Discovering Hidden Treasures On Portugal’s Algarve

I’ve always loved to follow animal trails in the forest, explore roads less traveled, and try out new routes.

This hasn’t always panned out well.

Sometimes I’ll end up in someone’s garden… or in a restricted military area…

Quite often, I’ve arrived to find that what lies at the end of the road is nothing interesting at all.

But now and then, I’ll find a treasure… a magic spot that makes all the mishaps worth it.

This happened recently, not long after I moved to Portugal and started to explore my neighborhood around São Bartolomeu de Messines.

This is a rural area with almost no tourists. The hills are covered with shrubs and old cork and medronho trees.

In season, you can taste the medronho fruit, the same one that’s used to make the famous Portuguese booze. It’s called medronho, and it’s similar to brandy.

I started walking and driving around my area. I had seen water on the map… but I never imagined that I’d find a paradise of turquoise lagoons.

It was a true “wow” moment.

I followed a dirt road that was obviously not used often. When I came around a corner, the landscape opened up and revealed a plethora of hidden lakes known as barragems.

I parked my car and walked down to the water. It was crystal clear. The ground was solid. There were no houses or signs of civilization… only silence, apart from birdsong.

In a moment of complete happiness, I dropped my clothes and jumped into the water. I’ll never forget that first swim, feeling like the only person on Earth, surrounded by nature’s powerful energy.

From that day on, I went to the lakes almost every day. Sometimes I would take my horse in the morning, packing coffee, lunch, and my laptop.

Both my horse and I liked to swim, and afterwards, I let her eat from the grass while I worked. It’s one of the most amazing offices I’ve ever had.

When I’m not out with clients or exploring new areas, a lot of my work takes place on my laptop. I can work anywhere with an internet connection, which makes the Algarve perfect for me.

In general, the Wi-Fi network is well developed across the region. On secluded beaches and inland, it can be perfect or it can be spotty…

When I want to force myself not to work, I visit one special beach that’s in a dead zone. I believe it’s good for us to go completely offline sometimes.

Wherever you are in the Algarve, there are things to appreciate. It all comes back to what’s important to you.

If you’re planning to move here, make a list of what you do and don’t want in your everyday life before you start trying to see everything.

So, how do I find my “wow” spots for my Algarve road trips?

My strategy is simple. Here’s how you can replicate it…

1. Google “hidden gems Algarve,” and then make a point of not visiting those places. If you found it, you can bet that thousands of others have, too. Not so hidden after all.

2. If you see a group of people, go the other direction.

3. Forget about your fancy car. If you don’t want to get it dusty, don’t go on this treasure hunt. You don’t need a jeep, but you’ll need a car with some courage and a good engine.

4. Use Google Maps or Waze as your GPS. They’re not perfect, but they’re the best options when you think you’re lost. Use the setting “avoid highways.”

5. Before you go, choose a location. It doesn’t really matter what it is. It can be a village you’ve never heard of, a miradouro (lookout point), or a beach.

6. Now, look at the map and choose the small roads. I’m not talking about the yellow national roads. I mean the really small roads!

7. Load your car with water, snacks, your bathing suit, a towel, a wind jacket, a first aid kit, a phone charger, and some more water. You can never have too much water in your car.

8. Fill up the tank and tell your family that you will be back later. Don’t promise a specific time so that you don’t have to limit yourself.

9. Bring a friend, but only if they enjoy road trips, are not afraid of heights, and don’t mind losing internet connection.

10. Off you go! Follow the roads that you planned as a base, but stray from them, especially if you pass other small roads along the way. Be prepared to hop out of the car and walk, too.

11. When you’ve found a true “wow” spot, open Google Maps on your phone. The blue dot shows you where you are. Put your finger on it until you get the option to save as a label. Name it and save it. Now you can show other people the location. If you don’t have internet access, try to remember where it was until you are online again.

Sincerely,

Elise Slotte

Contributor, Portugal Letter