Wednesday, April 11, 2018

travelogue: portugal, part 3 the algarve


waking up in the algarve! we had a wonderful few days in the lagos region. located on a gorgeous coastline in southern portugal, this relaxed beach region is picture perfect. sapphire water and panoramic cliffs! eating cheap, fresh grilled sardines and never wanting to leave.

day 1

we explored the neighbourhood, walking along the boardwalk taking in the towering sandstones, towards praia de carvoeiro.



 









we stopped by the hotel, the tivoli cavoeiro algarve resort, for a quick dip.  well, my boys did. i was completely content to sunbathe.
 




a persistent friend wanting our fries

cavoeiro, where the hotel is located, is a walkable neighbourhood with restaurants and cafes nearby and cute doorways i wanted to peek into. just around the corner, kai could get his espresso with whipped cream fix. you read that right, espresso with whipped cream is a thing in this portuguese region.

we ate very well in portugal, so much fish was consumed! one place stands out for us from all the rest, le cro portugal. it is conveniently located right down the street from the hotel and doesn't look like much from the outside but the food was amazing. the owners, a wife and husband team, are so passionate and happy about the food and wine they serve. the restaurant is small so book ahead, i highly recommend it.


   




a before dinner wander took us to praia de bengali. we strolled the paths high above the beach, kai climbed rocks and even took a dip; stefan napped and was almost washed away to sea :) and i snapped photos... look at this place!









 


we ended our day on the rooftop bar of our hotel... perfection.



day 2

we spent the whole day surfing with a quick break for lunch. as you can see from the photos, kai is a natural, stefan spent his time in the water with feet up in the air, and i simply loved riding the waves on my knees. you couldn't wipe my smile off my face if you tried. what incredibly lovely hours in the water... total attention, focus, happiness, and physical effort. sign me up again, please!

we booked with future surfing school, they are located on praia da rocha in the marina of portimão. i would highly recommend them, instructors were super friendly and very encouraging. 














day 3

our last day in the algarve had our mouths open in awe the entire time. the ponta da piedada was breathtaking. turquoise waters, towering rock pillars, and sandstone cliffs. 

and, the cat we met was pretty adorable. 









we went into the town of lagos for lunch. we hopped into the shops to admire the local handicrafts and picked up a few things for our mothers, ducked into pastry shops to get out of the rain, and we ate delish sardines and mixed salad... the latter was kai's favourite, ordered with every single meal we had :)












and then we whiled away the afternoon here, praia do camilo, an iconic portuguese beach. i couldn't get enough of those colours.  







thank you kam and ghazaleh, because of you we ended up in portugal and loved it.

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