Sea, wine, seafood and tiles. Lots and lots of tiles!
In late November 2017 we flew to the capital of Portugal’s Algarve region, Faro, for a five-day trip. We stayed in Alvor- a small town around an hours drive eastwards of Faro- with a nice harbour and cobbled streets. Our trip was during the off season (although it was still rather warm) so we didn’t go into the water or do any boat trips, but there was plenty of opportunity to go for nice walks along the harbour, eat lots of incredibly fresh seafood and try out local Portuguese wine.
Harbourside walks
Anyone who has looked at photos of the Algarve coast would be familiar with the gorgeous beaches and stunning coves dotted along the coastline. We went for several walks in our trip and explored the surrounding area- and stumbled across rather stunning views. We also came across a restaurant on a cliff that was perfectly placed for a few drinks with an incredible view- but unfortunately it was closed (the name is Caniço in case anyone is looking for scenic dinner ideas in the area).
After walking around the coves at Plaża Três Irmãos, we walked back along the beach- past Praia de Torralta and past Praia de Alvor. This route leads to the Miradouro Ría Alvor– the observation deck from which one can really take in the view- and links back to the Passadiços de Alvor– the hiking area and walkways of Alvor. This walk takes you past the wetlands, across some big rocks to the Farol Leste– the lighhouse. This area was completely unspoiled when we went, and was rather quiet and peaceful- would definitely recomend as a little walk with great views, and not too many tourists!
There are various other activities that you can do- such as rent a bike or go on a bike tour (see Alvor Bike Rent Tic Tac Bike Tour), go kitesurfing (see Alvor Kitesurf Center) or go on a boat trip offered by many businesses around the harbour. Unfortunately we missed the last boat trip of the season as we went quite late in the year- so be sure to check out the websites and make relevant enquiries in advance. All of these businesses can easily be found on the harbour, which leads straight to the restaurants and bars in the town center….more on that in the food section below! Golf is also quite big in the Algarve for those who are keen.
Day trip to Portimao
As well as going for numerous walks and trying out various eateries, we also managed to fit in a day trip to Portimao, a harbour city only 5-10km away. As we didn’t hire a car for this trip, we ended up getting the bus there and back, which was quite straight forward. There are a number of buses running between Alvor and Portimao, at various frequencies depending on the time of year and day of the week. We used the Algarve bus website to find the timetable and route map. The journey itself didn’t take very long, and the bus dropped us off in the city centre so was very convenient. We walked around the main square and the Câmara Municipal de Portimão– the Town hall-with its baroque style and did a fair bit of window and souvenir shopping, as well as walking around the harbour.
It was a Friday, but the town was very quiet (as you can see from the photos), but still quaint. A lot of the houses had interesting tiled walls… with different designs and colours and quite a bit of time could be spent walking around and just taking it all in. Later in the day, we managed to stumble across a bit of a hidden gem of a restaurant- Taberna De Portimao- which had stunning decor and tasty food (see below the food and drink section section). And in the last few days (we’re writing this in July 2020), Portimao has actually been added to the F1 calendar for 2020 alongside Imola and Nurburgring .
Our Favourite Food & Drink in Alvor & Portimao
Lusitânia
Located in the heart of the town, on Rua Dr. Frederico Ramos Mendes, we stumbled upon this restaurant on one of our walks. This was probably our favourite restaurant- so good that we actually went twice in the four nights we were here (admitedly second time was only for desert as we had a main elsewhere). Our meal included couvert as always- a small selection of small dishes such as olives, bread, local cheese etc- and then some fresh seafood (the seafood kebab and the scallops were amazing!), a dessert to share, plus plenty of wine. The food was of very good quality, and the atmosphere in the restaurant itself was very nice, it was not too busy and there was a log stove in one corner which made it rather romantic. The decor was also lovely- there were some tables outside but given it was starting to get chilly, we sat in the terrace at the front which was covered with glass, with branches and greenery decorating the ceiling. Would definitely recommend this place!
Alvor Wine
Located just across the road from Lusitânia, we predominantly chose this place as it seemed to have a rather extensive wine collection. The food however was also good, and the service too. The restaurant was rather lively when we went- although it was a Friday night so somewhat to be expected. What impressed us the most was the post-dinner drinks. We both ordered some Port and it came in rather oversized glasses, accompanied by some delicious Portuguese treats.
Buganvilla
This place was recommended to us by a local when we met for dinner on our first night- and after our dinner we could see exactly why it was so popular with both locals and tourists. The restaurant was located a little distance from others, on Rua Padre Mendes, and had both a terrace seating area and an indoor area, with a somewhat slightly more formal vibe with white tablecloths. The menu was very wide ranging, and given we were in Portugal we again went for some seafood- clams and razor clams- and they did not disappoint!
Adega d'Alvor
Given we were in Portugal, we were keen to try a Cataplana – and after some research on tripadvisor came across Adega d’Alvor which was highly praised for this very dish. The restaurant itself is located in the town center on Rua Marques de Pombal, a little walk away from the busy tourist area. The restaurant is really pretty- it used to be a winery but has been converted and now serves a variety of dishes. We were given a complimentary drink on arrival, followed by the usual couvert. For our mains, we shared a seafood Cataplana dish. This is a rather traditional dish for the Algrave region, using a copper pan (called a Cataplana) which is made of two parts which are hinged together- a bit like a clam. This creates a steam effect- as a pressure cooker would. The Cataplana is mostly used to cook seafood, but apparently may also be used to cook some meat stews. The seafood Cataplana we ordered had quite a variety of seafood- prawns, clams and even crab. The dish was good, although perhaps we had built up our expectations a bit too much or were spoiled by some of our other meals during this trip.
A Taberna de Portimao
During our day trip in Portimao, whilst looking for some lunch, we came across this amazing little restaurant. The inside decor was incredible, it was like stepping into Alladin’s cave – there were so many different glasses, bottles and trinkets on display as you can see from the photos. The food itself was very good- we decided to get a few small dishes each to share- like tapas- and tried to go for the traditional Portguese dishes mostly. Would certainly recommend this place for anyone in Portimao!
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