04/07/18 – 05/07/18 Sagres, Algarve
Nicknamed The End of the World due to the fact when explorers first discovered it, that’s truly what they thought, and when you visit can see why. Let’s not forget though, Sagres, is also well know for its delicious beer, which we have sampled now on several occasions!
Sagres offered gorgeous cliff top walks that overlook the Atlantic. The Fortaleza (fort) Sagres is situated at the Southern tip of the Peninsular. It was built in the 15th century to protect the town from North African invaders. That’s the history lesson over, as Dan and I opted not to pay the huge €3 to enter it.
The two beaches pictured below are situated either side of the fort. We went for some nice walks but didn’t venture on to them. One thing I can tell you about this part of Portugal is it’s bloomin’ windy. Perfect for surfing….a super popular activity here! Dan and I took a surfing lesson once in Bude, Devon…he did really well, but I didn’t manage to stand up, I’m not a strong swimmer, and remember feeling like an exhausted beached whale, so don’t fancy doing it again really. Dan can’t put any weight on his wrist or knee still, so sadly he can’t partake and show them how it’s done!
We stayed in the Fortaleza carpark overnight along with several other campers and it felt pretty secure (no cost). Our neighbour quickly come over to say hello on seeing that we were English. He was a real character, a 79 year old Welsh man who was deaf but could still manage to communicate well. We enjoyed the funny stories he told, and he seemed to enjoy the company. We learnt that he’d been living in the Algarve for 11 years, and sadly had recently become widowed. He was so sweet, offering to get us something from his supermarket trip and giving us his Daily Mail paper. Of course, we didn’t have the heart to tell him we think it’s a load of garbage. I just loved his positivity, his kindness and generosity. Marley at least got a little something to chew on too!
We had coffee one day at the fabulous Laundry Lounge, a combo of a cafe, bar and laundry facilities. I was very excited about it, and kept thinking why are there not more of these!! The decor inside and out was very cool – decorative painted tiles with reclaimed wood – the perfect place for lounging and doing what would normally be a boring chore! For me, this was the highlight of Sagres town centre, as there was little else there, a couple bars and some surf shops. There were a few churches but you can only see so many of them!
Before leaving Sagres we drove 10 minutes West to capture a gorgeous snap of Sagres Lighthouse (Cabo de Sao Vicente). All in all, Sagres was definitely worth an overnight stay, but if you have less time than us, you could definitely see the sights in half a day.
