory voyage himself. His only seafaring experiences were short military expeditions to North Africa (such as the conquest of Ceuta). Furthermore, he was never called "The Navigator" during his lifetime; the nickname was coined by two German historians in the 19th century and popularized by British writers. Henry was an organizer, financier, and politician--not a sailor. But he certainly had a great influence on his world and the museum in the reconstructed fort of Sagres is worth a visit to learn about how this tiny seaport, currently home to only about 2000 residents, influenced history. Prince Henry met his maker in Sagres in 1460 at the age of 66. His remains are buried in are in the Monastery of Batalha along side his royal parents.
St Vincent, the martyr, another important figure in the Algarve, is nearly always portrayed with ravens, ships and frequently the gospels. Sometimes he is also depicted with instruments of torture.
The other important person that is mentioned repeatedly on this coast is St. Vincent, a a young Christian deacon from Huesca, Spain, who served under Bishop Valerius of Saragossa during the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. Because Bishop Valerius suffered from a severe speech impediment, Vincent was officially commissioned to boldly preach the Christian faith on his behalf throughout the region. In 304 AD, during the brutal Christian persecutions orchestrated by Roman Emperor Diocletian, Vincent and his bishop were arrested by the ruthless local governor, Dacian. While the speech-impaired bishop was simply exiled, Vincent refused to burn his church's sacred scriptures or sacrifice to pagan gods, drawing the full wrath of the governor. Early church histories suggest he was subjected to all the following tortures: stretching on a rack, systematic tearing of his flesh with iron hooks, red-hot gridirons applied to open wounds and thrown into a dungeon carpeted by pottery and glass shards. (Paul and I visited the torture museum in Castro Marim--that wasn't why we were there, but it was a "featured museum" in this Knights of Templar fortress in the Eastern Algarve, and if you saw that blog from January this year, I left out the really gruesome stuff and it was still probably too graphic.) Throughout the entire ordeal, Vincent reportedly maintained total composure and a peaceful demeanor, which so stunned his prison guard that the jailer converted to Christianity on the spot. Dacian eventually ordered Vincent to be placed on a soft bed to recover—hoping to break his resolve with comfort—but Vincent died shortly after from his severe injuries. Governor Dacian initially ordered Vincent's body thrown into a field to be eaten by wild beasts. However, a large group of ravens miraculously appeared and fiercely defended the corpse from vultures and predators.rustrated, Dacian ordered the body tied to a heavy millstone and thrown deep into the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of sinking forever, the rope miraculously broke, and the waves carried his body ashore. In the 8th century, during the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, Christians moved his remains down the coast to protect them, burying them at the jagged southwestern headland of Portugal. Flocks of ravens continuously guarded his shrine there, leading the area to be named Cabo Sao Vicente. In 1173, Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, had the relics exhumed and transported by ship to the Lisbon Cathedral. Legend says two ravens accompanied the ship the entire voyage, which is why a ship flanked by two ravens remains the symbol of the city of Lisbon. St. Vincent's body came ashore in Valencia but was transported along the coast and landing at what is now the westernmost cape of Portugal, Cabo Sao Vicente. There is a long distance walking/hiking/biking/pilgrimage known as Rota Vicentina or the Fisherman's Way.
This far southwestern cape (the last stop before Manhattan we are told) is named Cabo Sao Vicente after the above-mentioned priest. It is a windy and dramatic spot. We hiked there during the trip. I will have to say the terrain wasn't steep, but we got to experience some pain of our own by walking over pointed stones for about 20 minutes. But it was worth it.
We spent most of this holiday hiking along the Rota Vicentina/Fisherman's Way. It is so scenic and beautiful, I could literally post 100 photos of it, but I will just concentrate on one or two per day and anything else interesting along the route.
Day 1 - Walk from inland village of Bordeira to Carrapateira
This walk started in the tiny and very sleepy village of Bordeira, a noncoastal village of about 430 people, We saw a grand total of one older lady walking her dog! There were however beautiful flowers and an old laundry area where the women would gather (and sometimes still do today) to wash clothes and spread the town gossip. This was the only hike we did where we principally did NOT walk on the sea cliff, although there was some of that late in the day. We stopped at a bar in Carrapateira for lunch where they let us eat our sandwiches we brought as long as we bought a drink to go with it. The bar was mostly occupied by about 50 men on bikes, but they generously let us share the space. From here, we walked out to the coast along the cliffs, then back to Carrapatiera for pick up by van. This was overall a pretty easy 8 mile walk with an initial somewhat steep reasonably short hill climb--but doable.
The sleepy streets of Bordiera. Not a soul on the streets.
The washing machine.
Headed out from Carrapetiera. There were actually quite a few tourists on the beaches and it was a hot hike. Most of the time we were there it was unseasonably warm at about 80+F.
Views along the rocky coast.
The 65 year old man himself.
Much of the hiking here was up one cliff, a long stretch on the plateau area and then down to the beach.
Day 2 - Coastal walk from Burgau to Ponta da Piedade lighthouse
Burgau is a former fishing village now surviving on tourism. Its most notable attraction is the small beach of surrounded by cliffs that protect it from the frequent strong wind characteristic of Barlavento. The area retains a strong local Portuguese presence, as well as international residents, largely owing to the presence of the Vale Verde International School. The peak-season brings in a number of tourists due to the available amenities, hotel and a number of small apartments that can be rented during the summer. The village has approximately 250 full-time residents but seemed to have a lot more going on than Bordiera.
Getting ready for the hike. Flowers abound!
The beach at Burgau
The quaintest beachside village in Europe per Lonely Planet.
In 2010, Burgau was voted by readers of the Loney Planet as the "quaintest beachside village" in Europe. But we weren't there for the beach. We were there to walk and walk we did: Past Luz--the village where Madeline McCann was kidnapped. Remnants of a Roman spa are among the more important archaeological discoveries of the modern municipality. After the decline of the Pax Romana, the Algarve was visited by peoples from the lands of ancient Morocco. They established many of the fruit orchards that continue to exist in the foothills of Luz. Moorish rule in the Algarve resulted in assimilation of the indigenous cultures, transforming the region into a major economic power. Luz is now a rather bustling seaside enclave, full of flowers and home to about 3400 permanent residents. We stopped in a lovely garden bar for a drink and probably could have stayed all day.
A lot of lush plant life in this region
People are very proud of their flower gardens and it did make for a pretty walk through Luz.
Our approach to Luz
And a look back at Luz from the steepest (but very short) hill climb of the trip.
Our goal for the day (and the goal of a WHOLE LOT of other hikers) was Ponta da Piedade lighthouse just outside the major Western Algarve city of Lagos. But that took a short but steep climb outside Luz.
There were three approaches to this climb. These six took the steepest route. Fortunately, there was already a monument at the top to honor them on their arrival. (Paul and I took the middle route!)
Paul enjoys his lunch at the top with our travel companion, Claude. Claude was the oldest member of our group, a 79-year-old from Dallas, Texas and he totally held his own, even after his shoe came apart.
We encountered a glider along the way and enjoyed watching him take off.
Thereafter, it was pretty easy going and lots of really nice views off the cliffs until reaching the lighthouse. The city of Lagos (the outskirts of which contain Ponta da Piedade) is a major hub of the Western Algarve, so we arrived there finding it pretty much overrun with tourists, but the walk itself was great.
The lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade (Piety Point). I couldn't have possibly taken this photo as the area was crawling with tourists.
Ponta da Piedade is well-known for its dramatic coastline.
Day 3 - Cliff walk along Rota Vicentina to Cabo Sao VicenteWe travelled the short distance to the cliffs near Vila do Bispo and followed the long-distance marked coastal trail 'Rota Vicentina' along dramatic cliffs famed for their unique geological formations formed by millions of years of geological processes including erosion, tectonic activity and sedimentation. Sea stacks, arches and folded rocks are a regular features heading toward to the lighthouse at Europe's most south-westerly point Cabo Sao Vicente. Many people will travel to the cape for sunset, but we were told it was a zoo, so instead we enjoyed some cataplana at a local restaurant.
We encountered many areas all over this area where snails were covering inanimate objects.
It's almost impossible to imagine water this many shades of blue and green but it was around every corner.
Our hiking guide, Bert Palma, a Dutchman who has been living in Spain for most of his life.
This is an invasive species, sea fig, which carpets and colors the areas running up to the beach. It's literally everywhere and probably came as a decorative plant from South Africa. I was amazed that the islands of South Georgia were able to eradicate rats, but I am not sure how they would get rid of this in Portugal. Despite being an invader, it is actually nice looking.
The cataplana seafood dish was plentiful, delicious and looked nice in these traditional serving vessels.
Day 4: Free Day
We decided to explore our host city of Sagres. It's not very big, but it is historic and had several neat "finds."
