The Algarve in all its glory

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So I am going to come right out it with and say “ I hate the Algarve” so having got that off my chest, the question you might be asking yourself, is why are we here!! I ought to explain my first visit was back when I was working in London, I asked my Travel Agent to arrange a week’s holiday, and she muted “the Algarve’s nice” I took her word for it and having being picked up at the airport I had that sinking feeling as I was driven into Albufeira, I didn’t un pack my bags but got the train the following morning to Lisbon and had the most incredible holiday. Graeme and I came here when we had the Hotel, an opportunity to borrow someone’s Villa, was a complete disaster (and that is a story in its own right!!) a relocation to the coast was no better so another Algarve disaster. So when we started planning this trip, and I said Spain and his Lordship said “no too busy, let’s go the Algarve” I was prepared to try for a third time… So let me take you back to the lovely hill village of Monsaraz, here enter Don and Carol, we ended up on our evening there eating at the same restaurant, they were heading back to the Port for their sailing home, so a helpful source for information, his exacts words were “If you hate crowds, you’re going to hate the Algarve, there are hundreds of Motorhomes everywhere” So it was with some trepidation that we arrived, the small villages give way to the accumulation of villas and high rise that a part of the Algarve Coastline, we followed our Co-Pilot to the first Aire and there they were all lined up looking like they weren’t budging for anyone soon, a quick stop and a new co-ordinate took us to our second choice. Manta Rota is during the summer the beach car-park and over winter becomes a stay as you long like Aire, at 4.50e per night, and boy there they are, 102 of them, French and Belgium sitting out the winter, I am not sure how we view this, I just know that right now you would not find me sitting in a car park however good the view for three months, but they all seem very happy with their lot.



Manta Rota is a quieter (than most of the Algarve) seaside resort, a lovely beach and Cacela Velha a hill top village a nice walk away, and with a balmy day temperature of 22c we stayed 2 nights before deciding to move on. Being now acutely aware of some of the issues we would find stopping places at night we sort 2 or 3 places, just in case! The plan was/is to spend a week stopping along the coast seeing the best bits, and of course avoiding Albufeira!! Don had given us some wild camping co-ordinates and Villamoura Marina was one, far too risky for us so a quick walk around the Marina and admiring the HUGE Gin Palaces, lunch in the sun and onto a campsite in Quateria. A walk down to the prom reminded us of all that we hate about these places, Quateria is popular with the Portuguese and a chat with an English couple who have owned a Village there for some 40yrs was an enjoyable hour in the bar, she informed me her Uncle would turn in his grave to see what has happened to this small fishing community. Heavy rain was forecast for the next two days, but we decided a move was called for, the village of Silves is set as a place to visit, and the orange rooftops rise up with a striking red stone castle, once the Moorish capital of the Algarve, just in land and a place with 3 Aires, so surely there would be availability here!! How wrong we were “sorry we are Full” met us, undeterred we parked up and had a stroll around the Hill top town, dodging the rain clouds.

Our stay for the last two nights, a wild camp is at Alvor and what we would both agree is a lovely and again small beach resort on one side and a Marina the other, a long sandy bay with far reaching views down to Lagos (pronounced La-goosh) and what we hope to be our last stop on the Algarve before we head up the west Coast. So what will be my memories of The Algarve, as before not a holiday destination for us too built up, and has lost the real Portuguese feel, I maybe be un-realistic in this day and age, but know that the real Portugal, is still out there even if you just have to look that bit harder, and that is just what we will be doing when we turn North.

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Photos

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Manta Rota

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Old Water Mill

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Cacela Velha

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View from Cacela Velha

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Vilamoura Marina

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Silves

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Silves

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Alvor Beach

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Boardwalk running along Alvor