Recently I had the privilege to visit the beautiful Algarve coastline. It was like a Pinterest picture coming to life. The rock formations are truly beautiful, the food and wine were delicious and the sun was shining like crazy. The recipe for a good time if you ask me! I illustrated my typical day in the Algarve to give you an impression of things to do there (and how good life is on the Portuguese coast!). Repeat this x 3, 7 or however long you want and you will have the perfect weekend break or holiday!
Start the day with a cordado and a pastel de nata.
Espresso with some hot milk and the famous Portugese pastry are the best start of your day!
Go bird watching in the natural park Ria Farmosa
This unique ecosystem is of great importance for thousands of migratory birds. In summer you’ll especially see a lot of storks in this coastal lagoon close to Faro.
Have some amêijoas à bulhão pato and a glass of vinho verde for lunch on Farol Island
Farol Island is one of the barrier islands protecting Ria Formosa from the Atlantic Ocean and the most beautiful of all. A lot of locals come here to spend the weekend and enjoy the beaches and the slow pace of island life. The people living on these island are almost all fishermen, so this is the best place to eat fresh fish and delicious clams directly from the sea. The vinho verde, or “green wine”, is a Portuguese invention and is light, fresh and slightly sparkling. Perfect for a hot summer day!
Sketching the famous rock formations on one of the beautiful beaches
My favourite beach activity is sketching and the beaches in the Algarve are so breathtakingly stunning, I had to capture them on paper! Even if you don’t like to draw, you can still enjoy the crystal clear turquoise sea, the sandy beaches and the famous rock formations. Truly impressive!
Take a boat trip and spot some dolphins
From Albufeira harbour you can charter a boat, which takes you across the impressive coastline stopping to watch some dolphins along the way!
Wander around the picturesque streets of Tavira
Tavira is lovingly nicknamed “Venice of the Algarve” for a simple reason, because it’ss as Instagram proof as it’s Italian sister (but with less tourist!). Seriously every little street, church, garden and house is pretty as a picture. You’ll find lots of restaurants, terraces, cute shops and even a modern art gallery there!
Fresh Fish and vinho tinto for diner
What’s better to eat when you’re on the coast than fresh fish?!
Enjoy!
The information in this article has been created in collaboration with Visit Portugal. For more travel tips and information about the Algarve visit www.visitportugal.com
