Oh, Portugal :)

This august we've been fortunate enough to be able to go to Portugal for our summer vacation. It's such a wonderful country!

We spent 3 days in Albufeira, enjoying the beach and exploring the southern coast, with its exotic landscape, then drove up the coast to the Setubal (& Lisbon) region for 3 more days, before returning to Algarve to spend our last day of the trip in Faro, an old harbor town (where the airport is located).

Cabo de Sao Vicente


nearby Lagos


Albufeira is the typical beach resort; sunny, spread out and crammed at the same time, and noisy with tourists from all corners of Europe.
With some really nice views at sunset, too.

Lagos


We also visited the fortress and old town of Silves, the beautiful coastal views of Lagos - with the amazing Ponta de Piedade, as well as the breath taking views of the Sagres fortress.

Silves' fortress


Ponta de Piedade


nearby Sagres


Also, driving north on the coast, along side one of Portugal's National Parks, proved to be an unforgettable experience, especially due to the landscape.

in the National Park on the south-west coast


in the National Park on the south-west coast


On the way to our wonderful hotel nearby Lisbon (actually an old hacienda remodeled as a hotel), in a small and idyllic village called 'Vila Fresca de Azeitao', we stopped to take in the views of Sines from the walls of its beautiful fortress.

Vila Fresca de Azeitao


Sines' fortress


view from Sines' fortress


Sines


The days we spent in Lisbon and around were filled with more trips and visits than the ones in the south, as the region has much more to offer.

Lisbon itself seemed like a huge boiling pot, where a very colorful stew was being prepared... it's a noisy maze of buildings and streets ... old and new, roamed by millions of vehicles in a continuous rush to get somewhere.

It has so much to offer to its visitors, so many views, castles, churches, museums, parks, boulevards, shops etc ... everything, but time.
And the views from the bridge that connects the capital with it's southern outskirts are simply breath taking at sunset.

The Hieronymites Monastery, Belem, Lisbon


the Tower of Belem


The Old Cathedral of Lisbon (Se)


Lisbon's fortress


As for other attractions, we got a chance to visit a wonderful stone house village called Obidos. It's a very special place and a must see for anyone visiting Portugal.

Obidos


Obidos


Obidos


Obidos


a cafe in Silves


cathedral in Silves


Silves street




My few regrets from this trip were that we didn't manage to visit Sintra and the Porto region; for now, I've made a mental note for next time we're going there :) .