July 4th in the Algarve
- Katie Johnson
- Jul 16, 2024
- 12 min read
Happy 4th of July! With summer well underway, we figured it was time for another short trip. Seeing that Bryan had a long weekend off from work to celebrate Independence Day, I planned a trip to the Algarve region of Southern Portugal so we could enjoy the stunning beaches and delicious food in the region!
With some recommendations from Meghan, I split our time between Faro, the southern district capital city, and Lagos, famous for its cliffside beaches.
July 3, 2024: Faro, Portugal
Bryan worked Wednesday, July 3 before packing the car and hitting the road for the four-hour drive to Faro, Portugal!
Pier de Faro- Boat Hotel
We found the gravel parking area by the Faro Pier and met our host who ferried us out to our accommodation for the evening! Yep! You read that right, we aren't staying at a normal hotel tonight. I changed it up on Bryan and booked a houseboat as our "hotel" in Faro!
Once we were on our boat, Bryan and I realized we were in for a camping-type trip. Thankfully, we had both showered before heading to Faro, so we didn't need to use the shower off the back of the boat, but the camping toilet was an interesting spin on the evening.
Once unpacked, we cracked open a bottle of Portuguese Vino Verde to enjoy with our pre-packed picnic while watching the sunset and chatting the night away. It's evenings like this-sitting and talking with Bryan- that I'm reminded how lucky I am to be married to my best friend!
I gotta say, I don't think you get views like this from a regular hotel window! Watching planes land at Faro Airport as the sun sets is definitely a beautiful view!
Around 10:30 pm, the sun dipped below the horizon and it was time for us to dip below deck for a night's sleep!
July 4: Kayaking, Vinyard & Lagos, Portugal
Before falling asleep last night, I jokingly said I was going to wake up to watch the sunrise. Well, I did! While Bryan snoozed a little longer in our toasty 'bedroom,' the heat had me awake as the sky began to lighten, so I snuck up to the front of the boat to read as the sun rose!
Bryan eventually joined me once the sun was up, and we sat around and enjoyed a cup of lukewarm thermos coffee before packing up and meeting our chauffeur back to dry land at 8:30 am. Nothing like starting our 4th of July with a cup of coffee and some small talk!
Our time in Faro was short, but it sure was a new adventure! We can say we checked off another item on our bucket list:
✅ Stay overnight on a small boat
Feedback on it: The boat adventure was fun. We loved sitting and talking while enjoying nature and the quiet waterway. Watching birds dive into the water and hearing fish jump out was a nice reset to the busy life we live! I will say, though, this evening would have been better with cooler temperatures. Neither of us slept well due to the heat and lack of airflow in the cabin, but it was a fun experience!
Praia do Carvalho
But our busy day was just beginning! Once we were ferried back to the pier, Bryan and I were off to Carvalho Beach for our kayak tour. The one-hour drive passed quickly, and we had some time to climb down the cliffside to explore the beach before the tour began.
After climbing through a rock tunnel, the beach opened up to stunning cliffs surrounding a small patch of sand!
Then it was Kayak time! Our guide, Caio, was amazing and started us off with a small cave as a "practice" for entering some of the more famous caves in the area! Compared to other kayak tours, our tour left from a smaller beach without any crowds and Caio snapped photos of us throughout the tour so we could focus on paddling and soaking in the sun! I would book this tour again; it was that good!
Benagil Cave: Algar de Benagil
Caio helped us get to shore in the world's most famous cave! Benagil Cave, pronounced ben-a-jill, is a cave outside the small fishing village of Benagil that has turned into a world-renowned destination for Instagrammers and models alike. Benagil Cave began as a traditional cave, but over thousands of years of waves crashing and bird living inside, the ceiling collapsed and formed a sunroof!
Caio explained the geological development of the cave and how a second sinkhole has begun to form in the back portion of the cave. Eventually, the Benagil Cave will actually have two daylight holes!
Bryan and I were brave enough to get in the frigid water up to our knees, but with all the boat tours entering the cave's shallow waters, we weren't willing to swim! I will say, compared to other kayak tours, our small group guide was calm and organized. Other groups left from the nearby Benagil beach, but were chaotic and filled with massive tour groups.
I also learned during all my earlier research that kayaking was a better option than boat tours. Boats are no longer allowed to dock on the beach and can only stay in the cave for a maximum time of 3 minutes, whereas we enjoyed 30 minutes on shore exploring and taking pictures!
The Dark Cave
After the world-famous cave, we continued our kayak tour through other caves along the coastline! The Dark Cave, as you can imagine, was pitch black once inside!
Devil's Cave
Up next was the Devil's Cave, named after the ceiling eye-holes that resemble a skull.
With sore arms from all our paddling, we returned to Carvalho Beach and turned in our kayaks! As we returned our life vests and picked up our car keys, we asked Caio for lunch recommendations and headed to his favorite local spot.
