Category: Portugal

Heather & Kevin’s Guide to Portugal
Kevin and I have spent a lot of time travelling through Portugal, and we often encounter friends and friends of friends who are in search of suggestions for what do while they’re visiting Portugal.

We’ve written quite a few tailored suggestions, and we’ve decided to combine all of our recommendations right here, in one place. Enjoy!

How to use this guide:

In the first section below you’ll find some general advice about travelling in Portugal. Following that we’ve listed towns are cities that we recommend visiting, along with things to see/do/eat in each city.

The cities are listed in Geographical order from North to South, then West to East.

For each city and restaurant, we’ve also provided a score out of 5 for how worthwhile it is to visit:
- 1/5 = if you happen to be there, check out these places
- 2/5 = these are some great places, but don’t travel far to visit this place
- 3/5 = this is worth it if you’re really interested in this topic
- 4/5 = very worth adjusting your route for, if you can swing it.
- 5/5 = get in your car and go now!
Comment below if you have questions about any of the suggestions, or if you have clarifications/new ideas to offer!

Things to know in general in Portugal:
- Breakfast is hard to come by. The idea of brunch or breakfast being eggs, toast, etc, doesn’t exist in Portugal. Breakfast is an espresso and a pastry. In Lisbon you can get different types of ‘toast’ with a coffee (we’ll recommend below). But in the Algarve, a typical big breakfast is hard to find.
- Lunch is typically served between 11am and 3pm. If you want to eat between 3pm and 5:30pm, good luck. Most restaurants are closed at that time, but reopen for dinner.
- When you sit down at most Portuguese restaurants, they’ll put bread, pate, olives, etc on the table. If you eat these, the cost will be added to your bill. If you’re not interested, you can ask them to take it away, no problem.
- Espumante is the word for Portuguese sparking wine (like Spanish Cava or Italian Prosecco). Be sure to try some while you’re there, as it’s rarely found outside of the country.
- Common greetings include “bom dia” (good day or good morning), “boa tarde” (good afternoon), “boa noite” (good evening).
Exploring Portugal

Sintra and the surrounding area (Northwest of Lisbon)
- Our score: 4/5
- Like any place in Portugal outside of Lisbon, you will need your car to explore Sintra. Even if you’re only in Lisbon on your trip, it’s worth renting a car or booking a tour to visit Sintra. We saw all of Sintra & its sites in one day, but it would definitely be worthwhile to split the whole thing into 2 days and stay up there one night.
- The easiest way to describe Sintra is to list my blog posts about each site. I don’t really have any restaurant recommendations out there:
  - Cabo da Roca (edge of continental Europe) – spend 30 minutes there; There’s also a restaurant here with beautiful views of the ocean.
  - Convento of the Capuchos – Spend at least 1 hour there. Max 2 hours.
  - Moorish Castle and the Palace of Pena – spend at least an hour at each, possibly 2-4 hours at each. The Moorish Castle is a bit of a hike, and the views are stunning. The Palace of Pena has more to see indoors, and also boasts a beautiful set of gardens. You could spend 1-3 hours at each site.
  - Quinta da Regaleira – You could easily spent 2-4 hours here. The gardens are incredible. We went there in the rain which gave the whole experience a romantic, nature-y feeling, but for the sake of comfort, try go to there in good weather. It’s not as historically significant as the 2 castles but it’s much more interesting and surprising to explore.
  - A note on our order of things… Cabo da Roca is on the west coast. Coming towards the interior, Convento dos Capuchos is next closest. The Quinta, the Castle, and the Palace are all roughly in the same area, within “Sintra”. Sintra itself is a town, but we didn’t spend much time there, so cannot make any recommendations.
  - Bring your walking shoes because you’ll be walking and climbing all day long. A hat and sunscreen may also be wise, especially for the Moorish Castle.
Lisbon