When we walked straight out of our hotel toward the harbor, we encountered birders, an art class and this Roman era arch.
Sagres’ name is derived from the sacred name that the Romans gave this headland, Promontorium Sacrum, the place where the setting sun made the waters boil. We encountered this and other Roman leftovers in the area, including an old roman bath and fish preserving area in Faro.
Then we were off to the reconstructed fort area. King D. João III ordered this fortress to be built in the 16th Century to protect the Franciscan convent lying alongside it from pirate attacks. The main gate bears the king’s coat of arms. The tower was destroyed by Sir Francis Drake and rebuilt in the 17th Century. The reconstruction was actually based on drawings by Drake.
Inside the walls of the fort. You can make a really nice walk around the grounds.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça (Church of Our Lady of Grace). Built on the foundations of Henry the Navigator’s original Santa Maria church, this 16th Century church features an image of St. Vincent that came from the convent of Cape St. Vincent, the tomb of a 16th Century Spanish captain who helped defend the fortress from Sir Francis Drake’s attack in 1587 and the tombs of two 17th Century fortress commanders. Unfortunately, it was not open for internal viewing.
This was a really interesting structure called the Voice of the Sea. Inside this maze-like structure is a hole (for lack of a better word) about a foot across and through it comes a crescendo of sea sounds made naturally followed by a minute or two of silence. The walls amplify the musical quality of the waves. It reminded me a bit of a structure called the wave organ that was constructed on San Francisco Bay by Frank Oppenheimer (Robert's brother who was a Berkeley professor.). It is still there if anyone visits the City by the Bay.
View to the east from the fort.
For the afternoon, we decided to visit a nearby biodynamic winery and try their product. Most of the wine in the Algarve is cellar door sales, so don't expect to see these in the US unless the production ramps up significantly.
Monte de Casteleja Winery. A small family-owned winery with 5 guest rooms in the hills north of Lagos. The owner is French, and the land belonged to his grandfather.
Scarecrow
The grapes in this region were harvested in August. If you want to volunteer to stomp grapes with them, it'll be HOT!
The bodega.
We tried four wine samples and had this lovely tapas tray. They had some interesting grapes and even serve one wine made with both red and white grapes.
Day 5 - Visit historic Aljezur, drive to Praia do Clerigo and walk coastal paths to Praia da Arrifana.
We started this hike at the historic market town of Aljezur, with its old Moorish Quarter, remains of a fortress and 'new' town developed in the 18th century. There was time for a coffee and a little exploration before we headed out. Our walk took us from Praia do Clerigo as we trace dramatic clifftop with sweeping vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and a succession of remote, pristine beaches below for a striking contrast to the more sheltered southern shores of the Algarve. We finished at Praia da Arrifana, a surfer's paradise nestled beneath imposing cliffs.
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| This castle was probably built in the 10th century under the Islamic rule which governed North Africa and parts of the Iberian peninsula. High on a hill, there were views to the sea, mountains and plains. |
The market here wasn't big, but there was no shortage of fish
And fresh veggies.
Coffee break
The area where we started was really sandy and we spent most of the day on sand, even in a patch of forest we walked through. It's not really my cup of tea and although the views were stunning, this was my least favorite "hike" aka slog through sand.
A river flowing out to the sea.
Start of the hike.
The sand however was perfect for beachgoers!
Fisherman fishing off the cliffs. This is a very common site on the southern coast.
The beaches were really beautiful and many had surfers out trying to catch a wave.
Praia Arrifana---last stop before being picked up in the van. After all the sand, I was pretty happy to see the terminus.
Day 7 - Coastal walk from Ingrina to Sagres
We started and ended at the beach. In between, it was up the cliff, across the cliff, down the cliff. But overall it was a pretty walk and the shortest we did all week. Since it was the last hiking day, many people wanted to enjoy the beach near Sagres.
Southern Portugal, especially the Algarve, hosts some of the most significant and oldest megalithic monuments in the Iberian Peninsula, including the Menires do Padrão in Vila do Bispo. This one stands about 5 and half feet tall. Not nearly as well preserved as Stonehenge or Callandish, they are impressively thought to be Neolithic from about 5000 BC.
This is where we started. The water colors never failed to impress.
Two of our crew out showboating on a ledge.
Dinner time! Our crew was 5 Brits, 3 Canucks, 3 Americans, 1 Welsh, and the leader.
Then it was back to Faro for some more fun stuff before flying off to the west.
Paul said, "Take a picture of that." Then he said they could probably do better advertising on their prophylactics.
