Blogs from Sao Vicente, Algarve, Portugal, Europe

Every day we monitor our motorhome’s 150-litre capacity water tank. At home, the local water authority charges us for an average of 350 litres a day. Somehow here, we can make 150 litres last as long as three days. This southern part of Portugal is parched at the moment and with rain as scarce as rocking horse dung, water is precious. Two days ago we visited a little village called Paderne where plentiful water gushes from a natural mountain spring. Local farmers came to the spring and fill tanks mounted on the trucks and on tractor-drawn trailers. A six-inch pipe attached to an overhead gantry would swing over a water tank mounted on a truck. Water gushed so fast that a 10,000-litre tank would be overflowing in under five minutes. When not being diverted to the ... read more

Before Christmas we met a couple who had a house near Cape St Vincent in Portugal, we checked it out on the map and it appealed to us as it’s right at the very bottom south west corner of Portugal, a famous old red lighthouse marking the craggy cliffs. We decided that Cabo de Sao Vicente and its neighbouring town: Sagres, would be our next stop. We broke our journey south by stopping for the night on an aire, situated 902 metres above sea level on an observatory. The observatory is in a place called Foia, near Monchique, directly north from Portimao, the climb upwards is not too terrifying and at the top there’s a large car park, gift shop, café etc. but more than that: absolutely amazing 360 degree views of the Algarve. The car ... read more