With the famous Lisbon cable car in the background. Worth a ride if you have time available!
- Our score: 5/5
- Lisbon is one of my favourite cities to visit. Like many cities in Europe, it is historical and gorgeous. The architecture and the intricate design of its many buildings and squares show the extravagance of its spending at height of the Portuguese empire, and reflect the restrained budgets of modern governments. Keep an eye out for fancy old buildings that are maintained and/or newly restored, and those that are falling apart. In addition to its beauty, Lisbon offers incredible food, people, views, and nightlife.
- Lisbon is a city built on hills, which is an important part of its design and history. Keep an eye out for its streetcar system and its elevator… both the oldest in the world.
- You can read about our experiences in Lisbon here, here, here, and here.
- Overall we love Lisbon because of its beauty, delicious food and wine, and welcoming hospitality.
- Places we’ve stayed:
  - VIP Executive Arts Hotel – has parking, is close to the airport, in a new part of Lisbon. Not close to the downtown if you’re walking, but a cab to the downtown is around 12 euros
  - Travel & Tales AirBnB – These guys have an apartment building in the Principe Real neighbourhood of Lisbon. The apartment is super gorgeous and they are great guys. They have an office on the main floor of their building and are easily available if you need any help.
- Restaurant recommendations:
  - Sea Me (4/5) (for lunch) – the classic example of Lisbon cool. At once incredible cool, high quality, and unpretentious/relaxed. Great for lunch.
  - Cervejaria Ramiro (5/5) – This place is AMAZING. It’s famous for it’s amazing selection and quality of seafood. The concept is similar to a food hall in that you grab a seat at a shared table and the servers turn out your order quickly. There will almost certainly be a lineup and wait. We waited for 15 minutes, but your wait could be much longer. We suggest to order the shrimp, the clams, and goose barnacles (percebes). The lobster is also good. Everything there is good. Highly recommend.
  - Stanislav Cafe (formerly Stanislav Avenida) (4/5) – Back in the day, this was a really good Russian restaurant where we went for dinner. The pierogies and the steak tartare were our favourites. The service was excellent, and once again the restaurant itself was beautiful.
  - Bistro Edelweiss (2/5)- If you’re in the Principe Real neighbourhood and you’re looking for a restaurant with quality food, this is a good option. As you can surmise, they’re a German restaurant. The restaurant and service are both charming. Portugal is full of places that are overshadowed, yet still interesting and high quality. This is one of them.
  - Mercado da Ribeira (3/5) – In an area historically known for shipping, TimeOut turned a warehouse into a high end food court/food hall. Different top restaurants/chefs in Lisbon have fast food stalls here, so it’s a good way to explore the range of cuisine in Lisbon. As far as dining experience goes, it’s not ideal, but like everywhere in Portugal, they serve beer and wine.
  - Belcanto (3/5) – If you’re interested in fine dining, this is apparently the one to try. We haven’t tried it but it’s recommended by a trusted friend who vouched for its quality, especially given the price.
  - Esplanada Cafe (4/5) – This is a cafe located in the Jardim do Principe Real. It’s a great spot for breakfast, as it’s basically a greenhouse cafe in a park. For a satisfying snack we suggest you order a tosta mista, which is sort of like a grilled cheese open-faced sandwich.
  - Manteigaria (5/5) – Across the street from Sea Me, this is one of the best pastry shops in downtown Lisbon. Stop in for an espresso and a custard tart, and watch the bakers move through the motions of making pestels de nata in mass quantities. Dessert and a show!
  - Cantinho Lusitano: (?/5) We haven’t been here but it’s always been on our list. We always seem to be in Lisbon when it’s closed or very busy. Try it out for classic Portuguese cuisine!
  - The Mill (4/5) – This is a wine bar/snack bar owned by a friend of ours (Madeline) and some friends. You can definitely get breakfast here.
  - ‘The Nuns’ Canteen’ (Associação Católica Internacional ao Serviço da Juventude Feminina – ACISJF) (3/5) – If you’re looking for a great view on a budget, this is the place for you. This Guardian article mentions a canteen/cafeteria run by nuns where one can grab a cheap lunch with a great view, and it’s exactly as great as it sounds. Enter through the doorway in an alley and head up to the third floor. You’ll find a well-priced traditional Portuguese lunch, while overlooking the Tagus River and the Chiado neighbourhood. Address: Travessa do Ferragial 1, +351 213 240 910
  - Tapas Bar 52 – We’ve only been here for drinks but it has been described by a very trusted source as one of the best restaurants in Lisbon. Located in the beautiful neighbourhood of Principe Real.
- Bar recommendations:
  - Casa Independente – we went here on our 2019 trip to Portugal, and right after we got back this neighbourhood was ranking by TimeOut as the world’s coolest neighbourhood. A very charming and cool arts and cultural centre that has a lovely bar tucked away upstairs. Lisbon is full of places that feel like a secret oasis and this is one of them. We went in the afternoon but it seemed like it would be quite the hoppin’ place at night. Definitely recommend!
  - Foxtrot – A secluded little bar with a really cool art nouveau design. Perfect for a late night drink in a dark corner.
  - Pavilhao Chines – this place is pretty bizarre. Drop in for a drink to check out all the knick knacks they’ve collected here. It’s pretty hilarious.
  - Pub Lisboeta – down the street from Pavilhao Chines. A cute and clean place that makes solid drinks at great prices. In a very popular and lovely area of Lisbon as well.
  - Kiosks – there are little kiosks on the streets all over Lisbon. Some have tables and chairs in a little patio area. All serve coffee and pastries, and these are definitely part of Portuguese “breakfast” culture. Most also serve alcohol, and many straight up serve sangria, cocktails, etc. These are Kevin’s 2 favourite kiosk spots:
    
    Largo do Carmo (beside a church, near the top of the elevator)
    
    Bambu (on Avenida Liberdade, the main boulevard in Lisbon)
  - Pensao Amor – A really cool bar with a burlesque theme. Very laid back with couches, etc. You can chill out and have a drink. Great cocktails. This is a fairly unique place, and there are many other late night spots nearby.
  - Clube de Fado – while in Lisbon you *definitely* want to go to a Fado bar. Fado is traditional Portuguese music, and it’s unlike anything else. This is the best place to go for a show. There’s actually a Moorish well in the corner of the performance room.
  - Be sure to visit a neighbourhood called Bairro Alte where you can climb the steps in the neighbourhood to explore the many small bars and clubs. You can grab a drink at one place and enjoy it as you continue to explore the rest of the street.
- Sites to see:
  - In the City of Lisbon:
    
    Walk around the city to explore the various squares
    
    Neighbourhoods you must see, in the downtown, include Chiado and Bairro Alte – these 2 neighbourhoods have great nightlife, with lots of bars, people in the streets, etc.
  - Just outside of the city:
    
    Jeronimos Monastery
    
    The monastery has a free-entry church you can visit. It’s all in the neighbourhood of Belem. Down the street, you can go to the original Belem pastry cafe, which is where Portuguese custard tarts were invented! There will be a huge line out front for counter service. Go inside and get table service, and the wait will be shorter. There is a massive seating area inside and the service is quick.
    
    Near the Jeronimos Monastery there are lots of other things to see along the waterfront. Give yourself 2-3 hours to walk along the waterfront and enjoy the view.
    
    Pasteis de Belem – the bakery that claims to have invented Portuguese custard tarts is located in this area. You can wait in line to buy pasteis at the counter or you can go into the large table seating area in the back where there’s table service.
    
