To visit as many beautiful places in Portugal as I can?! Challenge accepted!
Hello, everyone!
I will talk about one of my favourite places in my … favourite country!
Algarve - A surprisingly beautiful region that reminded me of Greece
Getting to one of the warmest region of Portugal by bus, from Porto, was not a really bad idea, since we travelled during the night for seven hours. This happened on 20th of October, so there were both sunny and rainy days, as you will notice my clothing in the pictures (Yes, dressing like an onion! Check this if you don’t know what I’m talking about).
We visited a few coast cities, such as Albufeira, Faro, Portimão (we had the accommodation here), Lagos and ‘the end of the world’ – Sagres.
Why I am saying the end of the world?
Well, because this is what Cape St Vincent was thought to be by the Europeans until the 1400s.
It was believed that the sunset was much larger than anywhere else. Unfortunately, the little time spent there didn’t allow me to see the sun sinking in the water (I was there with a travel agency, so it wasn’t me the one doing the schedule).
Lagos
This is the place where my creativity was highly stimulated due to the rock formations along the coast. These has interesting names such as: ‘Elephant’, ‘The kiss’, ‘The camel’.
Here’s the proof:
At some point I started wondering if the locals have modified them, so I asked one sailor and he denied my theory… Nature is amazing!
Boat trip
It’s a must! This way you will enjoy the unusual rocks from a closer perspective and can get inside some ‘secret caves’, where you find an intense turquoise water. I dare to say one of the most beautiful colours I have ever seen.
Another advantage of this kind of adventures is that the sailors usually have interesting stories to tell. You could also ask for food recommendations. Locals know the best places in my opinion!
Swimming in the ocean
In the south of Portugal, the temperature of the water is higher than in Porto, where I tried to surf in the middle of September and I literally froze.
Therefore, I felt such a great joy when I swam for the first time in the wavy Atlantic Ocean! But, noticing the strong currents, I immediately chose a landmark on the beach to be aware if I am being pulled away from the shore. Do the same!
The end of this trip was also special.
I don’t think that I have ever felt useful for so many people!
Are you wondering why?
They weren’t from Porto, the last stop of this trip (it was pretty late), and they missed the last train that could take them to their town. So, we invited them over.
I am apologizing again to our flatmates for this. Hugs, Karolina and Ewelina!
Writing about these experiences makes me have the ‘saudade’ feeling (something like sadness for missing it, but happiness for have experienced it).
They say you can’t really understand this until you leave Portugal… Well, here I am.
Photo gallery
Content available in other languages
Want to have your own Erasmus blog?
If you are experiencing living abroad, you're an avid traveller or want to promote the city where you live... create your own blog and share your adventures!
I want to create my Erasmus blog! →
Comments (2 comments)
Adela Nicolae 6 years ago
Hahaha so many memories
Adela Nicolae 6 years ago
The rocks challenged our imagination indeed