Monchique is the perfect location for people who want to be in the Algarve, but not in the thick of things. From our perch at Vilafoia, 502 metres above sea level, we have the perfect view of Portimao, Lagos and other coastal towns. At night their lights line the edge of the Mediterranean. Yet, we are just 30 minutes away.
Our first day here we drove along the motor way to Tavira and Santa Luzia. Our destination was the Praia de Barril. This is not an ordinary beach. It is the home of the "Cemiterio de Ancoras." There is a plot of land, and someone (it is not clear who) assembled hundreds of used, rusty anchors. Some date back to the Age of Discovery, the 1400s. It is quite an impressive sight, although most of the beach goers were oblivious to its presence. We thought it was quite cool. We also enjoyed the train ride across the island to the beach. After another beach day, we shared more Portuguese delicacies, including a tasty "salada de polvo" (octopus salad).
The next day we drove to the top of Mount Foia (904 metres) where we saw both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coasts. We also hiked through the town of Monchique to the convent on the top of the hill. Although it is owned and occupied by an individual family, they allowed us entry and we wandered through the crumbling ruins at our leisure. It was the home of Franciscan monks for two hundred years and it features prominently in Monchique's history. On the path to the convent, there is a man with a guitar. He has his case open to collect money and pretends to play, but in reality, he is just another panhandler. We were forewarned about his existence, and although we did not give him any money, he did not bother us.
We spent Saturday night in Silves at their annual medieval fair. It was actually exciting for us to be in a town where a medieval fair actually had some meaning. Many of the inhabitants were dressed in clothing from the time and the streets were lined with stalls and vendors of all kinds. We paid to watch two shows. The first was a jousting demonstration which turned out to be quite fun. The "knights" and their mounts were very skilled. The other was a dance/circus performance. It was very professional, but it wasn't what we were expecting and we weren't sure of the theme, so it wasn't as enjoyable as the jousting. By the time we left at midnight, it was wall to wall people. We felt lucky to have been able to attend such a fun event.
Our last stop before we return the car to Lisbon is the fishing village of Salema, near the south west point of Portugal. We are looking forward to exploring the area around Sagres and Cabo de St. Vincent.
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