On the southwestern tip of continental Europe,
Portugal is an old school country. In this article, we take a look at
Lisbon, Lagos and the Algarve.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the biggest
city in Portugal and is located on the Atlantic coast in middle of the
country. I’ve been to Lisbon three times, but only for a few days each
time. Every time I come away with the impression of elegance.
Arriving
by train, your first taste of Lisbon is when you walk out of the train
station directly onto the shore of the harbor. As you look to the
ocean, the name “San Francisco” immediately comes to mind. Mountains
rise up on both sides of the mouth of the harbor and then there is the
bridge. Running across the mouth of bay is a bridge that looks for all
intensive purposes like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I’ve
never had a chance to research it, but there has to be a connection.
As
you walk into Lisbon, everything is clean and relaxed. There are
walking only streets with cafes and garden areas. Bringing to mind San
Francisco again, there are cable cars running though the center of the
city. I can’t tell you why, but Lisbon is a very low stress city on
both the mind and the wallet. Yep, it is cheap and a good destination
for budget travelers.
Algarve
The Algarve is the
southwestern tip of Portugal and borders on both the Atlantic and
Mediterranean oceans. This is an interpretation on my part as some feel
the area only covers the beaches on the Mediterranean Ocean.
Regardless, the Algarve is a collection of beach towns that remind me
of Southern California in the 1940’s. No I am not that old. I am just
relying on family stories and pictures. Jeez, give me some credit! One
of the highlights of the Algarve is Lagos.
Lagos
I grew up
in San Diego, California. It’s a great place to be a kid and an adult.
The only complaint I have is a lot of people seem to feel the same way.
The population has exploded beyond belief, freeways are crowded on
weekends and housing prices average roughly $500,000 for a deluxe
closet without driveway. Its still nice, but I’ve begun to think about
relocating. If I do, Lagos may be my destination.
Lagos is a
sleepy beach community with just about anything you could want in
paradise. White beaches, private beaches, grottos, wine growing, a
lively nightlife, modern conveniences and just about the nicest people
you have ever met in your life.
You can stay in a hotel while in
Lagos, but this is a mistake in my opinion. Instead, go to the train
station and reserve a room with a family. Families in cities all over
the world do this, but Lagos is different. The family you stay with
more or less adopts you as one of their own. They will haul you all
over town, introduce you to other locals and generally give you a true
taste of Portugal. For veteran travelers, nothing could be better.
Rating
For
an overall rating, I give Portugal and Lagos the highest rating of
“bar.” I loved it so much, I wanted to stay and almost purchased a bar
by blackmailing, bribing and begging a friend in California over the
phone. Alas, his wife didn’t think it was such a good idea.
Hey, how about you? We could probably still get a good deal!
No, seriously.
