A Bit of Heaven in Algarve

Anchors away....

We were fortunate to meet our friend Toby through this blog and pickleball. Toby is a gentle soul and as we learned recently lives in a bit of Algarve that is truly a bit of heaven.

The anchor cemetery.

The Beach with the Anchors

If you have been researching Algarve, perhaps watching YouTube videos, you likely have come across a photo like the one above. Dozens of anchors on the beach. You will find these on Barril’s Beach, in the Ria Formosa Barrier Island system that runs between the mainland and the ocean. The coastline, measuring 18 km, includes the Tavira and Cabanas Islands. The Anchor Cemetary memorializes the tuna fisherman that used to call this area their home and sits halfway on Tavira Island. It sits between the beach and a row of single-story buildings that once was where the fishermen and their families lived. Now they serve as temporary housing for waitstaff and bartenders that come down to Barril’s Beach for the summer season.

Just behind the dunes and the Anchor Cemetary, housing for summer staff.

You can access the beach by tram (€1 for non-residents) or as the sign explained on foot (“the healthier and more ecological option”).

In addition to a beautiful beach, you will find restaurants, bars, changing, and restrooms. Toby tells us that you can enjoy Brazilian jazz during weekends.

A place to enjoy a drink or snack.

Calling Pedras d’el Rei Home

But, of course, there are a lot of great beaches in Algarve. And most have a place to sit and relax with a drink. In Tavira, you take a ferry to get there. In Vila Real de Santo Antonio, we walk through the pine trees. (Note: VRSA also has a train that loops around the city and goes to the beach every 30 minutes in summer.) But this beach is situated in a very special place.

A cottage in Pedras d’el Rei.

When we asked Toby where he lived, he responded Pedras d’el Rei and described it as a “golf course community without a golf course”. This is a perfect description. With a hotel, pool, spacious landscaped lawns, and well-kept cottages dotting the landscape it does remind me of a golf course community. Most of the cottages are small (400 square feet) efficient one-bedroom models. There are a few that are larger. Nearly all are owned by Portuguese families that rarely sell and use them as their summer holiday destination.

In fact, when Toby rented his cottage he had to agree to vacate for the month of August. When he offered to pay a higher rent for that month, his offer was soundly declined. “My family will kill me!” the owner responded. Recently, one of the small units came on the market and was quickly scooped up for €300,000 (a costly tiny house). But if one of the larger units came on the market…I would be tempted! In fact, I can see Toby and me finding ourselves in a bidding war.

Update: a multi-unit property just hit the market. Take a look.