Portugal

In May 1998 I spent a great week on the Algarve, Portugal. The southernmost part of the country, it has a Mediterranean feel but the rollers crashing against the rocky coastline and the beaches remind you that you're facing the Atlantic ocean!

I stayed in Vilamoura, a purpose-built resort town with an attractive marina lined with bars, restaurants and shops. Possibly the largest private resort development in Europe, there is a casino and three golf courses as well as numerous other sports facilities. The sunset over the marina was wonderful. It was a great place to relax in the evenings!

I rented a car for a couple of days, and explored the coastline, scaring the locals with my special style of English driving. Why do so many countries drive on the WRONG side of the road?! ;)

Faro is the capital of the Algarve, and is a busy town well worth visiting. There are so many narrow streets to explore, and the marina here is packed full of boats.

The cathedral in the old walled town dates from the 13th Century. The statue in the square is of Bishop Francisco Gomes, who co-ordinated the rebuilding of Faro after it was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1755.




East of Faro, near to the Spanish border, is the town of Tavira. It's a pretty town with narrow streets and whitewashed buildings, many of which have the traditional Portuguese style roofs. This photo was taken from the castle battlements. It's a fairly easy walk up to the castle and the church of Santa Maria do Castelo.

The town is particulary pleasant down by the banks of the River Gilhao. The bridge across the river provides a great photo opportunity!






Silves lies well to the west of Vilamoura, at the heart of one of Portugal's best citrus growing areas. It's a very picturesque town built on a hillside, overlooked by the ancient sandstone castle and cathedral. The Romans had a secure settlement at Silves, but it was built into a prosperous town by the Moors.

It's quite a steep walk up to the castle, but well worth the effort as the remains are very impressive, and the view from the walls is superb. The picture on the right shows the main courtyard.

The town was laid siege to during the Crusades in the 12th and 13th Centuries, and changed hands several times. In 1231 the town finally capitulated to the Christian forces of Afonso III. This proud statue of him stands in the castle courtyard. I spent a long time exploring the castle, amid the well-tended jacaranda trees, oleander shrubs and flowerbeds. Apart from bits of the walls, the only Moorish feature left in the castle is a well, originally Roman, 65-metres deep.
The cathedral was built to celebrate the recapture of the town. Much restored and rebuilt over the years, it contains the tombs of some of the Crusaders who died there.










Up into the mountains of Serra de Monchique, the scenery is greener and more lush than on the coast. I really enjoyed the drive along the winding mountain roads.

Caldas de Monchique is a pretty spa town, but if you go there, mind the tourist buses! I passed some time just sitting in this square drinking coffee and watching the world go by..






The most southwesterly point of Portugal, indeed mainland Europe, is Cape St Vincent. The coastline here is very dramatic and rocky. It was at this place that the great navigators like Vasco da Gama gazed out to sea, wondering if the horizon signalled the edge of the earth. In time, of course, they discovered the next great landfall - the Americas.

The lighthouse here is worth exploring. It's one of the most famous lights in the world as it guards one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.