The last beach

The last beach
Portugal
Magazine: August 2007

This was the last piece of Europe that sailors saw before embarking on voyages to the Indies and the fi rst they saw on their return, after months or years at sea. Cabo de São Vicente is the westernmost point of the Algarve, in the south of Portugal. Al-Gharb-al-Andalus (“the west of Andalusia”): this is what the Arabs named this land, so “far out” that for them a simple geographical reference was enough. At Cabo de São Vicente a milestone tells us that we have arrived at Km zero. Does it mean the fi nishing point of the Ecovia do Litoral (www.ecoviasalgarve.org) for cyclists or of all the roads of the entire continent? It makes little difference. Around us, the landscape is austere and calm. High grey and reddish cliffs alternate with wide golden beaches. We are in the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, an area where the raw essence of nature is protected.

The small beach (in Portuguese “A prainha”) at Alvor, between Portimau and Lagos

From Sagres, our Ecovia takes us to Lagos, a pretty, lively town whose medieval heart is now encircled by an enormous “belt” of hotels and summer residences. Here we fi nd Ponta da Piedade, a cliff that plunges down into the waves with breathtaking beauty. But the Algarve is not just nature, beaches and fi shing. All the region’s small town centres are reminders of an age-old history. Things not to miss: the ancient centre of Albufi era, which stands out on a rocky spur, and Tavira, resting on the banks of the river Gilão, in the heart of Ría Formosa Natural Park. The sprawling historic centre of Faro, with its fi ne cathedral, buildings and museums, is also worth a visit. Between the shore and the Serra that separates the Algarve from Alentejo there is a strip of land called Barrocal, an agricultural territory offering delicious local cuisine. For a change from the beach, visit Caldas de Monchique, with its thermal springs, Silves with its imposing castle, or Alte, a tiny village immersed in lush vegetation. And fi nally, those who wish to enjoy a real oasis of rural peace may travel up to Alcoutím, in the Guadiana valley, a beautiful village made up of white houses facing onto the river which draws out the boundary with Spain. These waters mark the end of Al-Gharb (l’Ovest), and the beginning of Al-Andalus on the other bank.