    Oceanario de Lisboa – if you’re interested in science and/or wildlife, this is a great aquarium to visit. Well-curated, educational, and lots of fun.
  - You can read all about our Lisbon adventures here, here, here, and here.
Interior of Portugal, Northeast, East, and Southeast of Lisbon
- Pioadao
  - Our score: 5/5
  - A truly magical place, if you’re comfortable with driving on winding roads. If you’re into driving, then this trip is worth seeing it for the journey and the destination. Read about your trip right here.
  - Piodao isn’t exactly on the way to anywhere, which is certainly why it’s as special as it is. If you’re driving from Porto to Lisbon (approx. 3 hours) and don’t mind adding an additional 3 hours of driving to your trip, it is well worth it. The best route, in our opinion, is to drive southeast from Porto, to Piodao, and then on to Marvao.
  - Piodao is one of the most beautiful and unique places we’ve visited in Portugal. It is a harrowing drive to get to this romantic and stunning little town, which is likely why they were isolated and without electricity into the 1970s. The homes are made of a stone called xist, which looks similar to slate. The town sits in a valley, and there’s nothing quite like listening to the bells of a heard of goats echoing off the hilltops. Highly recommended for a unique adventure.
  - Our visit here was relatively brief. We don’t have any recommendations for food or hotel, but there is a significantly sized hotel in town and what looked like some cute restaurants.
- Tomar
  - Our score: 3/5
  - If you’re interested in history, particularly European medieval history and the Knights Templar, this is worth visiting. Now a small town of roughly 2000 people, Tomar was once a large and important trading centre that played a central role in some of the most notable periods in European history.
  - The town itself is lovely and quiet, with beautiful architecture. The site that you want to visit is the Convent of Christ, which is famous for being the last home of the Knights Templar in Portugal. With the expulsion of the Knights Templar, the convent evolved under the influence of various subsequent influential groups. It’s one of the better curated sites that we visited in Portugal, and you could easily spend 3+ hours here.
  - We were there for only one night. We stayed at a great Pensao, which is essentially a b&b with Portuguese hospitality (i.e. amazing spread for breakfast, 24/hour check-in). We ate a pretty good dinner at a medieval themed-restaurant, but there are a variety of food options in the city.
  - Also, there’s an aqueduct nearby
  - Tomar is about 90 minutes away from Lisbon, and you can easily visit it on the way to Porto. Tomar is about 2 hours south of Porto, and may be a good place to stop for a break on the way to Lisbon.
- Marvao
  - Our score: 5/5
  - Another magical place. Marvao is a medieval city on the Eastern border of Portugal, beside Spain. It is a walled city that sits on top of a hill that has been a natural frontier between peoples since the 4th century BCE.
  - If you’re looking for a unique stop on the way from Porto to the Eastern Algarve (or even Spain), this is it. We arrived at night, parked outside of the town and walked in through the walls. We had dinner and then walked around in fog and moonlight. It almost felt like time travelling; it was beautiful and eerie and romantic.
  - In the morning after breakfast we explored the Castle of Marvao as clouds of fog rolled across the Portuguese-Spanish border. You could imagine people experienced the exact same view 1000 years ago.
  - If you’re travelling from Porto to the Algarve but you don’t want to go through Lisbon, you can stop off in Marvao instead. The drive from Porto to Marvao would take around 3.5 hours.
  - You can read about our trip to Marvao here.
- Evora
  - Our score: 3/5
  - Evora is great if you’re into history and if you’re into food
  - This city has been continuously inhabited for more than 2000 years and thus is home to a wide variety of historical sites, including some ancient Roman ruins.
  - If food is your thing then you’ll want to stop in for lunch at an incredible lunch restaurant that only serves 9 people at a time. “Botequim da Mouraria” is run by a welcoming Portuguese couple. In their small restaurant, there’s bar seating only, which means that you’d best be there early to lineup for a seat, or aim to go on a weekday.
Getting from Lisbon to the Algarve – The Fast Route
- The fastest route to drive from Lisbon to the Algarve is via the A2, a toll highway that gets you from Point A to Point B in less than 2 hours. Still, after a flight and an hour of driving you’ll be ready for lunch. Before getting to the Algarve, we recommend you stop in a small Alentejo town called Ourique for lunch.
  - Restaurant Adega do Monte Velho
    
    Address: R. Batalha de Ourique 33, 7670-261 Ourique, Portugal
    
    This is another our favourite spots in Portugal. The Alentejo is famous for its ‘porc preto’ or ‘black pig’, which roam (relatively) freely and snack on hazelnuts, giving their meat a unique and delicious flavour. Order the porc preto with batatas fritas y saladas des tomates (black pig with fries and tomato salad). Food this good and this well-priced is the perfect way to start your trip to the Algarve.
Getting from Lisbon to the Algarve – The Scenic (Slow) Route
- We did this drive a few times. The best option is to map it out on Google Maps, but select the “avoid highways” option. This will get you on a rural highway that goes up the western Portuguese coast, in particular an amazing drive through the interior of the Algarve and into the Alentejo (a very provincial, farm filled region of Portugal). There are some really gorgeous sites and views to be had along here, along with an amazing seafood restaurant.
  - Stop for lunch at Restaurante Azenha do Mar
    
    Address: 7630-564 Azenha do Mar, Portugal
    
    This restaurant is one of our favourites in the Algarve
    
    Our best advice is to order the crab and the percebes (goose barnacles) if they have them.
    
    Get there in time for the lunch open at 12pm otherwise you’ll be waiting in line.
  - Read about our roadtrips here and here.
Places to Visit in the Algarve (Ordered from West to East)
- Sagres
  - Our score: 2/5
  - Sagres is a coastal town, and is the most south western point of the continental Europe. There is a fort there you can see, but there’s almost no educational information on site. The views from the coast are worth it, but if you’re keen to learn history, study up before you go (most Portuguese museums are low on information in this way)
  - Restaurant recommendation: A Sagres
    
    This places serves incredible fresh seafood dishes
    
    Order the special of the day…
    
    Good things we had here: Clams are a must, percebes (goose barnacles), a fish/shrimp stew with pasta, and of course, their grilled sea bream.
  - Read about our trip there.
- Carveoiro
  - Our score: 4/5
  - Faro is east of the centre of the Algarve. Alte is pretty much in the centre. As you go more west, towards Sagres, you’ll go through Carveoiro. It’s a gorgeous seaside town. I’ve only been there for dinner, but Kevin has been in the day and he says the beaches are beautiful.
- Silves (Northeast of Carveoiro)
  - Our score: 3/5
  - Silves was a majorly important site and city back when Portugal was under Moor-ish control, and after that time as well. Silves is a wonderful and historic town, and it boasts the Castle of Silves. Well worth seeing!
  - Castelo do Silves (the Castle of Silves) is a beautiful place to visit. The museum is fairly informative and the castle itself is open enough that you can explore as much of it as you’d like. Naturally, it also contains a cafe where you can enjoy the sunshine and a beer while sitting in a castle that’s over a thousand years old.
  - Read about our trip to the castle here.
- Alte
  - Our score: 5/5
  - Alte is a small town in the interior of the Algarve. Kevin’s grandparents are all from within 10km of here, and his grandmother currently lives there (this is where we stay when in Portugal). There is actually a hotel here, up in the hills, if you’re interested (Hotel d’Alte).
  - It’s famed as one of the most “traditional” or “typical” villages in the Algarve. In addition to being a really cute town, it also has a stream running through it, with public pools and spaces built in/along the stream that runs through the town. These are called the “Fonte Grande” and “Fonte Pecana”
  - Things to do:
    
    Walk around the town and take photos of the beautiful buildings and cobblestone streets
    
    Check out the churches, one of which is 500 years old
    
    Go to the Fonte Pecana and then walk from there to the Fonte Grande.
  - Places to eat:
    
    Agua Mel Cafe (4/5) They make the best pastries in town, and the best espresso. They make a pastry that is specific to Alte, called the “pastel d’Alte”. They also bake a lot of the pastries served at local restaurants. Along the back of the restaurant is a large balcony that offers stunning views of the valley.
    
