My last trip to Portugal had become a dim, but
pleasant memory. Hidden behind the veil of too many years gone
past. At last the oportunity to be reaquainted with this
friendly country arose.
Together with some friends, we
made our base in Lagos, on the western part of Algarve.
 View from the Cape outside Lagos
A trip to the spectacular seacaves outside Lagos is
really worth while
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Basecamp
Arriving in Lissabon Airport endless taxi-lines
are waiting for you. We were catching the train
down to Algarve. The trainstation Barreiro for the
southbound trains are located on the south side of
the Lissabon bay. The taxidrivers are quick to
take advantage of you. Going there by car, you
have a 60 km. drive all across the new Da
Gama-bridge and around the bay. Instead you could
have a quick and cheap access from the airport to
the center of Lissabon were the ferries are
running non-stop directly to the trainstation.
Make sure you have the timetables at hand before
catching the ferry, as the trainstation-area
offers no restaurants, and is a rather drab place
to be waiting for hours...
The train-ride to
Lagos is cheap (ab. 2000 esc), and if you make
sure you catch an intercity connection, it takes
about four hours to Lagos. You have to change
trains in Tunes.
Lagos is a typical middlesized Mediterainian
city. Inside the old city-walls, you find lots of
narrow walk-about-alleys with a wide variety of
shops, bars and restaurants. The atmosphere is
rather laid-back.
Lagos used to have lots of
backpackers and windsurfers, but the development
seems to have driven most of them elsewhere. It is
easy to rent appartments, houses or rooms if you
go there in June, before the season really begins.
(July/August) We rented a large house just outside
the old city-walls with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms,
fully furnished with TV's, washingmachine,- all
the works for 2500 esc. each pr. night (7
persons). In August the price trebles. This is the
de-luxe approach to travelling.
To top it off,
we rented a car (25000 esc -7 days). This, or
bikes, are necessary if you want to see what's
worthwhile in the region. And it's plenty!
The
beaches all around the township are very nice.
From the large Meia Praia, to the cliff-walled
Dona Ana or Praia Camilho. Around the Cape
westwards, you also have Praia do Moz. There are
also many beautiful, spectacular deserted coves
accessible by steep cliff-trails.
The coastline around Lagos is the most
spectacular in all of the Algarve with it's
cliff-caves and peaked spectacular skerries.
From several beaches you can go by boat to see the
caves. It's worth the money. If you go all the way
to the lighthouse on the Cape, there are steep
stairs going down to one of the startingpoints.
Very beautiful!
The weather in June is relatively stable, but
not blistering hot. More like a nice Scandinavian
summerdays. Evenings and nights can be rather
chilly, in fact. The water is rather cold. (ab.
20-23 degrees) It gets colder the farther west you
go.
Portugal is not famous for it's food.
There are some places, though, that can give you a
pleasant surprise. If you go a bit outside the
beaten track on the outskirts of the city walls,
there are some nice places. The prices are
relatively cheap. Dinner with wine and espresso
with snaps or portwine after, should keep you
around 2000 esc.
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