The famous Algarve cliffs

Wondering what to do here. I hadn't made any plans as usual, but this time I actually had no idea what is here, except the beach and that might just be fine. Dieter pointed me to the Alentejano trail of 200km on the coast North of Sagres. I was thinking of driving there but it is a bit too far and it is worth doing the right way. Walk it.

So I'm going to do the touristy thing and go the beach at Benagil. No luck for a SUP to visit the grotto, a recent accident closed the area. Marinha beach is open and wonderful. I stop at the Lidl to get some food and there is a Dutch market across the road! I get some nice licorice for my scratchy throat.

I had been feeling all mellow and was contributing it to my new state of mind that I've be working on. But walking up the hill to the car I could feel something is way off. All energy is gone! I'm wasted. I caught a real cold, well maybe looking dopey at the airport really pays off.

I'm flat on my back on the beach, it's hot, sunny, and there's a little wind. Perfect, no reason to go anywhere else and it took long enough to get here. I meditate in my cold induced stupor, and I end up on yet another level of connection with the universe. I should try mushrooms at some point. 5 hours later I roll back to the hostel with a detour to Albufeira hoping to catch the sunset.

The residents of this hostel have more of a party mindset and sleeping in, very different from the Camino mindset of getting up at 6 or before and getting a good walk in. All in all the Faro experience is going to be different than the rest of the past two months. I know what I like and make a mental note.Read more