Lagos, Portugal
The doorbell of Casa Amora rang at
precisely 10 AM and we were greeted by Heloisa of Portugal Nature Trails. We drove across the 25th of April suspension bridge and headed south to the Algarve Coast for the beginning of our hike.We had a lovely conversation with Heloisa during the 3 hour drive. We learned how the south coast of Portugal is known for its warm, dry weather which may account for the reason the Moors chose to occupy the reagion for 5 centuries. In the days before Columbus, when the world was presumed to be flat, this was the spot that was thought to be closest to the edge of the earth. Prince Henry the Navigator founded his navigator's school and used it as the launching point for sailors heading off into the unknown.
Upon our arrival at our hotel in Lagos, the beautiful Trivol Hotel,
which I might add has its own private beach for its guests to enjoy,
Heloisa briefed us on our self-guided hiking week ahead of us, including instructions on how to use the "seven headed monster" which Heloise advised us is the way to pronounce the Portuguese word for "GPS".
We headed out to explore Largos which we found to be quite touristy; but we still enjoyed seeing the lovely historical sites the town offered.
Our sailboat pulled its motorboat behind. That's what we would used to navigate in and out of the close-quartered caves.
The weather was hot (90's) and clear. The water was stunning in gorgeous shades of blue and green.
We started out towards the caves
They were spectacular!
This one is appropriately named "the elephant".
Not only did we get to see the caves but when we were back in the boat the captain told us we could jump overboard and go for a swim if we wanted. So we did! I loved swimming in the Mediterranean.
