Eastern Algarve

Our nearly two week journey

We returned from our nearly 2-week vacation in the eastern Algarve yesterday. You may recall this trip was planned to get a feel for the area as a possible place to move to after Cascais. Let me share with you today some of our early impressions.

Why Not Cascais?

With each passing week, we’ve become more committed to living in Portugal for the rest of our lives. As I’ve written previously one of the few things I miss about the US is not having our own home. While our current apartment is comfortable and in a great location … it is not ours. It doesn't have our artwork or furniture that we spent hours choosing. We can’t change the decor when we tire of it. So if we were going to stay in Portugal for many years we wanted to buy.

Our realtor Elizabeth has tried to show us places in Cascais that meet our budget. We had told Elizabeth that we were very open to a fixer-upper. We have rehabbed one of our homes (unfortunately, while living in it) and even flipped two homes back in the States. But with a preferred budget of €650,000 ($767,000), frankly, there was nothing Elizabeth could show us in Cascais that fit the bill. 

In fact, in a last-ditch effort, a few days before we left she showed us two properties in central Cascais.

The first was an abandoned restaurant on the first floor and an apartment on the second floor. The total square footage was 84 m² (904 square feet) listed for €550,000. The second, a front wall with trees poking through the roof for €525,000.

Both were total gut jobs…the second was made easier by the fact that there were few roofs or walls. After spending another €125,000 to €200,000 we would end up with homes smaller than we wanted with no green space. Since neither of the homes came with planning permission, we were also concerned that such projects could not be completed before our lease runs out in March 2023. 

But money is just one of the reasons. Many of our friends now live in the Algarve and the tribe tugs at our heart. And when researching Portugal from afar we were drawn to this area because of its many golf courses and slightly warmer weather.

Vilamoura marina.

Exploring

We spent some time on our own as well as with realtors exploring the eastern Algarve. We did drive as far west as Faro…but spent most of our time in the circled area above. As we drove from town to town often times I felt as if I was in a familiar place. For example, as we drove into Vilamoura I felt like we were on Hilton Head Island. There are lots of large green trees, and well-planned bike and walking paths. Golf course communities lined either side of the road.

We set the GPS to the marina, found a parking space, and decided to have lunch at a restaurant right on the beach. It was there that we learned that Denise has achieved the Portuguese language skills of a four-year-old. There was an adorable set of twin boys at the next table and she happened to wave at one of them. He instantly got out of his seat and came over to our table. He started speaking to her in Portuguese (of course) and Denise was able to understand and respond. But his parents realizing that we were Americans, encouraged their four-year-old son to speak English. He did and over the course of our lunch, he recited colors, numbers, fruits, and more. Sometimes I wish I had grown up in Europe….

Many Small Towns

Another déjà vu moment was in Monte Gordo. As we passed the tall hotels fronting the ocean, and the casino I suddenly felt like I was in Fort Lauderdale. In the eastern Algarve, Monte Gordo is a true resort town…I doubt anyone actually lives there year-round.

We also explored Santa Luzia, a tiny fishing village just outside of Tavira famous for octopuses. In fact, there are restaurants along the waterfront where octopus is the only thing on the menu! As we drove from one traffic circle to the next on N125 (a two-lane toll-free road) we visited many small villages each with its own unique charm.

We also went to Castro Marim just a few kilometers further from the beach. It dates back to 5000 B.C. when in fact it was situated closer to the sea. There is a castle there and also a star-shaped fort. Between these sits a village with two beautiful churches and about 7,000 residents. Some of the locals practice old crafts such as bobbin lace, broom, and basket making. During non-Covid times Castro Marim is famous for its annual Medieval Days festival.

As you drive south from Castro Marim to Vila Real de Santo Antonio you pass the salt pans which are home to hundreds of flamingos. During our time in the Algarve, we returned again and again to Vila Real de Santo Antonio. On Friday, I’ll tell you why.