Perfect peace on the very edge of Europe
Anne Kennedy samples the unspoilt, low-key charms of the Algarve’s hidden coast
After a few years of addiction to Latin American music on the Costa del Sol, myself and my best friend, with whom I usually travel, decided to break the holiday habit of some years and instead headed as far west as we could go on the Iberian peninsula – the Lagos area in western Algarve, Portugal.
We were blessed to arrive when there was a rare 30 degrees of brilliant October sunshine, but like anything, the very best pleasures in life have to be earned with effort; they don’t fall into your lap.
And so it was – the one and only hiccup in a dreamy Portuguese weekend involved having to complain about the sun of all things, when Carrentals/ drive4less forced us to stand queuing in the blazing sunshine for more than an hour to pick up our car, and another half hour queue at drop-off (with a €94 sting in the tail for ‘excess mileage’).
But the car was a godsend and absolutely vital for a trip to this part of the world. It was also the source of some hilarity when we got to our destination just outside Lagos. Following the sign for our hotel, Quinta Bonita, our challenge appeared: we were confronted by a small, cobbled hill with a seriously daunting gradient. On the third attempt, our rented Citroen made it up and over the hump and drew to a halt outside tall, secure gates beautifully hidden away from the outside world.
Inside was a secluded, cobbled courtyard in front of a rather fine two-storey house gleaming white, with windows outlined in sky-blue in the Portuguese tradition (to ward off evil spirits). We were greeted by smiling, courteous staff and invited into an elegant, spacious sitting room, all soft blue, cream and gold. Amid much introducing and chatting, we were treated to a very welcome cool drink. It felt like arriving at the lovely home of old friends.
Up the cream marble staircase, the bedroom and bathroom are spacious and modern and fitted out to a very high standard. We got the ‘gin and tonic’ terrace – our private terrace which gets the evening sun.
Chantelle, who with her partner Fraser owns the hotel, told us that it used to be her family’s holiday home, and the personal touches shone through. She invited us to take a stroll in the 2.5 acres of exotic, mature gar- dens. It’s a gardener’s delight, filled with plants brought from all her the world by her parents. Around the swimming pool area there are trees laden with fruit, including a 400-year-old olive tree. And, best of all, there is a charming, walled Italian garden. And everywhere little fountains; there is a constant soothing sound of water.
Next morning after a truly heavenly breakfast we set off for the little town of Sagres, which has an enormous fort and a lighthouse perched high above the Atlantic, and on to what’s billed as the western-most point on the continent of Europe, Cape St Vincent. We then headed north on to a very driveable dirt road and into a vast coastal area which is designated a national park and, oh joy. It is spectacularly beautiful, with no hotels or high-rise buildings.
A few miles along on the Costa Vicentina, we found Amado. Below us was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. And, just yards away, on a clifftop overlooking the fishing boats below, is a rustic Portuguese restaurant, Sitio do Forno, where we had a lunch of superb tiger prawns.
Continuing north there is an even bigger, glorious beach at Bordeira. This is a popular surfing area and, in addition to the big rolling Atlantic waves, it can be a bit windy. But not when we were there. The surfers told me that most come here in the summer, but the best surfing is in winter. Then it was back to beautiful Quinta Bonita for afternoon tea. After a lazy afternoon by the pool, we headed to Lagos in search of some fado music and dinner. Be warned, you’ll need to book for fado evenings before you arrive in Portugal. Next day we visit a sheltered little hamlet called Caldas de Monchique, a haunting little place, all huge, bending trees, thermal springs, quiet, cool and calm. It has a spiritual, otherworldly atmosphere. I almost don’t want to tell anyone about it; I would love it be a precious little secret.
And that was what we took away – the break from the Costa del Sol gave us an experience to treasure.