With Chloe and Henry being here for a two week period only we decided to take a trip to the west coast of the Algarve to give them a tiny taste of the different landscape and an opportunity to see some of the open coastline and a few of the larger centers on that end of the region.  The weather co-operated wonderfully with sunshine and blue skies.   I decided to stop at a beach along the way in hope of them experiencing some of the large waves and surfers that the area is famous for.

The waves were significant but sadly not as large as other times. There were a few surfers which made up for the smaller waves.

Marc was enjoying the day with his lovely niece and recalled a birthday celebration on a beach like this just three short years ago.

You can see that all three are enjoying the beach visit.

believe this to be a group of new surfers getting a lesson on land before hitting the waves.

The sea was blue and quite beautiful.

Beach flora

From our beach stop we did poke our noses in a large pottery place and enjoyed a walk about.  I stumbled on this silly mat but it did make me smile…

Cabo de Sao Vicente, the most westerly point in the Algarve, was our destination and we were blessed with warm weather which is a treat in this area as it’s wide open to the Atlantic and frequently the winds, on the warmest of days, can be quite nippy.

Look at the happy smiles!

Marc hadn’t been here yet this year and had forgotten how beautiful it is.

Edith Anne???

The coastline heading north.

From this stop we headed into Sagres but didn’t stop, a simple drive along the road closest to the water to allow for a lookout was all I felt was needed.  It’s a lovely town but it caters to younger surfers and other than that, it really isn’t overly interesting.  We continued along the smaller highway heading to Lagos where we parked the car and wandered for a few hours, including lunch.  Coming from the coast we were a little taken aback by the intense heat when we stepped out of the car.

I spotted this when walking through the old market.

A view from our lunchtime perspective.

I thought this was interesting. The balcony of an art gallery.

Serious conversation?

The happy tourist

Love this old building.

The photo doesn’t show the tiles as beautiful as they are but I quite appreciate how elegant this old building is.

Just a street sceen

My husband is about to be devoured!

Tile work that stood out for me.

How wonderful, the orange steps against the blue door frame.

O Henry!!

Whimsical wall art.

Walking along the boardwalk.

We took a stroll along the beach to appreciate the rock formations and the sea.

Toes in the sand.

Loved the enthusiasm of the boaters.

My happy fella.

Part of the old fort.

Another part of the old fort.

Spotted this lovely carousel on our way back to the car.

Bobbing on the water and oozing tranquility for me

Our final stop of the day was at Porches.   I have never seen the beach so full and for me it provided a tiny glimpse into what it must be like in June and onward.

Not for me.

A selfie.

A view of the beach to the west. Much less populated probably because you have to put some effort into walking to get to it.

La Bella Chloe

The glorious coastline

A marvelous day and both Marc and myself very happy that we could share this with Chloe and Henry.   While we were away for the day, Pat M had spent a wonderful day with Pat and Gary in Tavira.  Gary shared these photos with me and I thought to include them here as the colour is amazing.

The two Pats!

Just look at that wall of colour. Amazing bougainvillea

Wonderful adventures had by all.  Both Pat and Gary, as well as Chloe and Henry, will be returning to Canada on Wednesday and we are going to miss all of them.   Today, Saturday, we all spent a day at the Faro Beach……no cameras……simply sun, sand, the sea, and the pleasantness of good friends hanging out and making new memories.  Life remains wonderful.