We often ate lunch at a pizza place near our apartment in Faro called La Gioconda. Probably explains the 2 lbs I gained despite averaging 8-12 miles a day walking. :) Check it out if you're ever in the hood.
A nice G&T
Breakfast at the apartment with Blueberry Jam by Jenny Carico. Yum. Can you really eat too many blueberries? Nah!
We went on a guided birding tour for about 5 hours with a local biologist , Francisco, who runs his own company AQUATERRA which we highly recommend to you. Francisco showed us beaucoup birds (during migration season) and also caught us up on local ecology, history, geology and dang-near anything else about the region. This is a magpie!
A juvenile flamingo. We were super close and we watched this guy filtering for brine shrimp. I wish I had made a video as the sounds he made in the water reminded me of third graders with milk cartons and straw back in the 1960s.
This area is a Roman fish preservation operation. They got fish. They got salt. Voila!
One day we took a walk between Altura (a small beach of predominantly tourists) to Cacela Velha well, a small but beautiful village located in the eastern Algarve. It’s famous for several things, the incredible views it offers, its expansive sandy beach, and its idyllic village protected by a small walled fortress.
Behold the Fortress of Cacela Velha. It was originally the site of an Arabic castle protecting the entrance to the Ria Formosa. The opening here was deep enough to allow ships and shipping to enter and sail towards Tavira and Faro. As such it was an important bottle neck to defend those towns against any would be raiders and pirates. However, the fortress we see today is a little newer than the Moorish period. Construction began in 1770 on the site of a previous fortress that was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755. The fort and its bastions that overlook the cliff were completed in 1795. In 1897 the fort was given to the Fiscal Guarda, a branch of the military responsible for border protection, maritime policing and customs. In 1993, the Fiscal Guarda were absorbed into the modern day GNR who maintain fort as an outpost. Unfortunately, because it’s still in use by the GNR, you can’t actually enter the inside of the fortress. However, it still makes an impressive setting and viewpoint.
As you follow the circular streets you’ll soon be faced by the Igreja Matriz de Cacela Velha. It is the only church in Cacela Velha and was originally constructed during the 16th century on the ruins of a previous medieval church from the 12th century. Similarly, to the fortress, it was destroyed then rebuilt following the great 1755 earthquake. Inside you’ll find a beautiful Renaissance arcade which features the busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
Stained glass
Lastly, we do want to mention a couple of restaurants we really enjoyed that have excellent food (beside pizza!)
These photos below are from Almeda, a Faro restaurant with a Michelin star. This was really an outstanding tasting menu--but all courses were (thankfully) very small and they had more than one tasting menu choice. These two desserts pictured below were outstanding.
Pudding!
This postcard is EDIBLE.
We also recommend Restaurant Ceu. It is a fusion of South American, Asian and Portuguese food. It's both inventive and really fun.
So, in closing, another great sojourn in Portugal. I hope all of you get as lucky as we are and get to visit this country and the Algarve----full of history, scenic vistas, fun walks and hikes (which you will need to stave off the calories from the delicious food) and super friendly people.
Paul's Ponderings: Wow, what a fantastic trip back to the Algarve. The area around Tavira is one of our favorite places in the world, but Sagres and that region were new. First off, it was pretty warm every day and very little shade at this time of year! The hiking was manageable, albeit with a few rocky climbs up and down. The real payoff was the scenery as far as the hikes go.....just magnificent hilltop vistas across the oceanic coast that photos can't capture. And it was a great hiking group and a chance to walk again with Bert for a fourth time.
We had a lot of wonderful food as well....A Ver Tavira (Tavira), A Mesa (Tavira), Treebuto (Olhao), Alameda (Faro), and may local places in Sagres.
We did plan in a few extra days on both ends, so were able to enjoy the area near Faro again in particular. There's a very cheap trainline branch that runs from Faro to the Spanish border and we used it numerous times. A big adventure was the train hitting a sheep one afternoon, which ended up with a 90 minute walking speed reverse train trip from near Olhao back to Faro......oh well. The sheep doesn't recall it for sure.
It was quite dry during the whole trip and I used good low hikers for all of it, plus just daypack and water bottles in the heat. We did buy sandwiches and such each day at a nearby Spar in Sagres before hiking. The Casa Azul hotel is highly recommended.
We'll be back in the region in 2027 to do some more hiking as we work to do the coast-to-coast in Portugal (west to east), which we are already well along on. Until the next time.....
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