A week with Shannon
28 July 2016 | Ilha da Culatra
Shannon
IAfter an easy flight and rather noisy night in a Faro hostel I got a 2 hour train to Lagos. It was a really lovely ride with interesting scenery and places along the way. After a quick lunch we headed for the grottos around Lagos. They were amazing with loads of caves, arches, stacks and blowholes (the geographer in me was very excited) all around. We settled on a small hidden beach and had a quick dip in the ocean which was very refreshing. The evening was relaxed with a stroll through the Lagos Old Town before a dinner of fish and salad!
On Sunday we headed for an anchorage at Portimão which was my first experience of being at anchor. It's quite an active fishing town so there were lots of fishing boats coming and going throughout the night and a party on the mainland which went on till 6am! Despite this, it was lovely being at anchor and swimming, paddle boarding, and exploring the nearby village of Ferragudo. In all of this relaxing, Gill and I did do some essential boat maintenance. Working against a strong current, we spent half an hour scrapping off marine growth just above the waterline.
After a few days of total relaxation, we headed for Faro which took us about 6hours - my longest journey so far! There were lovely swells but it was really hot. I saw a couple of dolphins which was really exciting! Overall the journey went well apart from a few hours of feeling a bit nauseous, I was very relieved to get to our anchorage at Ilha de Culatra and jump into the ocean to cool off.
We have been here since Tuesday and have been exploring the little island, Olhão and Faro. We've had sundowners, lots of swims and paddle boarding. I have entertained Gill with some synchronised swimming, paddle board yoga (with a few hilarious falls). Tomorrow is my last day here, so we plan to do more of the same... We'll head to the beach tomorrow morning for a few hours of sun bathing and swimming before heading back for a siesta and final packing. This has been such a great week and one that has been very relaxing. Until next time Silver Lining!!!