Portugal

WHY WE WENT

When Dave and I became parents we decided we wanted to see the world with our kids, we thrive at it and love it. We were on such a roll too with Avery getting to three countries before her first birthday and then we had to cancel her fourth and fifth trips, scheduled for 2020.

Portugal is our safe haven and it was eating away at me that my little girl still hadn’t been so off we went to dip our toes back into the world.

HOW LONG WE STAYED

May 21 - June 5, 2022

WHO WENT

Dave, Ana, Owen (7 years old) and Avery (3 years old)

WHERE WE WENT

We headed straight south to the Algarve and then spent a couple nights in Lisbon at the end.

HOW WE DID PORTUGAL

We stayed in the town of Tavira, on the south east coast. It has everything we needed.

Time change

I was happy to see that our time away from travel had not changed us. Jetlag doesn’t really affect us and so the five hour time change was actually OK and we were able to get started as soon as we landed.

Transportation

We rented a car in Lisbon to get us south to the Algarve and then move around with ease.

Accommodations

My mom, my sister and her boyfriend were in Portugal at the same time which NEVER happens so we all rented an AirBnB in Carrapateira, right on the coast, for a couple of days.

As for the rest of the time, sorry folks but my family has a condo in the Algarve so that’s home base. At one point I didn’t think I would be able to stay there for the entire time so for the first time ever, I looked up AirBnBs - here are where we would have stayed:

• Option 1

• Option 2

• Option 3

• Option 4

Our days

I hold Portugal so dearly. It’s where I was born and where I lived until I was 8 years old so it’s my place in the world where I don’t want to see any change. And that goes for the way we visit Portugal. Seems weird but i still have not been to Porto because when I’m in the Algarve, I cannot leave.

It’s the smells, the tastes, the sites. I love it all, it’s a home that I don’t get to see very often and miss so much.

Anyway, here is how I love to do Portugal:

Lisbon

We always go to Lisbon because that’s where we fly out of. We head there a day or two before our flight and decompress before getting on the plane. So I’m usually sad in Lisbon.

The area around Elevador de Santa Justa, or Elevador do Carmo is really nice to stay in. It’s called Chiado and there are so many quaint streets / hills, shopping and cablecars.

Anthony Bourdain did an episode of No Reservations in Lisbon and offered some good food recos: Ramiro’s Cervejaria is my favourite for hardcore seafood. There are no side dishes here other than the most delicious and perfectly toasted bread, presunto and various cheeses. And then for dessert, you can get a Prego - a tenderloin sandwhich. Yes, that’s the Ramiro dessert. SInce that’s not everyone cup of tea, they do have a couple of actual desserts to pick from that’s only because the place has become really popular and is catering to the masses. Back in my day (haha!) there was nothing sweet on the menu.

Time Out Market is also amazing with so much amazing food to try.

In the Lisbon area, Sintra and Cascais are really nice too.

Belem is where the OG custard tarts are.

Algarve

To get to the Algarve, I recommend driving down the west coast instead of taking the highway straight down. The drive is cool and you can randomly find beaches, sometimes empty ones.

Amado Beach is my favourite and a great surf spot when the ocean permits it.

Lagos is cool! Historically it was a place where backpackers gathered. Those who were only passing through ended up staying to work the bars. It’s very easy to walk everywhere, streets are lined with restaurant patios and the beaches are gorgeous (though the water is cold). They do little boat excursions around some of the rocks and caves / private beaches - really nice!

Not far from Lagos is Sagres which has a beautiful fort. 

Albufeira, Vilamoura are indeed very nice but pretty touristy with fancy restaurants, clubs, bars, rented summer homes. Look up Benagil beach in that area – there’s a cool cave. They do boat tours to go see the caves which we did and it’s super cool, the kids loved it. They did take us into Benagil cave but you’re not supposed to get off the boat. Unfortunately many companies allowed it so it was packed and we weren’t able to take nice photos.

Faro is the "big city" in the Algarve - they have a bus system. :) If there, go to the church Igreja do Carmo: You can go into the back to see the room of bones. That area around the church used to have a cemetery for priests but when they started building around it they ended up digging up all the priests and lined a room with all their bones. It's pretty neat if you're ok with that sort of thing.

The area around the marina is nice and lines with restaurants. Go inside the old city wall to walk around too, sit on a patio. Also near there is where you can catch a ferry to Ilha Deserta (Desert Island) but unfortunately it’s no longer deserted. I remember the days of my cousin and I having it all to ourselves. Then they built a restaurant and now I think there are cabanas and everything. Still, in the summer months it’s not as populated as other beaches, the ferry ride over is pretty and good for bird watching.

Praia de Faro (Faro Beach) is also nice and a favourite of mine because my mom didn’t drive when we lived there so that’s the beach we could go to. It’s on a thin island connected to the mainland by a bridge. If there, seek out Forte restaurant for giant grilled cheese and whatever else sandwiches. So good!

Estoi is a cute little town but there's really nothing there other than a palace that was turned into a hotel - Pousada de Estoi. It's not far from Faro and pretty to go visit, they let you walk around the Palace grounds. I used to play in it when I was a kid!

Tavira is my favourite town in Portugal! It has a good balance between touristy and non. In the summer months (July and AUgust) there’s a great vibe and good nightlife. Almost always there is a concert in the town square. It also has an amazing fish market and beach. The beach is on an island so you have to take a ferry to get there - doesn't cost much. In Tavira you should check out the Camera Obscura, it's a neat way to see the city. The castle wall there is pretty and free. There are so many churches in this own too - gold alters and such! One of my favourite restaurants is there, called D'Agusta. If you happen to meet Chef Hugo, you can tell him you know “Ana from Canada.” He’ll tell you we're practically family! You’ll need a reservation though.

Near Tavira is Cabanas, another great beach - you have to take a little motor boat there.

East of Cabanas is another beach called Manta Rota. It’s lovely!

And around there too is a cute little town called Cacela. The restaurants are yummy and the beach is bare but always empty. If the tide is low you can walk across the ocean floor to get to it but if the tide comes up there’s someone who offers rides back on a small motorboat. No lifeguards on duty. It’s one of my favourite places in the world.

And around there too is a cute little town called Cacela. The restaurants are yummy and the beach is bare but always empty. If the tide is low you can walk across the ocean floor to get to it but if the tide comes up there’s someone who offers rides back on a small motorboat. No lifeguards on duty. It’s one of my favourite places in the world.

Here is the tour of Lisbon / Algarve I always recommend to people looking to visit those parts. It’s a slow pace but packs a lot - it’s perfection.