Restaurante Casa Algarvia
While finding parking was a struggle, the lunch spot was well worth the hassle! Bryan got Caio's fish recommendation while I went with the waiter's Portuguese traditional steak dish. As much as Bryan loves a good fish dish, we both agreed my steak was one of the top meals we have had since living in Spain! Thinking back on that meal makes me want to return to Carvoeiro, Portugal!
Arvad Wine
I feel like an infomercial for an Independence Day Algarve Trip with this packed day. But wait, there's more! The day isn't over yet!
Overnight on a boat
Kayak Tour of Benagil Cave
Delicious Lunch in a nearby town
And the journey continued as we drove inland to Arvad Wines for a Portuguese Wine Tasting!
Arvad Winery was established in 2016 and bottled its first wines in 2019 and first red wines in 2021. So this vineyard is pretty new and expanding still! Our tour began in the vineyard, where we tasted some of the grapes used to create their wines before continuing the tour into their facilities. Arvad is still experimenting with their wines and they have recently bought more land to continue their expansion while also building villas with a full spa on the premises! Who knows, next time we visit Arvad, we may not even recognize this place!
Eventually, we got to the tasting portion of the visit, where we enjoyed a charcuterie board along with four wine tastings. This tour allowed us to get the best explanations of the wine-making process in simple terms and made it easy to understand! Compared to our Paris tasting experience, this one was by far superior! Bryan and I aren't wine snobs; we just want to know what we are trying!
We really loved their 2023 White Wine and the Touriga Nacional 2020 red wine. As our tasting guide explained the drinks, we learned that the white wine is young and will only last in the bottle for up to five years, while the red wine we loved will last 15 years. With this knowledge, Bryan and I bought a box of the Touriga Nacional 2020. Being in Europe, we can complete a wine shipment to our next duty station in two years. Knowing we want to curate a unique collection to take with us, we bought this first box of 6 wines to begin our wine shipment!
With a full day under our belt, it was finally time to finish our journey to Lagos and check in to our apartment! After picking up the keys, we struggled to find public parking outside the Old Town area, and then exhausted, hauled our stuff along the cobblestone streets to learn the place I booked didn't have AC...
I will admit, I didn't think to check for AC when I booked the accommodations, and later learned most places in Lagos don't have AC...but Bryan and I weren't feeling it after a long day of travel. Making the most of it, we took cold showers and slept with the windows open and the small fan blowing on high.
July 5: TukTuk Tour & Euros Soccer Watchin'
After a restless night of sleeping in our warm apartment, we were ready to set out and explore Lagos! We started the day with shots of expresso at Black and White Coffee before walking around the Old Town district. While we did find an art shop, the artist focuses on oil paintings, so we didn't find a watercolor to add to our collection.
Porto Mós Beach
At noon we met our TukTuk driver, Nuno, outside our apartment for an afternoon tour of the city! Nuno was fantastic; he drove us outside the touristy parts of town and showed us numerous beaches and neighborhoods populated with locals.
Our first stop was Porto Mos Beach, the farthest point of Lagos.
Farol da Ponta da Piedade
We then headed to Ponta da Piedade, where Nuno explained the religious pilgrimage that occurs annually through Lagos and ends at the Farol da Ponta da Piedade lighthouse!
Ponta da Piedade
Near the lighthouse are wooden walkways that overlook beautiful cliffs! Visiting these cliffs from up high was breathtaking! Seeing the crystal-clear waters and many boats exploring below was a sight to see!
Mirador Praia Dona Ana Y Praia do Pinhão
As we continued our TukTuk tour, we visited two more beaches along the Algarve cliffside. It's understanding why the Algarve region is famous for its stunning beaches! Wow!
Forte da Ponta da Bandeira
As we returned to the Old Town, Nuno took us to the old fort that guarded the city from the ocean.
While in the Old Town, we learned a bit about the darker history of Lagos; Portugal was the first European country to enslave Africans. In the Old Town Square is a small cell that was used to hold slaves before auctioning them or moving them to the Americas; some of the first slaves in the African Slave Trade were held in that cell.
Our tour ended with Nuno taking us to see the traditional tilework and Portuguese architecture! Much like Lisbon, I was taken aback by the beautiful buildings and all the tiles!
Casa Cataplana
With our tour over, we headed back through the Old Town to explore some more of the shops, and we stumbled upon one store selling traditional Portuguese wool sweaters! After reading the tags and talking with the shop owner, we learned these sweaters are made from sheep wool from Northern Portugal. We found one that Bryan looked really good in and figured it was worth a buy for a future cold trip!
Peppers Bar
Bryan's research found Peppers Bar, where we enjoyed some great cocktails to cool down from the hot outside temps!
Praça Gil Eanes
One of my favorite parts of Lagos is all the street graffiti! As we wandered around, each corner had either Portuguese tiles or massive artwork covering the walls! I'm telling you, Portugal has my art-heart!
Also in the city center is a statue of the young prince, Dom Sebastian, who issued a decree declaring Lagos' city status, giving the town permission to expand into the major city it is today.
