In need of a change of scenery from our Haut Marais neighborhood, we decided to end the year and begin a new one, in southern Portugal. Given the many travel restrictions, this remained one of the safest destinations. And our last trip to Portugal, from cruising down the Duoro to road tripping in the Algarve, left us eager for more.
After a dose of sun and sea at Praia do Meco en route from Lisbon, we settled into our home in Zamujeira do Mar in the Alentejo region. With barely any tourists and very few locals, we explored the rugged coastline.
For an authentic lunch with the locals, we stopped at the neighboring village of Porto Covo followed by a visit to Vila Nova de Milfontes. The latter, filled with charm, quickly became a favorite in the Alentejo region.
Always eager for a road trip, we drove over two hours to the medieval town of Mértola close to the Spanish border. Deserted, this once Islamic open-air museum made for a perfect lunch stop in between rain showers.
Having spent a few scenic nights watching the sunset from our home in Zamujeira do Mar, it was time to continue south to the Algarve. But first, a quick stop at Praia de Odeceixe followed by an eclectic seafood lunch at O Sargo in Praia de Monte Clérigo. Will travel for food!
Our next home, and where we would celebrate the New Year, was the coastal town of Lagos with its rugged cliffs.
Each beach in Lagos looked more wild and dramatic than the last. We hiked our way along the coast, in awe.
The sun-filled week spent in Portugal, from the less touristic Alentejo region to the popular Algarve, filled us both with renewed strength and a positive outlook on the new year, as tough as the months ahead may be.
From Porto we rented a car and hit the road. Our first stop was at the surf town of Nazaré. It’s here where the biggest waves ever surfed can be found, although during our visit the sea could not have been calmer.
Following a heavenly lunch of freshly caught fish at restaurant Taberna da Praia, we continued on to Óbidos. This medieval town just an hour north of Lisbon oozes with charm. As soon as we entered the labyrinth of whitewashed houses trimmed in royal blue and bright yellow, we were smitten. Having arrived just in time for sunset, we walked along the wall surrounding the town and delighted in the scenes that unraveled below.
It was the Moors who fortified Óbidos and inspired the minimalist color palette which fit my design aesthetic perfectly. Needless to say, I couldn’t stop photographing every corner of this town!
Home in Óbidos was at The Literary Man, a boutique hotel boasting 70,000 books, the largest collection of books of any hotel in the world! Following dinner at nearby restaurant Jamon Jamon, we curled up by the fire and dove into a few of these literary treasures.
The following day it was time to leave Óbidos and continue our journey south, but not until we tried their local specialty Ginja, a sweet cherry liquor, perfectly paired with chocolate. Yet another reason to love Óbidos!
We continued the long drive until we reached the Algarve and our home for the next few nights, the small town of Carvoeiro. The views from our B&B were of the limestone cliffs so famous to this region of Portugal. As the sun set we settled into our cozy terrace with a bottle of wine from the Duoro Valley, and took it all in.
Just steps away we discovered hidden gem Praia do Paraiso, also known as Paradise Beach, for good reason.
The next morning we embarked on a journey by foot. I had promised my Italian a hike on this trip, and what better than the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, a total of 18km (10 miles) from our B&B. Did I mention this was not an easy hike? But well worth it for the stunning cliffside views!
Nearly at the end, we stopped for a heavenly (and well deserved lunch) at the only open restaurant we could find, and incidentally one of the best, O Pescador. Soon it would be time to return back along the same path, the cliffs glowing beneath us.
I felt very accomplished as we returned to Carvoeiro and resumed our positions on the terrace as the sun set, wine in hand, ending another memorable day in the sun-drenched Algarve.
It was now time to head to our final destination on these adventures in Portugal. But first, my Italian had a surprise stop up his sleeve, as he often does. We had arrived to Santa Luzia, and much to my pleasure I soon found out this was the “capital of octopus”, their local specialty and my absolute favorite! We had quite a feast at Casa do Polvo, tasting seven different types of octopus dishes. Needless to say, we skipped dinner.
Our last stop, and where we would ring in the new year, was nearby Tavira. This ancient Moorish town is considered the most charming in the Algarve. We settled into Tavira House Hotel and took to exploring the neighborhood.
New Year’s Eve brought with it a live concert, filling the small town with thousands of revelers, and at midnight a show of fireworks lit up the sky. As we had spent the last day of 2018, so we spent the first day of 2019, lounging lazily in the sunshine on one of Tavira’s sandy beaches. My Italian went for a run while I dreamt of our next beach getaway, knowing all too well that a wintry Paris awaited us.