    Fonte Nova Snack Bar (5/5) – This is our favourite place toOrder whatever is the special. Do not even open the menu. The food is insanely good and well priced. The owner is ‘Ze, and his son is Tiago. Both have known Kevin his whole life.
    
    Marreiros (5/5) – This restaurant is located just outside of Alte (37.276088, -8.228469). Carlos is the name of the owner his restaurant offers one of the best (and best value) meals in the Algarve. All meat and veggies are organic, bred by him. The food is so delicious and such a good deal. It’s a true local experience and a great showcase of the relationship between Portuguese cuisine and the Algarve landscape.
    
    Read our blog posts about Alte: here, here, here, and here.
- Central Algarve – Interior
  - Because Kevin and I stay with his grandmother in the central Algarve, we also eat and beach in this area. The interior of the Algarve is full of beautiful country roads and scenery and often roaming herds of farm animals. It’s also home to some truly excellent restaurants!
  - Places to eat:
    
    Restaurante Veneza (5/5) – This is one of our favourite restaurants in all of Portugal. The proprietors are wine dealers in addition to running an excellent restaurant. It’s completely unpretentious, and beautiful. You can eat in front dining room, or in the back in the ‘garafeira’ – Portuguese for ‘bottle storage room’. The food is best described as high end Portuguese comfort food. It’s warm, delicious, and thoroughly portioned, with many plates served family style. The wine selection is also unmatched. Their port wine collection is one of the best in Portugal.
    
    Ramires (5/5) – This is our go-to spot after a day at the beach, located in a little town called Guia. Ramires is essentially a bbq chicken food hall. Order the chicken piripiri, french fries, and tomato salad, along with a bottle of vinho verde (green wine). We promise you’ll be satisfied.
    
    Restaurante Antiquarios dos Leitoes (2/5) – If you’re in the area, this is a really good local, traditional restaurant, that serves BBQ pig. The food is delicious and the service is great. Similar to Ramires, the formula for ordering food here is: pork, french fries, salad.
    
    Pizzeria Casavostra (1/5) – We don’t recommend this place super strongly, but if you’re craving something more North American, and if you’re interested in seeing what upper middle class Portuguese people think is fancy to spend their money on, you could go here.
    
    Frutos do Mar (5/5): We went here with a local friend and loved it. It’s all traditional seafood cuisine, so if eating mariscos (shell fish) out of a pot doesn’t appeal to you, stay away. If you like shellfish you will love this place. Order the cataplana! It’s located in Quarteira which is known as the place where Portuguese people have apartments. It just happens to be a densely designed place with tons of apartment buildings, and a lovely beachside boardwalk, so it’s a common go-to for Portuguese people visiting from within Portugal or from abroad.
- Central Algarve – Beachside
  - The Algarve has one of the longest uninterrupted beaches in the world, so if you’re looking to beach in the Algarve then you have plenty of options. For the sake of convenience, Kevin and I visited beaches in the centre of the Algarve. Below are some of our favourite beaches and beachside bars:
  - Restaurante Pedras Amarelas – this was our go-to small beach. Their beachside bar is second to none for its easy laid back vibe.
    
    Address: Praia de Galé, 8200-428 Guia – Albufeira, Portugal
  - Praia Gale – this is a large beach beside the small beach at Pedras Amarelas (above). If you like long walks on the beach and spending time where the locals go, this is the beach for you.
  - Restaurante Evaristo – This beach is quite small and its restaurant is pricier than most. However, the restaurant offers great food and it sits right beside the ocean. This is a great place to visit if you want to watch a sunset while enjoying a glass of wine.
    
    Address: Praia do Evaristo, 8200-903 Albufeira, Portugal
  - Praia dos Pescadores in Albufeira – This is one of the most famous beaches in the Algarve. Albufeira is a popular party town for young British tourists, and the beach is always packed with tourists and locals alike. There are many bars and clubs in the Algarve, and after bars close there are often club events on the Albufeira beaches.
  - Praia Sao Raphael – This beach is tucked in behind a neighbourhood of expensive time share homes. It’s in a relatively small cove, and it’s one of my favourite beaches. The restaurant there makes unbelievably fresh and delicious seafood. Highly recommend! It’s also a great place to try paddle boarding.
  - Praia da Falesia: This beach is the most eastern of all our options. It’s famous for its beautiful red cliffs, and is another great beach for long walks and spending time with locals. This beach is near the towns of Vilamoura and Quarteria, which are where you’ll find many wealthy Portuguese tourists.
  - Quinta do Mel (5/5): This is near the Praia da Falesia and it is fairly different than other places on this list. It’s technically a hotel, but also includes a cafe/restaurant. The outdoor patio is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the surroundings. They make delightful cocktails, and you can also check out the garden where they grow their herbs. Highly recommend!
  - Restinga – This is a bit more west than our other recommendations. It’s a beautiful beachside restaurant in Alvor. The owners also own a nearby restaurant called A Lota that come highly recommended. Both are great spots for fresh seafood, good wine, and great service.
  - Vila Joya Sea – Vila Joya is a hotel near Praia de Galé that has a Michelin starred restaurant. Back in day, we used to go hiking along the beach cliffs just south of this hotel. Now, one of the lookout points from our hiking route is home to this small and beautiful restaurant, Vila Joya Sea. The cuisine focuses on fish and we ate some of the best sushi of our lives there. You will need a reservation to go. Try to be there around sunset when the views are best. Great wine, food, and cocktails.
- Loule (pronounced Low-lay)
  - Our score: 3/5
  - Loule is a regional city. It’s smaller than Faro, but bigger than most other towns in the Algarve. The downtown is full of beautiful old buildings, the most notable of which is the Market. It’s worth a visit for a few hours of shopping. Read this blog post to learn more about Loule.
  - Restaurant option: Avenida Velha (2/5) – This traditional Portuguese restaurant is quite very old, and run by an older couple. It’s not always open, but head upstairs to check it out, and eat there if it is!
- Faro
  - Faro is the capital city in the Algarve, and it’s a great place to explore, with lots to see. If shopping is your thing, this is where you’ll find the biggest shopping centres, but we recommend you head to the downtown core beside the sea.
  - Places to eat/drink:
    
