Blog 15: Falling in love with Portugal!

Playa Doña Ana

Ponte de Piedade: Favorite scene of trip!

Blog 15: Falling in Love with Portugal

            I counted down in my head “One, two, three!” and lunged myself off the boat before I could second-guess my decision. My entire body, submerged in the water, went into shock. It was like I had landed in a tub of ice cubes or I was been pinched a hundred times. A few brave souls who had jumped with me were already flailing back to the boat. Survival instincts kicked in and I dashed over to the boat ladder, pushing one of my guy friends who had made it there first out of the way. (Sorry ladies first!) And so I learned that the ocean in Portugal and the ocean in Hawaii during spring are two very different things.

            But other than almost getting hypothermia in the Atlantic Ocean, I fell in love with Portugal. Everything about the trip was so rejuvenating and refreshing after months of deprivation of any sight of ocean. It’s a real shame most people don’t think much about Portugal when coming to Europe. I guess it’s hard competing with big leagues like Paris, London, and Rome. But Portugal really has a lot to offer (a lot of which I didn’t get to see on this trip since we only stayed in the South). As we were driving to Portugal (its only about 2 hours from Sevilla) I learned a little more about Portugal’s history.  This country’s history is very colorful due to its location on the Iberian Peninsula. Many different groups of people set foot and ruled in Portugal.  The Romans, Visigoths, the Moors, to name a few, all had their mark on Portugal. And Portugal had its moment of fame when it was the pioneer of the Age of Discovery during Prince Henry the Navigator’s rule. It was also the playground of pirates and so many seafront fortresses had to be built for protection. I really can’t blame anyone for trying to take over Portugal because it’s SO BEAUTIFUL. From the pictures you’ll see what I mean.

            But I absolutely loved Portugal and here is why I hope you will someday too. I stayed for a three-day weekend in the south of Portugal, called the Algarve famous for it’s sun-kissed beaches and aqua blue water. We had an apartment style room at our hotel, which could’ve comfortably fit five people. But my roommate and I were spoiled and had it all to ourselves. It had a gorgeous view of the ocean, a balcony, and best of all we could cook in a large kitchen. I usually don’t have much interest in cooking, but it was actually a lot of fun cooking healthy vegetable pastas and salads. We topped it off with a glass of red wine with a view of the sunset over the ocean. I was feeling very satisfied with life.

Cabo de San Vincente

            We went to several different beaches and lookouts in Portugal.  One of the lookouts, Cabo de San Vincente had a commanding presence. Waves crashed against sheer cliffs and the wind was whipping like crazy. This lookout was nicknamed “The End of the World” by the Romans because they believed that this was the edge of their “pancake” world. It’s hard to believe that there was a time that people thought you would drop right off the face of Earth once you sailed to the horizon. Doña Ana Beach was almost the opposite of Cabo de San Vincente. The water was tranquil and the wind had died to almost nothing. The rock formations and colors of this beach were what made it so special. The water almost looked like aqua blue dye had spilled into it. And cliffs framing the water almost were a vibrant golden color. I absolutely loved this beach and the island girl in me was very happy spending several hours lazing on the silk fine sand. It was so nice because it wasn’t flooded with tourists (*cough* Waikiki). And some people were kayaking around the cliffs, which looked like so much fun. The final stop was my favorite lookout and the city of Lagos. Ponte de Piedade was an absolutely stunning circle of cliffs that created a mermaid lagoon down below. You can climb up to the top of one of the cliffs and daringly look below or you can hike down to the lagoon. I loved this spot because it was so scenic and reminded me of what I might see in Italy (oh the Cinque Terre I can’t wait!). Finally Lagos was a cool almost hippy city with lots of cafes and restaurants to explore. I love how the white washed buildings mask how colorful the life in Portugal is. ¡Viva Portugal!

Favorite souvenir so far!

Keeping out those pirates: Lagos

Streets of Lagos