Kayaking at Ponta da Piedade

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Geo: 37.1019, -8.67324

Today we headed to the southwest corner of Portugal. We took the fast toll highway. Along the way we stopped at Alcantilha to see a unique church whose interior is lined with human bones. The bones and skulls that can be seen are those of over 1200 Carmelite monks that were exumed from the nearby church cemetery when the ossuary was built in 1816. The alleged purpose of this Chapels of Bones is to emphasize the brevity of human existence and the need to live a good life to avoid the eternity of hell. A more likely purpose may have been to free up space in the cemeteries!

We continued on to Lagos, from which we will kayak along the Ponta da Piedade. The Ponta da Piedade is a group of rock formations along the coastline west of the town of Lagos. The western Algarve is home to vast sandy beaches and towering cliffs, many of which have been eroded and shaped by the powerful seas that batter the coastline. Along this fascinating coastline, the Ponta da Piedade is considered to be the finest natural feature, with the cliffs of the headlands carved into rock pillars, natural tunnels and hidden grottos. These golden sandstone cliffs of misshaped angles stand at stark contrast to the deep turquoises and greens of the sea waters, and the entire region is best described as simply stunning. We kayak for a couple of hours (Allison's first kayak adventure), in and out of caves and bays. We finish with a swim at a small beach. Fortunately, we don't have to paddle back to Lagos, as we and our kayaks are towed back behind a power boat!

Lagos is a town in southern Portugal's Algarve region. It's known for its walled old town, cliffs and Atlantic beaches. We wandered the streets of the old town, stopping for lunch at a British-style pub. This area of Portugal has a heavy British presence - we often hear more English than Portuguese.

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