    Columbus Wine & Cocktail Bar (2/5) – a great bar on the waterfront in Faro
    
    Papparazzi (2/5) – Italian food, which isn’t really what you want when in Faro, but if you’re craving it, this place is pretty good. Very good prices for lunch.
- Palacio do Estoi
  - Our score: 2/5
  - This palace is located in the town of Estoi, up in the hills North of Faro. It’s an old private palace that is now a boutique hotel.
  - As a tourist can walk around to explore their open rooms and gardens, and then have lunch on their patio. The view goes all the way to the ocean, and it’s a the perfect romantic spot to order a bottle of vinho verde (green wine) on the patio and enjoy the sunshine. Read about our time there in this blog post.
- Olhao
  - Olhao is a fishing town along the coast in the Algarve, just East of Faro. It’s well known for it’s fresh fish, which is the primary reason we would recommend visiting there. If great seafood is your thing, then you should visit Olhao.
  - Places to eat:
    
    Restaurante Casa De Pasto Algarve (5/5) – This is one of the most famous restaurants in Olhao, in addition to being one of the oldest. If you go, order the ‘skate’ and the razor clams. They are not for everyone, but if you like experimenting with new foods, give it a try! As it’s a more traditional family run restaurant, expect service to be slow.
    
    Address: Praça Patrão Joaquim Lopes 18, Portugal
    
    Tapas e Lendas (3/5) – This restaurant is geared at younger people, and takes a modern/fusion approach to making Portuguese “Petiscos” (like tapas but bigger portions). When we were there they also had some kind of cauldron-related dinner theatre.
May 13, 2018
In Honour of the Mitsubishi

The somewhat unnamed guest (or host, rather) on all of our Portugal adventures was the purple and silver Mitsubishi, the pick-up truck of Kevin’s late grandfather, Avô Eugenio.

This mammoth of a truck represents countless memories for Kevin and his brother, who spent their summers in the Algarve with their grandparents.

Until recently, Avo Maria kept the Mitsubishi in her garage, where it took up approximately 95% of available space. I’ve never seen a truck-to-garage ratio like it, and I was impressed both times I watched Kevin park it back in there.

During our time in Portugal, we also made our fair share of memories in this truck. A thoroughly Algarvieu vehicle, we’re not sure it had even seen rain until we road-tripped north of Lisbon with my brother, Tyler.

It was the driver of many interesting off road adventures, allowing us to explore and appreciate the Algarve in all of its glory. It took us across the Algarve, and north into Lisbon several times. Its rear gearing wasn’t exactly highway tolerable, so we always took the slower country roads all through the Alentejo. Thanks to the truck, we know an outrageous amount of back roads and countryside routes.

Through most of our time in Portugal, Kevin drove me everywhere in the Mitsubishi – roadtrips, dinners, beach days, and more. When Kevin’s best friend Mark came to visit, I actually learned to drive a manual transmission so that I could chauffeur the two of them to and from the Algarve night life.

My adventures with Kevin and Mark popularized the phrase “give it the beans” in my life, and also resulted in one of the funniest events I ever witnessed in the Algarve: Kevin and Mark soaking wet eating and drinking out of the back of the Mitsubishi as Albufeira morning traffic began. After a night at a Kiss Night Club foam party, we couldn’t go home without snacks. So I parked the Mitsubishi (a foot away from the curb) and they turned the back of the truck into a dining room. I’ve never seen two people laugh so hard in my life.

This amazingly pristine vehicle, a 1999 Mitsubishi pick-up truck, was recently sold to a British expat. And so ends our adventures with the wonderful purple and silver Mitsubishi. Pretty sad, actually, but we’re both carrying a ton of memories forward.

Photos below of our adventures in the truck:

hey buddy!

look at them, just chilling out!

we saw some goats running across the road!

Then we drove there, and Kevin sniped this wicked parking spot directly in front of the entrance

chilling beside the truck… let’s gooooooo

siblings at a non-existent archeological monument

Kevin’s truck enjoying the ride (I’m inside the truck at this point)

August 23, 2017
#tbt: Spring time in the Algarve

April in Canada is the time when mother nature teases us all. Releasing sunshine and flowers, just in time to snow all over it one last time.

Nonetheless, spring is upon us, which means that it’s the season for adorable baby animals, the return of flowers, and much more.

This time last year, Kevin and I were in Alte, living with his grandmother in southern Portugal. With the weather being decidedly less chilly, the spring seasons feels much more played out. That is to say, there’s no temporary pause, and the warm months go on for quite a while. If you’re paying attention, you can easily see the springtime cycles of life emerging. Particularly in the rural Algarve, this is especially true.

We saw a mama duck sitting on her eggs, and just a few weeks later we saw her baby ducks beside the river. A month later, many of those babies hadn’t survived, but we all knew who the new teenager ducks were, and we were so happy to see the swimming around and thriving.

When the neighbour’s cat had kittens (this was a big theme in the Algarve – we met a lot of people whose neighbour’s cat had kittens last spring), Kevin and I would sneak food outside for them. The would sit on the neighbours shed and “mew, mew, mew” in the saddest way possible, and then we’d sneak out and toss them our leftover bones & scraps from dinner.

Down the street, there was a neighbour who had a horse. It was fairly routine to see him riding around on the horse instead of using a car. It was also fairly routine for the horse to be housed in all different yards and fields in and around Alte. Two of those locations were a quick walk down the street (basically in someone’s backyard). One day while walking, we noticed there was a baby horse hiding behind the mother. Over the proceeding weeks and months, we saw the baby become bigger and more independent. On one particularly memorable day we saw the baby walk right up to us:

If you follow Kevin and I on Instagram, then you might already know about our baby “javali” – Portuguese for wild boar. My friend Christina and I had gone for a run. Attracted by the sound of our voices, a baby javali wandered out of an orange grove and followed us.

After a while, we managed to get him to wander off on his own, and we ran home to tell Kevin about what we saw. He agreed that it would be good to help the isolated little guy, so we drove out to the hills and picked him up.

Kevin’s grandmother was not impressed. Javali are famously destructive. They’ll eat anything and everything, and she was concerned about her flower beds. Our little javali had to stay in the garage.

Within 24 hours, it was pretty clear that he was sick. Within 36 hours, it was pretty clear that he was going to die. A family friend who raises javali came to pick him up, but even his nursing wasn’t enough. Not such a happy ending to that springtime adventure, but part of the season of growth and change nonetheless.

