The Algarve

24^th to 31^st January The Algarve

We had decided that we were going to go right along the Southern coast of Portugal from West to East.  So we headed for Cabo de Sao Vincente  which is the far south western peninsula of Portugal.  This was nothing like the south west tip of the UK at Land’s End.  There were no expensive shops full of tat, no photo opportunities telling you how far it was to the rest of the world; just a small café and museum and car park.   We left there to go onto our first night time stop on the Algarve at Lagos.  There was a free aire here that could take about 20 vans.  It was packed but we took one of the remaining two places and decided to stay there for two nights before moving further east. By this time the sun should be shining and we could enjoy the rest of the coastline.

We woke on Friday morning and as predicted it was raining.  We spent the morning in the van taking advantage of the free wifi to catch up with some work and more route planning.  By lunch time it was only a light drizzle so we set of exploring this small town.  It did not excite me that much although there was a pretty beach.  I think it is a place that comes to life in the sun.  We decided to go swimming in the pool instead which I really enjoyed as I have not been swimming for ages and I have been missing it.  Mike was refused entry as he had not got any speedos or a swimming cap.  We bought hats and he had to trudge back to the van to get the right attire.

Despite the cooler weather Mike and I had a bad night fighting off two mosquitos.  I think we won as we did kill them but only after I got bitten 5 times on my arm and once on my face with Mike being similarly afflicted.  But when we awoke it was not raining.  It was cloudy but it was already 14C and promising better weather.  We left the aire and headed for Silves; this town is slightly inland and has a Moorish castle that we thought would be worth visiting on our route eastwards.  By the time we got there the sun was shining and the temperature had risen to 18C.  We had a pleasant wander around the castle.  The most interesting item being the huge ‘cistern’ that was capable of holding 1,300,000 litres of water.  This was sufficient for 1,200 inhabitants for a year – an important factor in the days when siege was a key military tactic.

From there we headed to Quarteria stopping for a sandwich lunch overlooking Albufeira.  This was the first time we had seen the sea blue.  As we continued our journey we noticed numerous roadside stalls selling oranges for 1-2 Euros (depending on size) for 5 kilos  of oranges. I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to do with 5 kilos of oranges but at that price we could not refuse them and they turned out to be really juicy and sweet.  Our campsite at Quarteria was great. The sun was shining and we found a good place to park amongst some eucalyptus trees.  We have seen very few British travellers on our travels but this campsite was full of them. Mainly couples who had chosen to spend three months or more of the British winter here.  Once we had settled in we got the bikes off and went for a cycle along the beach front which was a few hundred metres away. We continued along the front and into the next town Vila Moura.  There was a lovely marina here full of very expensive motor launches.  It was very difficult to tear Mike away from them but we eventually left cycling home in a glorious sunset.  Our supper that night was salmon followed by baked oranges with cinnamon (4.5kilos to go!)

Despite the forecast the sun was not shining when we woke on Sunday morning.  This was disappointing as we had washed a lot of laundry the previous evening and now needed to get it dry.  A fellow camper lent me her washing line which we strung up between the gum trees.  Mike thoroughly cleaned the outside of the van whilst I worked on the laptop. In the afternoon we went for a walk along the sand dunes but had to scurry back to get our washing in before it rained.  It was mostly dry.  On Monday the sun returned and we decided to stay another day.  We spent the morning relaxing in the sun and went for another cycle ride in the afternoon.  Our route took us back past the marina so that Mike could dream about boats and onto a cycle path that covers the southern coast of Portugal.  It took us to a secluded beach where there was a solitary fisherman.  We lay down in the sand and enjoyed the warmth of the sun and had to drag ourselves back to the campsite an hour or so later.  
 
 In the evening we went to a local pub quiz (in English).  We joined up with another couple who had handed their catering business to their children, bought an RV and set off like ourselves for a year.  We scored a comfortable 49 points in the quiz; the range being 35-55.  By the time we had another drink or two it was midnight but it was a lovely clear night to walk back to the campsite.

Tuesday 29^th January.  We are still in Quarteria and it is still a sunny 20C.  I did a couple of hours work but it was mainly a lazy morning.   The campsite is really lovely and this morning I enjoyed watching a couple of Hoopoes.  These birds have such lovely distinctive plumage but it is the crest on their head which they raise when alarmed that makes them even more special.  The other thing that happened today was that one of my travel mysteries has been solved.  Particularly when we were on higher ground we noticed web-like cone-shaped nests in the pine trees.  I thought they must belong to some type of spider but have now been informed they are the nest of the ‘procession caterpillar’.  By all accounts these nests are full of caterpillars.  Between Jan and Mar the caterpillars, which are blind, leave their nest and in a procession walk down the trunk and across the ground where they disappear until they emerge as a non-descript white butterfly.  These caterpillars are highly toxic, with barb like hairs that attach to your skin.  We were warned about protecting dogs from them as once these barbs get stuck in their mouths it can cause death.  Humans can also get anaphylactic reactions from them.  I am glad that I found all this out before I investigated one of these nests.  It also appears they have no natural predator.  I need to look into this more when I am next on the internet.

In the afternoon Mike and I went for another cycle, eastwards this time. We ended up cycling through some lovely orange groves where there was a heady scent of orange blossom and onto an exclusive villa development. We found one amazing place that had its own infinity pool overlooking the golf course.

Back to reality we cycled back to the campsite, did a quick pack up and moved down the coast to Villamoura where we had decided to wild camp for the night.  This would give Mike a final chance to dream over the marina.

The following morning (30th) we got off early and headed for Faro. We had been advised of a good wild camp spot on the Ilha de Faro. 


 To get there we had to drive past the airport, through the Ria Formosa Natural park over a small bridge (max 3.5 tons – about our weight)  and onto a small parking area.  The beach there was lovely and we sat for a long time just watching the surf.  After we had our lunch we decided to cycle into Faro town.  We took a lovely red tarmac cycle path which went round the perimeter of the airfield but after a kilometre or so it stopped abruptly. We could not cross the airfield and the other direction was impossible due the multiple pools of the wetlands of the nature park although we did try carrying our bikes along narrow tracks that led nowhere.  Slightly bemused we turned round and started to head into Faro on the main roads but it was very busy and not at all pleasant so we went back to the beach and watched the sunset instead.  

Today (31^st) was to be our last day in the Algarve.  It was another lovely sunny day with temperatures reaching 20C and it was with some regret that we left our beachside camp.  We took the van into Faro, spending about an hour there before heading for Tavira.  Tavira was our planned stop for the night but en route we saw a sign to the coast which we took for a lunch stop.  It turned out to be another lovely part of the Ria Formosa natural park.  We found a place to park by one of the salt marsh lagoons.


We had lunch and then took a walk through the marshes and onto the sand dunes and the sea. This part of Santa Luzia is all that is left of the old fishing village.  Most of the buildings have now been converted into cafes but the area is still known for its octopus fishing. We had a very pleasant time in the sun but then walked back to the van and cycled 12k or so into Tavira and back. It was a lovely cycle in the setting sun and once we got back to the van we decided to spend the night there before heading off for Seville.

Just a few nature notes: All around there is the orange harvests and the lovely smell of orange blossom.  The apricot blossom is just coming out and there are orchards of pink flowering trees. On the marsh land today we saw whimbrel, curlew and redshanks.