Readers, I yet again apologise for the backseat taken in the
blogging world. I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my Insta up to date, whilst
also not becoming a slave to Insta. I’m also keen to try and post more
regularly on my actual blog, because my little piece of the internet was
designed to be about my words and life adventures. Not me trying to get 20k likes because I’m in
a bikini (sorry influencers).
Anyway, as some of you might have seen on Insta, last month
we went to Portugal for a week, specifically the Algarve. You might wonder why this Glasgow blogger
picked the Algarve? Having not been in
about 14 years, we got a cheap deal at an amazing hotel that we spotted on
Holiday Pirates and decided to take the plunge and book a cheap week away. It turns out our cheap week in the Algarve was
indeed excellent. The hotel was fantastic and it was lovely to experience a different type of holiday.
So for today’s post I’m talking Alternative Algarve and some
suggestions if you decide to go as a couple in their late 20s or 30s – I think
where we stayed MIGHT be a bit tame for some of the younger squad, but perfect if you're looking for peace and tranquility.
Monchique – Many Mountains
We stayed near Monchique – a pretty little Algarve town up
the mountains. It’s suffered terribly from last year’s forest fires, so we felt
it really important to go and help their tourism spend. It’s a long and winding road up to Monchique,
so you’d really need to hire a car if you’re going, but it’s an incredibly
peaceful place to be. There are some
traditional roadside restaurants, serving decent grub at affordable prices too!
Hire A Car
As I mentioned above, consider hiring a car. The Algarve is fairly easy to drive around,
well signposted and it allowed us to venture across many parts of the
Algarve. Hire from a reputable company
though and consider the damage waiver, as the Portuguese drives are a bit
different from the brits!
Like a Spa?
We stayed at Monchique Resort and Spa – a BEAUTIFUL 5 star
hotel near Monchique. We stayed bed and
breakfast (the breakfast was epic).
There’s an underground car park for your hire car, a gorgeous pool with
views over the mountains and most of the rooms are suites with massive beds,
outdoor terraces with loungers and a home from home feel. The Spa at the hotel is stocked by ESPA and
my massage was wonderful. The spa
circuit was also a fabulous way to spend a few hours on a windy spring morning.
Head to Benagil Caves and Beach
A bit less touristy, you can drive here, park up the car,
walk around the caves and then head down to the small beach for a bit of
sunbathing afterwards. If you’d like to
get close up, there are cave boat trips and paddleboarding adventures here and
its’ a favourite with the Algarve surfing community.
Eat Piri Piri Chicken
You can’t go to the Algarve and not enjoy a piri piri
chicken (either half or whole, depending how hungry you are) served with
fries. This is a staple dinner in the
Algarve and we found a great place that was stumbling distance from Monchique
Resort and Spa, called Foz do Banho, where we had dinner for 2 for less than
£30.
Spot Shipwrecks
If you happen to be down in the old fishing village of Alvor
on your travels, see if you can spot the shipwreck near the beach… Top tip, you’ll
see it in the afternoon.
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| Image Credit - Instagram dougies_wee_world |
Visit the Most South Westerly Point in Europe
An hour or so will lead you to Sagres and on to the most
south westerly point in Europe. You can see the lighthouse, walk along the
cliffs and loudly shout NEXT STOP AMERICA… if you want to be that annoying
person.
Enjoy a Leisurely Seafood Lunch
The Algarve’s restaurants in the more out of town locations
are what you would call “rustic”. Don’t
expect hip, modern interiors. Do expect incredibly fresh seafood, delicious
Algarvian wines and a no rush attitude, where you can sit for several hours,
chatting and enjoying yourself.
Go Historic in Silves
A lovely town, along the west coast, Silves has beauty and
history in equal amounts. Have a quick
lunch near the bottom of the town and build your energy levels for an uphill
walk to the cathedral and castle. Walk the old walls and enjoy spectacular
views over the town.
We decided to spend our second last night in Lagos – a beach
town, with plenty of restaurants and bars to pass an evening. We stayed in a rustic villa complex with a little
outside patio around a 15 minute walk to the main town and a 10 minute walk
along to the caves in Lagos. We only
stayed one night, but can recommend taking a stroll past many of the
restaurants and bars, taking your time to find one you like.
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