Now that we’re in Canada, we’re keeping our eyes open for springtime growth and life. With a shorter warm season, we’ll be missing the variety of activity we saw in the Algarve, but we’re getting into birding and hiking, so time will tell how many baby creatures we’ll get to see this year.

April 7, 2016
#tbt: Summer of 2015 and learning how to ‘beach’
Going to the beach is a sport in the Algarve. In the Algarve, people stay in between January and April, as it’s cold, most things are closed, and seasonal employees are out of work.

Come late April, early May, the Algarvieu (Algarvians) come out to play. And that means hitting up the beach with a level of deep seriousness.

To say the weather here is perfect is a complete understatement. As the spring and summer progress, and the weather gets hotter, you see the entire landscape becoming busy. More traffic, more people, more restaurants, and more sun!

Growing up, I’d only been to the beach a handful of times. The Page kids were not into beach life; no sand in our toes, no seaweed on our feet, no sunburns on our skin, thank you very much.

The Silva kids were the complete opposite. Spending most summers in the Algarve, with all their local friends in Alte, Kevin and his brother were total beach kids who spent many, many hours playing on the beach, swimming in the ocean, enjoying the sun.

I had a lot to learn, but luckily for me I was learning how to “beach” with the help of an expert.

In June, and July, we went to the beach almost everyday. And there were A LOT of beaches to choose from. Beautiful white sand beaches with crystal-blue water aren’t just for the Carribbean, people! Algarve beaches are famously beautiful, and we were spoiled enough to have multiple amazing beaches within just a 20 minute drive. In doing a bit of pre-writing research, I realized that some of the most “well reviewed” beaches are places we never went to, but it’s hard to justify driving an hour to a perfect beach when you have 6 almost-perfect beaches to choose from in your backyard!

So, how does one beach?

There are only a few things required:
- water, and lots of it. My beach bag contained at least 8 water bottles at all times.
- towels, 1.5 per person. I always had 3 towels for Kevin and I, so we could lay them out in a way that would keep ourselves and the towels sand-free
- hats. With the Algarve sun, a hat is essential
- euros – there’s a restaurant/bar at almost every beach, and the best way to end your day is with a bottle of wine at sunset (bars with a good wine selection are preferred).
- paddle-ball equipment – surprisingly fun, and good exercise
- tanning oil (for Kevin and all our Portuguese friends)
- immense amounts of sunscreen for me (I also had a pre-departure routine that included sunscreening my entire body, head toe)
- tanning technique – not as easy as one might think. You need to keep regular movement throughout the day to get an even tan all over your body. And pay attention to the sun, so you can angle yourself appropriately. Whether standing or laying down, you need to tack with the movement of the sun in order to get maximum rays.
- sunglasses. duh.
- e-readers. essential activity when you’re growing that tan on the sand
- beer in a cooler – not required every time, but you need both together whenever required.
- Google Maps – a required assistant when scanning the coast in search of a hidden beach!
It’s hard to get a proper list of the beaches we went to, because all our friends referred to the beaches based on local history and/or the name of the restaurant at the beach. And some of the beaches were “hidden”, aka only limited walking access, which means the only way you can find them is by carefully scanning Google Maps’ Satellite View. In any case, we did take a lot photos, which you can peruse below!
January 14, 2016
#tbt – My friend Anne came to visit us in Portugal!

One of the loveliest benefits of spending time in Portugal was the proximity to some of my fellow Canadian friends. One such friend, Anne, was working in London for the first half of 2015. Before she headed back to Canada, she took a quick jaunt to Alte, where we spent a few days enjoying the sunshine.

Between her travels and my travels, Anne and I don’t get to see each other too often. And yet, we’ve been friends since we were 11, and that means that when do get together, it’s like we were never apart. I was acutely reminded of this when she came to visit us in Portugal. With Kevin laid up in bed, suffering through his recent implants surgery, Anne and I had plenty of time to explore Alte together. Activities included long walks, sitting in the sun, and drinking espressos, going for a trail run, and talking constantly.

Despite being in pain and needing rest, Kevin was also generous enough to drive us for a wonderful sunset/dinner combination. Kevin is an outstanding host, who puts quite a bit of thought into showing guests the very best of the Algarve, so we were lucky that he got out of bed to entertain us. The next day we spent laying out on the beach with several of our Portuguese friends, which is a classic Algarve experience. In retrospect, it was asking way too much of Kevin to take us around like this. Never have I regretted so much my inability to drive standard/manual.

In any case, Anne’s visit was a lot of fun. With Kevin’s injuries/dental work, our time in Portugal was a bizarre combination of amazing and stressful. It was so relaxing for me to have one of my oldest friends check in help me review all the things that were on my mind. Moral of the story? Never underestimate the the goodness your friends can bring to your own mental health. With this experience in mind, I was so stoked when Kevin’s best friend Mark came to visit a couple of months later – and for that, I actually did learn to drive standard. There’ll be much more on that adventure soon 🙂

Anne and I were having too much fun to take many photos, but I’ve snagged a few of Anne’s from Facebook, which you can see below:

Checking out the view of Alte, from above

Enjoying breakfast in the sunshine, in Avo Olimpia’s backyard

Getting water at the spring in Alte

Hanging out by the stream in Alte

Going for a trail run!

Heading up the hill…

December 10, 2015
Visiting Sagres

Throughout the duration of Tyler’s trip to Portugal, I was incredibly ill. I slept most of the time and felt terribly shivery and gross for most of the time that I wasn’t sleeping. As a result, I didn’t get out for too many excursions, and Tyler’s blog posts have covered the majority of his second week with us in Portugal, where we relaxed in the Algarve.

There was one trip for which I did manage to drag myself out of bed: a day trip to the Fort at Sagres.

Sagres is the most south-west point of Portugal, with a large landmass that juts out into the ocean. The Fort of Sagres occupies this space, a place connected to Portugal’s history of exploration. The Fort may or may not have been connected to the work for Portuguese Prince Henry the Navigator:

It is traditionally suggested that Henry gathered at his villa on the Sagres peninsula a school of navigators and map-makers. However modern historians hold this to be a misconception. He did employ some cartographers to chart the coast of Mauritania after the voyages he sent there, but there was no center of navigation science or observatory in the modern sense of the word, nor was there an organized navigational center.^[7]

Referring to Sagres, sixteenth century Portuguese mathematician and cosmographer, Pedro Nunes, remarked, “”from it our sailors went out well taught and provided with instruments and rules which all map makers and navigators should know.”^[8]

The view that Henry’s court rapidly grew into the technological base for exploration, with a naval arsenal and an observatory, etc., although repeated in popular culture, has never been established.^[9]^[10]^[11] Henry did possess geographical curiosity, and employed cartographers. Jehuda Cresques, a noted cartographer, has been said to have accepted an invitation to come to Portugal to make maps for the infante. This last incident probably accounts for the legend of the School of Sagres, which is now discredited. (Wikipedia)

The location was stunning. Walking along the cliffs, watching birds fly above the waves, and looking back at the rather flat, open space of the fort, it was a beautiful scene. As far as museums go, it was fairly unimpressive. Very little information was offered about what we were looking at, though Wikipedia has suggested that the Fort’s importance is up for debate, which may explain the lack of concrete information at the site.

