30/06/18 – 3/07/18 – Ferragudo & Portimão, Algarve
We spent 2 very relaxing days in Ferragudo, a little fishing village popular with tourists but not so touristy that it was obvious or unspoilt.
It’s easy to think you’re in Portimão (where we had intended to be), as it’s just opposite on the other side of the estuary. This was actually a case of serendipity, as Ferroguda was so much nicer.
Alongside lots of other campers, we parked literally a couple of steps away from the beach. Guess what too….it was freeee!!
Also it was our first experience of a dog tolerant beach in Portugal, so Marley was in his element and so were we in seeing his energy levels lift when he leaped about on the sand. There were plenty of other dogs doing the same including Marley’s cute little friend who followed him around for at least an hour. They were such a great match, we even contemplated taking him with us as his owner was nowhere to be seen. Of course we would never really do this! One doggy mouth to feed is enough.
In the evening the town comes alive with couples having dinner and it felt quite a romantic place. Everyone seems laid back and friendly, quite the opposite of Portimão – we rode the 4 miles over there – that was a bit of a surprise as it looks so close from the other side of the river. The super long, and wide white sandy beach seemed to be the main attraction. It looked well used but also well cared for – set up for beach sports and parties.
Back on our side in Farragudo, we met Erica and Adrian (or should I call them Eric and Adriane) who were lots of fun and told us about their dissatisfaction of having booked Portimão for a 15 day holiday given what they had seen of Ferragudo. We chatted about moho life and they said they were considering getting one. I think they thought we were a bit smelly as they offered us a shower at their hotel and the use of their washing machine. Only joking, their offer was genuine and was great to meet such generous people.
If you’re in the Algarve, it’s definitely worth a trip to Ferragudo. We stayed 2 days despite the noise of fisherman trawling the sea at night and into the early hours of the morning. It was worth staying put for the relaxed vibe and being right on the beach. We were lucky not to get stuck in the sand, unlike our poor Portuguese neighbour who had to be towed out by a fellow moho.
Reflections:
* So far, the Algarve has been fab, moho friendly and not as touristy in the same way as Spain. It’s great to see how environmentally friendly the Portuguese seem to be. There are so many recycling points and lots of cycle tracks throughout the whole of the Algarve.
* So after just over 2 months, we’ve started to love moho life. It’s feeling like home now, we have everything we need and where we want it. It must be weird for Marley having a different garden almost every day, but he now seems to have adjusted and is much more content. We seem to have got ourselves into a bit of a routine, which is really needed when travelling for a long time and in the heat with a dog. Since the solar system has been rectified, we no longer need to rely on campsites, something we found stressful. It’s stopped being like a holiday now where we seemed to be trying to do as much as we can, instead we’ve slowed down and in turn have relaxed, and are feeling all warm and fuzzy!
More photos:
