Spotless beaches, woman in bonnets and children making sandcastles: Peter Cunninghamenjoys the traditional feel of the Portuguese south
THE SUNNY, uncluttered and welcoming Algarve, Portugal's southern coastline, is two and a half hours' flying time from Ireland. With warm, herb-laden air and the sun shining from late March, the Algarve is laid back, inexpensive in the main, and slightly old-fashioned in the best possible way.
Last September we flew from Waterford to Faro and were soon driving west along the A22 motorway. Although Portugal did not join what is now the EU until 1986, 13 years after Ireland, it used its EU infrastructural money in ways that Ireland should have done but sadly never did. A comprehensive motorway system, 2,100km in length, plunges down the Atlantic coast from north of Lisbon, then turns east, where it runs all the way to Spain, through the Algarvan fields where I remember wheat being threshed by hand.
It takes less than an hour from Faro to reach Praia do Vau, just beyond Portimão, where we were booked into Dolly Schlingensiepen's BB.
Schlingensiepen and her husband built their dream home, Casa Três Palmeiras, on a cliff top above the beach at Vau, more than 30 years ago. (Praia means beach in Portuguese.)
When her husband died, Schlingensiepen turned their home into a BB with five bedrooms. Four of the rooms are around the swimming pool; the fifth has its own garden. Breakfast is served beneath parasols on the terrace, overlooking the sea.
We found Schlingensiepen through Karen Brown's Guides, an American series dedicated to identifying "charming inns". (There is a Karen Brown guide for Ireland.)
During high season - July and August - Praia do Vau can be crowded, yet it is always blissfully empty for a pre-breakfast or late-evening swim. And how the Portuguese look after their beaches! By seven o'clock on a June morning, before the sun has had a chance to warm the rocks, not a speck of rubbish can be found, and the soft white sand has already been groomed for kilometres.
I mentioned that the Algarve is slightly old fashioned. Demure would be more exact. No one drinks beer on the beaches or sports tattoos. Ladies of a certain age wear bonnets. Children appear happy to make sandcastles.
A walk to the end of Praia do Vau takes you to Praia da Rocha, so called because of its fantastic rock pillars along the shore. Twenty minutes west of Vau by car lie Praia de Mos, just west of Lagos, and, beyond that, Praia da Luz. Of this quartet, Mos is the most beautiful.
Schlingensiepen takes great personal interest in her guests. She likes to suggest a new restaurant every night; she books the taxis and makes the reservations. Her choices of venue are unfailingly good. Schlingensiepen also can arrange golf at discounted rates at nearby Alto Golf and at world-famous Penina, both designed by Sir Henry Cotton.
Lagos is an interesting town to visit for a morning. The thriving fish and vegetable market overlooks the harbour. Narrow cobbled streets with shops and cafes in wall niches have a whiff of the Moor about them.
The Church of San Antonio, built in the 18th century and now a museum, is an example of what happens when a lot of cherubs and gilt come together. In the body of the old church, opposite the dazzling main altar, is the only tomb. It belongs to Colonel Hugo Beaty, an Irishman who commanded the Lagos regiment during the war with Spain. He was interred here in 1789.
After four days with Schlingensiepen we dragged ourselves off to Sagres, Portugal's most southwesterly tip. Henry the Navigator founded his navigation school here, then dispatched Portuguese adventurers to the far ends of the world.
On the west side of the Sagres peninsula lie some of Portugal's wildest and most spectacular beaches: Castelejo, Barriga and Constama. Huge Atlantic rollers make them suitable for only the strongest swimmers. South of Sagres, Praia do Martinhal, a wind-surfing hot spot, has an excellent beach bar that serves fresh dorada (sea bream) for less than the price of a cheeseburger.
We stayed at Pousada Infante, the Sagres hotel in Portugal's state-run hotel chain. Stone floors, enormous reception rooms and somewhat cramped bedrooms all make Pousada Infante seem like a convent with a view to die for.
We spent our final night in another of Karen Brown's charming inns, Monte do Casal, 10 minutes from Faro Airport. As a general rule on the Algarve, the nearer you are to major developments such as Quinta do Lago, and the nearer to Faro, the higher the price. Castel de Monte has a fantastic restaurant, but its standard rooms are far too small for the prices charged.
Where to stay and where to eat
Where to stay
Karen Brown's World of Travel is a good place to look for accommodation. www.karenbrown.com.
Casa Três Palmeiras. Praia do Vau, Portimão, 00-351-282-401029, www.casatrespalmeiras.com. A not-to-be-forgotten BB in a fabulous location with the most charming hostess in the world.
Pousada de Sagres - Infante. Sagres, 00-351-282-620240, www.pousadas.pt. Somewhat institutionalised, old-fashioned lodgings in an amazing setting.
Monte do Casal. Cerro do Lobo, Estoi, 00-351-289- 990140, www.montedocasal.pt. Overpriced and somewhat twee small hotel.
Where to eat
Por do Sol. Estrada de Alvor, Portimão, 00-351-282-459505. Fun indoor and outdoor dining on Penina road. Traditional fare. Medium to high prices.
Carvi. Rua Direita, Portimão, 00-351-282-417912. Decent fish and shellfish restaurant in centre of town. Medium prices.
Restaurante Rodízio Churrascão, Av Rocha Vau Ed Rotunda, Praia da Rocha, 00-351-282-412946. Brazilian formula, where waiters circulate with spits of meat. Fun and cheap.
Dockside. Portimão marina, 00-351-282-417628. Upmarket dining. Pricey.
Monte do Casal. Cerro do Lobo, Estoi, 00-351-289- 990140, www.montedo casal.pt. Gourmet dining under the stars. High end.
In praise of small airports
Although Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly to Faro from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast, we opted to bypass the stress of big airports and fly from Waterford with Aer Arann. (The 2009 summer schedule is due online next week.) An hour before check-in is ample time to allow in tiny, friendly Waterford airport. From bag-drop to check-in takes all of 30 seconds. The car park is 20m from the front door, and parking costs €35 a week. On the way home we touched down at 5.20pm and were driving out of the airport at 5.40pm. With a new motorway between Waterford and Dublin due to open next year, the city's airport is a realistic and blissful alternative.
Go There
Aer Arann (www.aerarann. com) flies to Faro from Waterford and Galway during the summer. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Dublin and Shannon. Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin, Cork and Belfast. Flights vary according to the season, so check with the airline.