In either case, it was a lovely day, made even better by a really fantastic seafood lunch. We dined at A Sagres, the closest restaurant to the Fort. While those around us were eating spaghetti and other such nonsense, we requested the daily specials, and were treated to an amazing seafood stew and freshly caught fish.

On the way home we took a scenic route along the coast. We stopped at a beautiful beach, and took a detour for a supposed ‘archaeological site of interest’ that was actually just a field.

Check out our photos to enjoy the view:

but first, we lunch. Clams to start!

seafod stew!

sea bream!

deliciously fresh fish

taking in the scene

walking on a nearby beach as part of our scenic route home

this was supposed to be a “point of interest”

so we made it interesting!

October 11, 2015
Road Trip Day 3: Evora & Illness & the Algarve

After waking up in Marvao and spending our morning exploring, we set off to Evora. Of course, Tyler rolled his ankle on those beautiful cobblestone streets the night before, and I woke up feeling the beginning of a fever. Still, we had 2 more stops on our road trip, beginning with the city of Evora, followed by the nearby Monsaraz, then the city of Beja. By the time we had lunch, Kevin realized his couple of Pages were too ill, and he promptly drove us the last 3 hours home to the Algarve.

Before our trip was cut short, we did get to explore Evora. We also had an incredible lunch at a restaurant that only serves 9 people at a time. “Botequim da Mouraria” is run by a welcoming Portuguese couple. In their small restaurant, there’s bar seating only, which means that we were incredibly lucky to arrive in time for lunch and find 3 empty chairs waiting for us. The service and the food were excellent. This was one of those places Kevin had found in the course of his detailed research, and it was very much worth the hype.

After lunch, we explored Evora and its incredible history. A very old city, Evora still has Roman ruins and an incredible variety of historic architecture. On all our other stops, I read aloud to the guys various historical fun facts. Being sick in Evora meant that I didn’t really do this, and so we learned a bit less there than everywhere else. The city is more than 2000 years old, and was occupied by the Celts and the Moors before becoming the #2 city in Portugal for a time, becoming the site of much lavish spending on the behalf of Portuguese rulers.

Here are a couple of other fun facts about Evora:

Évora has a history dating back more than two millennia.

It was known as Ebora by the Celts, a tribal confederacy, south of the Lusitanians (and of Tagus river), who made the town their regional capital.

The etymological origin of the name Ebora is from the ancient Celtic word ebora/ebura, plural genitive of the word eburos (yew), name of a species of tree, so its name means “of yew tree.” The city of York, in northern England, at the time of the Roman Empire, was called Eboracum/Eburacum, named after the ancient Celtic place name Ebora Kon (Place of Yew Trees), so the old name of York is etymologically related to the city of Évora.^[6]

(Wikipedia)

Évora is also remarkable for reasons other than its monumental heritage related to significant historic events. The 16th century was a time of major urban planning and great intellectual and religious influence. While Évora also has many noteworthy 16th-century patrician houses (Cordovil house, the house of Garcia de Resende), the unique quality of the city arises from the coherence of the minor architecture of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. This unity finds its overall expression in the form of numerous low whitewashed houses, decorated with Dutch tiles and wrought-iron balconies and covered with tile roofs or terraces which line narrow streets of medieval configuration and which in other areas bears witness to the concentric growth of the town until the 17th century. It also served to strengthen the fundamental unity of a type of architecture that is perfectly adapted to the climate and the location.

Évora remained mainly undamaged by the great earthquake of 1755 that destroyed many towns in Portugal, including Lisbon. The monuments of the Historic Centre of Évora bear witness to their profound influence on Portuguese architecture in Brazil.

(UNESCO)

In retrospect, while we recognized how beautiful Evora was, I was a bit too sick to recognize and appreciate the signs of its long storied history. It was also clearly packed with tourists from all of the world, which became a bit of a distraction itself. All the same, we managed to take a few photos. Enjoy!

our amazing lunch!

tourists taking photos of local students on a field trip

being holy

standing near some incredibly Manueline architecture

drinking in front of the Temple of Diana

siblings & roman ruins, no big deal

can you tell we’re both all messed up?

October 5, 2015
Road Trip Days 2 & 3: Visiting Marvao

Ok, so the last few posts have detailed some fairly magical sights. But to be honest, there’s more to come here. This trip was pretty surreal, and we saw many memorable places.

The driving on the trip may also have been a bit much, but in this case it turned out to be worth it. After driving 2.5 hours to Piodao, we spent a couple of hours exploring this small yet remarkable village. And then we got back in the truck and Kevin drove us another 3 hours to Marvao, a city on a hill right on the border of Portugal and Spain. About an hour into this trip, I was really questioning this decision, but when we drove up to this walled-city on a foggy night, all doubts were forgotten.

Here’s what you need to know about Marvao (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Commanding spectacular views across the Tagus basin (the same river to connects Lisbon to the Atlantic) and Serra de Estrela (highest point in Portugal) to the north, the fortified rock of Marvão has been a site of significant strategic importance since the earliest human settlements. Today lying on the ‘raia’ that divides Portugal and Spain, Marvão has consistently stood on a frontier zone between peoples: Celtici, Vettones and Lusitani (4th-2nd century BCE); Lusitanians and the Romans ofHispania Ulterior (2nd-1st century BCE); migratory Suevi, Alans, Vandals and Visigoths (5th-7th century CE); conquering moors and Visigoths (8th century); muwallad rebels and the Cordoban emirate (9th-10th century); Portuguese nation-builders and Moors (12th-13th century); Templars and Hospitallers (12th-14th century); Portuguese and Castilians (12th century-present day); Liberals and Absolutists (19th century); the fascist regimes of Salazar and Franco (20th century).

