Five reasons to visit the Algarve, Portugal

I have been visiting the Algarve, Portugal ever since I was younger with my family so I was really looking forward to going back to the town of Praia Da Rocha for a winter break but this time with the boyfriend, who had never visited before. Situated on the southern tip of Portugal and the Atlantic ocean, the Algarve enjoys more sunshine hours per year than California and is well known for its stunning sandy beaches, sandy coves, cobbled streets and amazing seafood restaurants. It really is a beautiful place and I'm here to tell you the reasons why.

Portugese food

Portugal does really have it all when it comes to eating and drinking, with over 200km of coastline, it’s not surprising that there is seafood served everywhere alongside the best sangria (my favourite). The best part of it all is that prices are really reasonable, a main fish meal ranges from 10 -15 euros and they don't skimp on the portions either. If you catch happy hour sangria can be as little as 2.50 euros and the Portuguese wine vinho verde is definitely worth a try.

In Praia Da Rocha you will find restaurants serving traditional Portuguese food but also lots of Chinese, Italian, Steakhouses and Indians. If you want to try some traditional dishes these include cataplana fish stew which is the Portuguese version of the Spanish paella. "Bacalhau" which is dried salt-cod, chicken piri piri and Pudim Flan which is a crème caramel.

If you are staying in a self-catering apartment like we did when you visit Portugal, and want to cook with local produce the supermarkets have everything you could possibly need. We cooked a seafood linguine and were also able to make gluten free garlic bread for the boyfriend as their selection of Gluten-free products is so great.

Restaurant recommendations in Praia Da Rocha & Portimao: 

Dona Barca - if you're looking for the best sardines and a place where all the locals go to eat this is it.

Mar e sol - A family run restaurant right on the beach with the best seafood selection.

A casa da rocha - Looking out onto the beautiful coastline, this Portuguese restaurant has tasty fresh food.

 

Colourful architecture and backdrops

Being a blogger, I love taking lots of pictures of my travels and outfits, and the more colourful the better! In Praia Da Rocha every other street had the most gorgeous villas, flowers and ocean views and if you venture even further to Alvor which is about 15 minutes by bus or taxi you will find a stunning marina with lots of boats. A travel photographers dream!

 

 

 

The beaches

We were lucky enough to be staying right opposite Praia Da Rocha beach which is just around the corner from Portimao marina. This beach is not only long, but also very wide, we pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves it being out of season. The beach has great waves and also a boardwalk running the entire length of the beach with a selection of beach cafes and restaurants behind it which I highly recommend visiting.

There are also five other beaches close by if you walk away from Praia Da Rocha beach called Praia dos Três Castelos, Praia do Amado, Praia dos Careanos, Praia da Vau and Barranco das Canas. Once walking you will come across a viewpoint where you can look over at beautiful Praia da Rocha to the left and the equally as stunning Praia dos Três Castelos with its lovely rock formations to the right.

The Sunny Weather

You might wonder when the best time to visit Portugal is but for us we always go in October when its a lot quieter and the lowest temperature they have is around 15 degrees and that's their winter! Whilst on holiday in Portugal it was breezy in the morning but then by the afternoon we were on the beach basking under bright blue skies enjoying highs of 26 degrees which is the perfect temperate for my pale skin. 

Beautiful Sunsets

The Algarve has one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, beginning at around 6pm depending on the time of year, I watched it from the balcony as it turned the sky from a bold blue into a bright orange colour, it definitely was one of the many highlights of my trip.

Have you ever been to the Algarve, Portugal?

Liz x