If you’re planning a trip to the southern region of Portugal, check out my insider Algarve tips before you book your holiday. Find out when to go, which are the best places in Algarve, what to pack, what to do and what Portuguese food to try. All the information youRead More →
The charmingly rural village of Alte makes for a very pleasant day trip in the Algarve. As well as a riverside picnic area, cobbled streets and architecture with character, it also has a rich heritage of traditional crafts, especially those involving esparto grass. You’ll see evidence of local ceramic and pottery work in theRead More →
In search of the more cultural side of the Algarve, I discovered a sculpture garden amid the vineyards at Quinta dos Vales near Estômbar. Sculptures galore As soon as I saw the smooth shiny curves of the fat ‘Graces’ dancing, I knew I’d enjoy Karl Heinz Stock’s sculptures, which areRead More →
If you’re keen to escape bustling resort towns, the quiet fishing village of Salema in the western Algarve may be worth considering for your Portugal itinerary. Major international publications, including The Guardian and Rick Steves‘ travel guides, have lauded its charms so I went to see what all the fussRead More →
Castro Marim salt pans don’t only produce sea salt and flor de sal the traditional way; they’ve also turned a salt water pond into an outdoor spa experience. Here, you can soak in salt while being covered in gooey clay, one of the more unusual things to do in theRead More →
The Algarve is best known for its fabulous beaches and top notch golf courses so what’s an inland town like Loulé to do if it wants to entice visitors away from the coast? Get creative, that’s what. Loulé Criativo organises hands-on creative workshops in Loulé city and municipality. Run by local artisans,Read More →
There’s a little slice of heaven on the west coast of Portugal that blends bucolic countryside with a magnificent coastline, all of which I discovered on a coastal walk along the Rota Vicentina from Odeceixe beach. The village itself is about 3 kilometres inland and has a relaxed, non-beachy charm all of its own. TheRead More →
I can’t remember the last time I went anywhere as touristy as Albufeira and it came as a bit of a shock to the system. I haven’t seen that many pink shiny people in one place since one August bank holiday weekend in Rhyl (but that’s another story). In August,Read More →
Take a break from the beach to visit the world’s largest sand sculpture exhibition in the Algarve, Portugal.Read More →