Marvão’s natural assets have contributed to the ‘uniqueness’ of this remote village as perceived by visitors today: (i) as nigh-impregnable ‘eagle’s nest’ fortress – perched high on a granite crag, and bordered on the south and west by the Sever river; (ii) as vital lookout-point towards the Alcántara Bridge (70 km (43 mi) away), a wide stretch of the Tagus basin and the Serra de Estrela; (iii) as a gateway to Portugal from Spain via the Porta da Espada (‘Sword Gate’) mountain pass of the Serra de São Mamede. These assets have ensured its status as the ‘Mui Nobre e Sempre Leal Vila de Marvão’ (Very Noble and Ever-Loyal Town) into the present day.

As with other 11th-13th-century castles, the early medieval improvements and development of Marvão castle reflect the innovations brought back by crusading orders from the near east (notably the highly influential Hospitaller castle in Syria, the Krak des Chevaliers). The medieval castle seen in Marvão today mostly post-dates the year 1299, and features numerous characteristic features of a crusader-era castle: a tall central keep with raised entrance on the first floor; a series of lower, outlying turrets (some semi-circular); high-placed arrow-slits; open spaces to aid the sheltering and assembly of villagers and troops; a well, and huge rain-collecting cistern to supply water to both keep and the wider castle in the event of siege; bent entrances (both on the village and castle gates) to slow down invaders in the event of breached gates; a series of narrow killing zones (notably, in the triple gate on the village-side of the castle); extensive crenellated battlements and curtain walls that enhanced the natural defences provided by the escarpments of Marvão’s rock.^[22]

That’s only a smattering of interesting information about Marvao, as this place is filled with historical significance. When we arrived at night fog filled the town, we had to park the truck just outside of the gates in order to walk to our hotel (we stayed and ate at the the Casa do Alentejo, where we were welcomed with the traditional and impressive Alentejo hospitality). With the characteristic preservation of the buildings’ historical style, it felt like we were walking back in time. After a lengthy dinner, we got some sleep, then woke up early for breakfast and further touring. We explored all through the town and the castle, and were constantly in awe of the view and the spirit of the region. Similar to Sintra, looking across the hills you could easily imagine what it was like to look across that view 1000 years ago. A very cool feeling that won’t soon be forgotten.

Check out our photos below!

Surprisingly, this is the only photo I have of Marvao at night!

October 1, 2015
Roadtrip Day 2: Piodao

When I say that Kevin researched and planned our road trip with Tyler, I don’t mean that lightly. As soon as Tyler booked his tickets to visit, the research began. And not just some simple google searches of ‘best sights in Portugal’. If Kevin has ever helped you with anything, you know that his research-style is all-in and he stops at nothing to get the best possible outcome. Nothing exemplifies this more than our stop off in Piodao.

A few weeks before the trip, Kevin showed me a photo of a place that looked amazing, and told me that it was a must-do stop. When I convinced him to shorten the road trip from 6 days to 3, Piodao was one of those places that was a must-see, not to be compromised. And he was so, so right.

After our morning at the Knights Templar’s Convent of Christ in Tomar, we got back into the truck and embarked on what I can honestly say is the wildest, most breathtaking and most nerve-racking road trip of my life. Before I get into too many road trip details, let’s talk about why Piodao is special and worth seeing.

Piodao, known as the “nativity village” is a small collection of stone buildings, tucked into a mountain side. Unlike most of the places we’ve visited on this trip, Piodao, due to its remote geographic location, was almost entirely disconnected from Portuguese history. How disconnected? This village didn’t have electricity until the 1970s. This geographic isolation is what makes Piodao so unique – because they were limited to local resources, which is reflected in the architecture of the town itself, their traditions were well-preserved over the years, due to a lack of outside influences. Entering Piodao, picturesquely placed in between 2 hills in a mountain range, feels like entering a fairy tale. As you stand on the hillside, you can even hear the echo of jingling bells from the goat herds. My only regret of this entire trip is that we didn’t stay longer.

Now, about that road trip. It was long and a bit harrowing. And as the trip went on, we felt increasingly alone. There were long stretches (on this 2.5 hour drive) without seeing other people and cars, though we did see a herd of goats crossing the road. We climbed up into the mountaintops, driving along winding roads, on the edge of cliffs, surrounded by clouds. I was both in awe of the view and in awe of Kevin’s patience & composure while navigating these roads. There’s absolutely no way that a bus could have made this journey.

Visiting Piodao was a truly surreal and magical experience. I recommend it very much. And beyond being beautiful, the town itself offers great food and friendly people. Check out our many photos below!

we saw some goats running across the road!

look at them, just chilling out!

hey buddy!

a river

and a dam!

climbing up into the moutains

climbing higher…

… and higher

… higher till we’re in the clouds

soon we’re descending

and as we come around the corner, we get our first glimpse of Piodao

we get to to take a break

and from where Kevin stands, you can see the town

When we entered the town, we first saw the church

We also took a little hike up the hill to get a great view of the town and its surrounding valley

you can hear little goats’ bells jingling & echoing all around you here

After staring in awe at the town from above, we embarked on a trek up and down and across all the little roads to see the homes.

Piodao is now a protected heritage site, so the doors, etc must all continue to be painted blue.

even in a town this small, there are 2 churches

stopped for coffee, and then we headed out!

September 30, 2015
Roadtrip Day 2: An Aqueduct “just around the corner”

While we were visiting the Convent of Christ in Tomar, the map of the site said that there was an aqueduct attached. Tyler was pretty excited about this, never having seen a real aqueduct. Kevin and I had seen some in Lisbon, but agreed that it was pretty cool.

While Tyler and I searched for the aqueduct ruins (which we found outside, attached to the Castle of Tomar), Kevin searched on Google. When we were done at the Castle/Convent, Kevin said he had one more stop he wanted to make. He handed me the phone with a seemingly random spot marked on the map nearby. He told me what we were up to but hadn’t said anything yet to Tyler.

5 minutes of driving later, we came to the Pegoes Aqueduct, to which the aqueduct ruins at the castle were attached.

But rather than just a couple of arches, what we saw was a full aqueduct crossing a valley. And the best part? It was open and also empty! From where we parked, we walked just a few steps to climb up onto the aqueduct through an old water inspection station. In the silent countryside, we walked along an ancient aqueduct, just the 3 of us.

A quick little surprise, and one of the highlights of our trip. Enjoy the photos below!

September 21, 2015