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 […]
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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 […]
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 […]
Little Loutro
Loutro is one of the smallest seaside towns I’ve ever seen. Shut off from the rest of the island’s road network, this town can only be reached by boat or foot. When you first see Loutro from the ferry, the white buildings beam out like a little oasis against the rugged mountains. Lit by the evening sun, the late-summer […]
Staying at Chora Sfakia
Chora Sfakia really is beautiful, definitely one of my favourite stop-overs. You’ll find this at a gem of a spot in the south of Crete, the largest Greek island. Usually this little town is sheltered from wind by the surrounding sea cliffs. The landscape has also created an excellent little swimming bay that’s perfect for daily swims. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Le Castillet, Perpignan
It was pretty sad to leave our campsite on the Mediterranean Spanish coast. But, it was time to move on. We had a long 700km drive ahead of us on the A9. Thinking back, we had a really great time in Spain! This was the first time I’d been to Spain (except for in the […]