There were a whole bunch of southern coastal spots I wanted to hit that would have been very time-consuming or impossible to reach by public transport, so I decided to rent a car for a little adventure. Less than $20 plus gas got me this cute little Fiat convertible for the day. So fun zipping around in this!
My first stop was the adorable, chill town of Luz...
...and its impressive beach.
From there on to Sagres and its coastal fort of a grandeur I was not expecting!
Once you get beyond the facade, it's way less impressive on the water side, but it was still fun and interesting to watch the local fishermen perched precariously on the cliff's edge with VERY long fishing lines...
...and the surfers bobbing in the waves below.
Then I drove across the bay to the point pictured above, which is actually Cabo de São Vicente, the southwesterly-most point of continental Europe. The view standing at that point was equally grand.
Looking up the coast to the north, it was clear it was going to be just as pretty as I headed in that direction.
So on I went to Aljezur, with its own gorgeous beach...
...and the sweet town set a couple miles inland. Definitely creepy of me to have taken this picture, but look at that meat holding contraption on their table! Very curious.
The landscape in this part of the country feels unique to me, or at least I'm having a hard time placing it in comparison with other areas of the world. I drove past groves of eucalyptus, rolling hills emptying into the ocean, flat valleys of seaweed and oyster farms, tiny hamlets of white-washed houses, a Dutch-looking windmill (?!?) ... all very enchanting, almost other worldly.
My final stop was all the way up at Vila Nova de Milfontes, a town I will definitely put on my list to spend some time in "next time." But by then the sun was getting low and it was time to turn back to Lagos.
Let's consider it a scouting mission.
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