Algarve, the last Moorish stronghold

We had planned an ambitious conquest of the southern region of Portugal called the Algarve, starting from Albufeira (A), Lagos (B), Vila do Bispo (C), then a little off-roading to get some pretty spectacular views of the coast (D), then back south to Cape of St. Vincent (E), the southwesternmost tip of continental Europe (fondly called the "end of the world" before anyone knew there was something else out there), to watch the sunset. In one day.

Naturally, that didn't happen. Blame it on my twisted ankle, the horrible Lisbon traffic, or the ambitiousness of the plan. I like to overplan.

It was a three hour drive through mostly plains, farmlands and gently rolling hills. We spotted some small towns and villages along the way, but for the most part it looked pretty deserted. Well, some curious research led me to discover that Portugal's total population is around 10.7  million, according to the CIA World Factbook. The entire country is only slightly smaller than the state of Indiana, which has 6.4 million people. Imagine that.

From 711 to 1249, the Algarve was ruled by the Moors. The word is derived from Al-Gharb (meaning "the West") which meant it was the western edge of the Islamic empire. The region was the last Moorish stronghold until it was captured by the Christians in 1249.

February is a slow time for the Algarve, which sees many tourists in the summer for its gorgeous beaches, palm trees, and warm waters. Lots of high rise condo developments throughout for sun-seeking northern Europeans, and vibrant night scene I hear, though some places have managed to keep their small town charm intact.

In Albufeira, we randomly drove around a residential neighborhood in search of beach access - to actually see the dramatic coastlines I'd seen so many times in pictures. We found Praia dos Arrifes, a beautiful, sheltered cove with the most crystal clear waters and interesting rock formations. Absolutely breathtaking.

Albufeira itself is a small town of whitewashed buildings and Moorish influenced architecture. The homes, many of them perched on hills, had the tile roofs and chimneys characteristic of Moorish influence. We had open-air lunch at a fabulous Portuguese restaurant (I had squid like I've never seen before) right by the Albufeira marina.

After lunch, we drove to Lagos, an ancient town with over 2,000 years of historical significance. It was the capital of the Algarve from 1576-1756.

Prince Henry the Navigator spent most of his time in the Lagos (and even built a school of navigation further west in Sagres). It was in Lagos that many Portuguese ships set off to explore the world. It was also here in Lagos that the first African slaves entered Europe. The building where the first slave markets were held still stands today.

History trivia: Lagos is also the name of the most populated city in Nigeria. That settlement was named as such by Portuguese explorers that sailed from Lagos, Portugal.

We saw quite a few lively British visitors but otherwise the town was pretty quiet. Lagos had a nice mix of the old structures and new development. We walked along the palm tree-lined main avenue, savored the isolated, pristine beaches, checked out the fishing boats, and explored the remains of the walled town that was built by the Moors.

Pictured above is the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, a fortress built in late 17th century as part of a defense system for Lagos.

Sadly, we were not able to find any grotto tour operators at the time. There are beautiful sea caves and cliffs that could only be explored off-shore. But we did get to see a bit more rock formations toward Ponte de Piedade.

By this time, the sun was on its way down, and we were definitely going to miss that sunset at Cape of St. Vincent, so we just decided to take it easy and enjoy the warm weather and relaxed atmosphere.