The Pousadas of Portugal...
I have always wanted to visit the Algarve region along the southern coast of Portugal. I
had read about it, and purchased a nice original painting of a door from an artist who
visited there. I love doorss! I finally was able to cross it off my bucket list when my
husband and I visited there a few years ago. We actually won this trip. It was a promotion by the Portugal Tourism and a winery in Ontario. They were bringing more awareness to the many lovely old buildings that had been converted into up to date resorts with all the modern amenities known as "Pousadas". We had a car and travelled through the Algarve region which took us through the hilly countryside, sometimes very remote, from the eastern coast of Tavira to the western coast of "Lands End" in Sagra and then back to Faro.
I loved taking photos of the architecture; some of it grand and then in the tiny villages
along the way, very rustic. Our first Stop was a 16th century Convent that had been
restored and offered fantastic accommodations. It was somewhat difficult to find this place as the description was that it was a large building on a hill..... there are many large buildings and hills but we finally arrived. It was definitely worth the drive.
Convento da Graca, Tavira, Portugal - originally an old monastery
As soon as we arrived we took a dip in the pool
Inside, some of the beautiful architecture
An outdoor area in the centre of the building where you could almost imagine the monks chanting. A very relaxing spot for a morning coffee.
A comfy bed up in the hills overlooking the town below
The view from our window
The way down to the pool
Our 3rd Stop took us to a small village -
Santa Clara Odemira
A view of the lovely pool
A view of the ocean from the patio of the Pousada
A view of Lands End
Entrance
to Fortaleza do Beliche
at Cabo de
Sao Vicente, Lands End
Some of the sitting areas in this Pousada
After our time in the 4 Pousadas that we had selected, we spent several days at our final destination a lovely resort - Pestana Delfim, Portimao. There was a nice village where we found some fantastic shopping and restaurants. I was in real need for some Retail Therapy after all this culture and definitely found it here. The restaurants were filled with locals and so incredibly friendly. Most of the tourists were dining in the resort on the all inclusive meal plan but we wanted to try the local establishments and we were not disappointed. Such friendly & welcoming people. I am not a Port drinker but I had the opportunity of tasting some that was made locally for one of the restaurants we dined in and actually enjoyed it very much. We purchased some from the restaurant to bring home for future enjoyment.
The beautiful waterfront in Lagos.
We took some shorter day trips between Portimao and Sagras to check out scenery, local flora and spent a day in the village of Lagos.
One of the first places that drew our attention in Lagos, we "The Church of Santa Maria" which retains its Renaissance doorway. At the time of our visit, mass was being held so we couldn't resist stopping in and even though we couldn't understand Portuguese, we felt the peace and enjoyed it. This church is located overlooking the square where you'll find the statue of Henry the Navigator and the slave market. It's origins can be traced back to the 14th century but most of it dates from the 15th and 16th centuries although it was rebuilt following the 1755 earthquake and a fire in the mid-19th century. Henry the Navigator was buried here in 1460 before his remains were transferred to the Capela do Fundador in Batalha Abbey.
The entrance looked very plain however once inside the vestibule we saw this created from mosaics
Love the cobblestone streets but I would suggest no heels....
If I remember correctly this is the local jail
A nice street scape
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