By admin The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal, known for its beaches and dramatic coastlines. There was no way I was going to visit Portugal without hitting the beach. Fortunately, Karen agreed, and we headed to Faro from Porto on an early morning Ryanair flight.
Getting to the Algarve
A popular beach destination for many Europeans (particularly Brits, as we would soon learn), there were a lot of cheap, nonstop flights to Faro from various European cities. Unfortunately, Porto did not offer many options for nonstop flights; we went with the 8:05am Ryanair flight because it was by far the best choice. Yes, you heard that right: the 8:05am Ryanair flight was the best choice.
Navigating the Algarve & Checking in to the Tivoli Carvoeiro
The early morning wake-up call was so worth it when we landed in Faro around 9:30am and had the entire day to hang out at the beach. We had not rented a car since we figured most of our activities would involve drinking, and Ubers were readily available. However, if I had stayed for any longer, I would have wanted my own car.
The Algarve was one place where I struggled to find the right accommodations. I ultimately decided on the recently remodeled Tivoli Carvoeiro, which offered a great location and seaside views. However, upon arrival, I realized it was much too large and family-friendly for my tastes. I would not stay there again.
We ended up hanging out by the pool for most of the late morning/early afternoon. After being on-the-go almost nonstop for the last week, we both welcomed some quiet time (thankfully, Karen found us an area away from all the families that actually did offer some peace and calm). Dinner was at the high-end restaurant onsite, which wasn’t bad. The other option was a massive buffet, with all the families. No thank you!
Seven Hanging Valleys Coastal Walk
One of the benefits of staying at the Tivoli was that an amazing coastal trail runs right through the edge of the property. Both big hiking fans, Karen and I both knew that the trek was a must-do during our stay.
Spoiler: it was breathtaking. Every few minutes, we had to stop to look around in amazement and snap some pictures. I am tempted to compare the trail to the Bondi to Bronte walk in Sydney, Australia, since they are both coastal walks that run through multiple beaches. However, I found the Seven Hanging Valleys trail to be more beautiful, and significantly less crowded.
We started around 8:15 in the morning to beat the heat.
Drinks & Dinner in Carvoeiro
We ordered an Uber at Praia da Marinha and headed back to the hotel to relax, then freshen up before our big night out on the town. For our last night together, we planned to get drinks at Boneca Bar, a seaside restaurant/bar that the Tivoli concierge had recommended. We then had dinner reservations at Bon Bon, a Michelin-starred restaurant located up the hill from town.
I’m glad that we had a fancy night out to cap off our trip together; the next day Karen would be flying back to New York. While I had one more day in the Algarve, much of it would be spent reconfiguring my travels, as my 94-year-old Grandma Emily had just passed away. I’d still continue on to Lisbon for one night, but would cut my trip short by five days so I could go to Knoxville, Tennessee and be with my family for the funeral. It was disappointing to have to shorten my Lisbon visit, and especially to cancel the Azores altogether, but it was the right call head home the the U.S. early.
Looking back, I was very happy with the itinerary we had planned together (Karen had already been to Lisbon, hence the reason we configured around that destination). It was great to have all the time that we did in the Douro Valley, and I felt like we maximized our time in Porto. I knew the Algarve had more to offer in terms of beaches and towns, but we got a great taste of the region in our two days there. And, while it was always sad to see a vacation end, at least we had another trip planned together (with our friend Lauren) in a couple months: Peru!
