Only for the Brave. Follow our suggested drive through the wild west. Be blown away by the Monchique Mountains and by the Surfer's paradise.Extreme adventure... Sagres, once considered the end of the world is coming into it's own again with there building of the fort at Cape St Vincent , well worth exploring. It has one of the largest commercial fishing harbours and some boats that take day trippers. You can drive in a circle from Portimo (for example), to Casais, Caldas de Monchique, Monchique,Then head cross country to Aljezur, Check out some of the nearby beaches then on to Sagres and Cape St Vincent and back through Burgau, Praia da Luz and Lagos and return to Portimao. You can make this trip shorter by cutting off Burgau and Luz Bay, and Lagos. Start in Portimao and head north to Caldas de Monchique. It is a unique mountain spa & the source of the Monchique bottled water. Enjoy the lovely central square & walk back to the source of the waters. There are huge picnic tables made from giant slabs of rock. From Caldas head to Casais (where there is mining of the special granite used in building, kitchen table counters etc), then on to Monchique, an interestingmountain town.From Monchique head cross country to Aljeciers then on as described above. Sagres,once considered the end of the world is well worth exploring. It has a commercial fishing harbour and some boats that take day trippers. Remote west coast beaches, each with individual character are waiting to be explored. Some very busy surfing beaches include Amado, Carrapateira, and Bordeira.
Cape St. Vincent
The Cape is the western most tip of Europe. From the gigantic cliffs you can watch the fishermen try their luck and imagine the boats that once left from here to discover the new world. It was here at Cape St. Vincent that Sir Henry The Navigator established his Navigation School to train the sailors that eventually discovered the new world. The old fort is open to visitors throughout the year.There is an entry charge of about 3. If you still have the energy, shopping in& Burgau Praia da Luz or Lagos, on your return gives you the opportunity to spend the rest of your money!
Back to Portimão
With stop-offs for lunch and coffee this a a wonderful way to see the countryside. Highlights: Country town of Monchique, Aljezur (mountain town)west coast beaches, a fine sandy beach of Praia da Luz. The village of Burgau, once a tiny fishing village, has a fantastic beach bar' Burgau Beach Bar', closed two months in the winter, but the village is still worth seeing and driving the hill down to the ocean. This trip will let you see the real Algarve and could well be the best day of your holiday.
