Algarve: Cultural treasures
I visit Portugal not for the first time. But the Algarve. However, I did not know that this beautiful spot
is the second home to many English. Albufeira is the British pendant to the Ballermann of Mallorca.
Despite the nightlife district of Lagos, Carvoeiro and Albufeira there is still some culture to be
discovered at the coast line. Whoever is interested in it should visit those places during the day. In
the evening the city belongs to the partygoers.
Arrival at Lagos
Upon our arrival on a thursday afternoon we are a little bit irritated by the empty airport building.
Maybe it is not season yet? This impression changes very quickly upon reaching our hotel. Both, at
the foyer and at the pool drinks are circulating. At first I am slightly suprised but later light is shed on
it. Two hours after our arrival we are all set for dinner. We walk into the city centre. The place is
packed. There is live music everywhere. With great effort we succeed in getting a table. We quickly
notice that this is the warm up period for the pub and disco evning later on. After dinner we ramble
through the old part of the town. We realize that it is better to return during the day – the evening
belongs to partygoers.
We explore the city centre of Lagos on the third day. We return quite early from our hike and have
time to take a look at the ramparts, the church of Santa Maria and the former slave market. There is
hardly more time for it as loud music has already captured the city again. We escape from it all by
discovering the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos and come across a nice bar overlooking the harbour of
the city. We enjoy a sundowner and calm down. Back in the hotel we here some noise coming from
the pool. Middle-aged Englishmen are sitting on a table, drinking beer heavily, making a row. Being
quite drunken the guys push each other into the pool – with their cloth on of course. Now I realize
why two English pubs are located underneath the hotel. On Saturdays they show football games on
TV. Quite clever. I guess the owner is rich by now.
Carvoeiro und Albufeira
The party culture’s peak is definitely at Albufeira. We pass by Carvoeiro on a hike at midday. Again
the pedestrian walk is packed. It is almost impossible to get a seat in a restaurant or pub. When we
succeed in doing some fat-ass bitch asks us to get our of her sight as we are obscuring her view! On
that day we walk through the seven hanging valleys up to the Praia da Marinha. From there we are
picked up and driven to Albufeira. We intend to have dinner in the old town. Upon our arrival it is still
quiet. Only the restaurant recruiter are getting on my nerves.
We move on a little bit out of the pedestrian zone and find some Greek restaurant called „Os
Gregos“. It is a direct hit. The owner and his daughter are running this business with high spirits and
good service. The food is good and prices are reasonable. My sea bass is really good. After this
pleasurable diner we live the place intending to walk back to the hotel. Well, at least we try. In the
meantime the partygoers returned plugging the streets and places. We think: „wow, where shall we
look first?“ At the puppeteer, the Karaoke singers or at the several live performances which
outperform themselves? It is absolutely incomprehensible to us how anybody can it in this noise and
enjoy dinner?
Well, who cares? We have a different problem. How can we find our way back to the hotel? We err
through the alleys and the densely packed masses. Shit, everything looks the same. Where did we
come from? We are almost about to aks some policemen when I spot a magazine that we passed by
on our way to the city centre. Huh, we calm down. That was close!
Cosy at Faro
On our fifth day we arrive at Faro. Here we can relax. Even though almost every two minutes a plane
takes off over the city and the winds are quite strong it is comparatively calm here. No boozing
Englishmen in sight. This is our chance to get closer to the portuguese culture. We visit a Fado
session at the tourist office. The information is located in a historical building, a former chapel. On
top of the bell tower there is a huge stork’s nest. Another two can be seen one level below. Taking
part in a Free Walking Tour the next day, we come across many stork nests, mostly on churches. The
guide tells us that these nests are protected.
Ausklang in Tavira
The seaside town of Tavira is our last stop. Our walk starts at Fuzeta and leads through the nature
resort of Ria Formosa and the beach of Barril, located on the island of Tavira. From here we take the
ferry boat to the town of Tavira. After the long walk in the merciless sun we take a shower at the
hotel. Close to sunset I take a walk through the old part of the town – and it’s worth it. The warm
evening sun gives the place a very romantic touch. I pass by the municipal museum, I discover the
former castell, walk past the „Fado com Historia“ and finally cross the bridge over the river Gilão and
thus come to the restaurant and pub district. Upon sunset I return to the hotel. I decide that beyond
party and loud music the villages at the Algarve have much going on.