Restaurante The Garden
For dinner, we visited The Garden, a stunning outdoor restaurant surrounded by flowers and greenery. While the setting was beautiful, the food was subpar. Bryan's mixed meat plate was good, but my sausage roll in a basket didn't match the place's atmosphere and felt lackluster.
Legends Bar and Grill
To balance out our dinner disappointment, we spent the evening at Legends Bar watching both the Spain vs. Germany match and the Portugal vs. France match.
Enjoying a few drinks while watching the game, Bryan and I made friends with Richard, an Irish expat living in Lagos who is a true world traveler! This older gentleman enjoyed picking our brains about our travels and sharing his life too! Come to find out, Richard had lived in India for a few years and even bought us a round of drinks.
It's funny how Bryan and I find people during our travels who have seen so much of the world! We always enjoy picking their brains and learning of new must-visit places that are off the beaten track! Richard was like a well-traveled grandpa who really made our evening of soccer-watching that much more enjoyable!
July 6: Boat Cruise & Beach Day in Lagos
To start our final day in Lagos, I scheduled a morning boat ride to see the cliffs from the water. I figured we needed a break from our kayak adventure, so I opted for a boat tour this time around. Our friend, Meghan, has kayaked this area and said it was amazing, so there are plenty of options!
BlueFleet Tours
We met our captain outside the Lagos train station and then made our way to the dock. Alongside five other people, we boarded a small boat and began our journey to sea!
Pinhao Fort Bridge: Ponte do Antigo Forte do Pinhão
The first sight on the tour was the Pinhao house. Complete with a jacuzzi built into the cliffside, this house was nearly bought by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt until they learned that Portugal doesn't allow private beaches. When the famous couple learned the beach under the house's cliff could be visited by anyone, they removed their offer.
As we made our way down the coast, our captain pointed out several rocks sticking out of the water. Back when Lagos was just a fishing village, the rocks were named to help with navigating the coastline. Check out some of the names below and see if you can spot the images!
Perttu's Cove
Farther down the coast is Perttu's Cove. Consisting of various 'rooms,' this cove has many daylight holes allowing natural light to hit the turquoise waters.
On our way back to Lagos, our boat picked up speed and we enjoyed the splashes of cool water under the hot sun!
Beats & Burritos
Feeling hungry, we stopped by our apartment to grab our beach bag before enjoying lunch at Beats & Burritos! We each ordered a burrito and ate our weight in those massive burritos! Heads up for those planning their own trip: this restaurant is cash only, but I promise it is worth it! This was the perfect lunch before heading to the beach!
Praia da Batata
It only took three days into our trip to finally fit in some beach time! Clearly, I enjoyed sitting in the sand so much I didn't even take pictures of us soaking in some rays. It was a tad windy, so we experienced some exfoliation from sand blasting across the surface; it didn't stop me from enjoying some reading time while Bryan took a nap!
The waters here were crystal clear and freezing cold! I dipped my toes in and they were immediately numb. The "Potato Beach" is a small beach within walking distance to Old Town Lagos, but it is known as a breeding ground of seaweed. While we were visiting huge mounds of seaweed washed ashore!
As we packed up to leave, we noticed a little archway with HUGO graffitied on it! You know I had to get a picture!
Peppers Bar
After a quick stop at the apartment to rinse off, we headed back out to watch another soccer game. After finding most places packed with Brits, we found an outside table at Peppers Bar to watch the England vs. Switzerland game. Bryan is loving all the Euro matches and I'm happy to tag along for the pretty drinks and good company!
The Curry Leaf
With another British futbol win, we were ready for dinner and decided to try Richard's (Irishman from the first night's soccer matches) suggestion. The Curry Leaf did not disappoint! Bryan and I love Indian food and this was the best we have had since the Czech Republic!
July 7: Beach Day & Homeward Bound
Our amazing weekend had to come to an end, but we weren't quite ready to leave Portugal yet!
Black and White Coffee Shop
We decided to wake up early and be first in line for the Black and White Coffee Shop! When we stopped by for coffee a few days ago, we found a massive line out front of the restaurant. Thankfully we were able to go in their side door and get coffee to go that day, but this morning we wanted a full meal before our long journey home.
Bryan and I split the pancakes and breakfast burrito and agreed the long lines were justified! The food was amazing, the coffee was great and the vibes were in! I think we did it right by arriving early; by 9:30 am there was already a long line forming for a seat!
Porto Mós Beach
Once we checked out of our apartment, we headed to the farthest edge of Lagos to the local beach our TukTuk driver said was his favorite! With our chairs in tow, we enjoyed a few hours in the sun before we had to make the journey back home!
As always, our babies were slightly disappointed to see us after their staycation with Jessi, the best Spanish dogsitter! They enjoy their long walks with Jessi while we are gone and we always look forward to the photos and videos she sends!
This weekend was an easy getaway and our first road trip outside of Spain! I can say, Portugal is a special place and definitely a contender for my favorite European country!
'til next time,
--Katie
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