Our base in Portimao was an excellent spot for exploring the south coast of Portugal. In the spirit of adventure, we decided to go all the way to Sagres. Drive west from Lagos and you’ll find yourself at Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, a national park in Sagres. It’s not the kind […]
Europe
Ponta da Piedade, Lagos
In my last post about the old town of Lagos, I mentioned Ponta da Piedade (Google Maps link) as a nearby attraction. The popular cliffs of Ponta da Piedade have many beautiful gold-coloured rock formations that are visible from the point. There are also many caves, most of which are only accessible by boat. It might be […]
Old Town Lagos
In my last blog post, I spoke about the amazing sunrise beach hike we did along the cliffs of the Algarve. We had already checked out of our accommodation. So after the hike, we made our way to the next Airbnb to check in. Our plan was to head west along Portugal’s south coast. Where to stay […]
Algarve Beach Hike
Portugal has long been on my bucket list. The cliffs of the Algarve in particular. This area is extremely beautiful, even in winter! For my birthday in February, we spontaneously booked a trip to Faro in the south east corner of Portugal, especially to do an Algarve beach hike. How to travel There are quite […]
Knossos & Hieralikon Archaeological Museum
Situated in northern Crete, Knossos used to be the capital of Crete in Minoan times. As I mentioned in my last post, the site was inhabited since about 7000BC and may even be Europe’s oldest city. It’s certainly one of the most popular spots on the island. We explored Knossos before heading to the Hieralikon Archaeological Museum, just a few […]
Ancient Minoan Ruins of Phaestos
While we were staying on the south of the island of Crete, closer to the Matala Caves and the Preveli Palm Forest, we drove a short distance inland to see the ancient ruins of Phaestos. These ruins are situated on a hill with far-reaching views (we decided to have our little picnic lunch in the parking area because the view was […]
Hiking to Beautiful Balos
Balos is worth visiting, even if only for a day. There are a few different ways that you can get to Balos. You can go on foot, by vehicle or ferry. We ended up doing all three Hiking to Balos Because our car rental insurance didn’t cover incidents that might happen when driving on sand roads, […]
Chrysoskalitissa Monastery
The Chrysoskalitissa Monastery is perched on a high rock, about 53 meters above the sea, offering expansive views. It’s only a 5-minute drive from Aspri Limni, the White Lake beach. It is also a good place for a quick spot on the way to Elafonissi Lagoon. The history of the place points to a story in […]
Aspri Limni / White Lake Beach
Aspri Limni is situated on the west coast of Crete, just north of the popular Elafonissi Lagoon. It’s worth a stop-over if you’re travelling south to Elafonissi. The name of this beach means “White Lake”, probably so called because of the salt that collects and dries around it. The salt gathers on the sharp rocks that form […]
Swimming at Elafonisi
One of the most popular beaches in Crete, is Elafonisi. It gets quite busy, but there is a lot of beach space for everyone to spread out. If you enjoy walking, there’s a lot to explore. If your legs are wrecked from hiking Samaria Gorge, you also don’t need to walk very far to get a […]