Donna's Blog

Having spent a long time wanting to visit the infamous Algarve, Portugal, me and my partner can finally say that we have been on this trip! So I thought that I would share the journey with you all, in the hope that you will be inspired to visit the gorgeous coastline yourself. It really was a beautiful place!

We started off very worried when we were planning this trip. Even though the Algarve is a fairly affordable place, me and my husband Dan were a little worried that we couldn't quite make the cut. Luckily, by tapping into our shopping savvy sides, we managed to wrangle some great prices. I had booked the time off work a long time ago, so we decided to book our accommodation last minute, and we found some awesome parking deals with parking at airports, so we didn't have to worry too much about that cost either. It was fab!

Having booked in a week long getaway in a mediocre hotel, we were finally looking forward to the boat trip. We had decided to book in a private tour - expensive, I know - so that we could have the privacy and seclusion that we really wanted. Plus these are held on much smaller boats, meaning that we were able to skim in and out of caves, getting a close up of their build, rather than being on a bigger boat that cannot come close and is crammed full of tourists.



We went to see the Benagil Cave, whose beauty is actually very difficult to describe. Not only were the pale orange and pinkish rocks gorgeous to behold, but their curved shape - carved out over time by the waves that circulate them - was absolutely exquisite. The feeling of being on the water while watching a naturally dug out paradise was indescribable. Me and Dan were both in total awe. Plus watching the beach from the ocean is always something that fascinates me and Dan, and boy did the beach look beautiful. We were so lucky with the weather, it all looked totally fantastic!

After exploring the cave and goggling at the gorgeous fish who paddled beneath its surface, we decided to head back to the golden and inviting shores. All in all the journey was very captivating, and it was certainly one that we won’t soon forget! When we got back to land we decided to head for some food and wine (of course). The entire evening was delicious, and we kept reminiscing about the beauty of the Benagil Caves and how we were right to go private! The seclusion made the whole experience very magical for us both!

I would definitely recommend this trip to couples. The atmosphere of the Algarve is really communal and inclusive. All of the people there were so wonderfully welcoming and kind that I am even considering moving there one day.

If you are looking for a boat trip with a difference then this is certainly for you! It really has had a profound influence on me and Dan!

Sailing has been something that me and my husband have been enjoying as a pastime for many years now, and do you know what? It has been wonderful not just because of the obvious health benefits that come with it, but also in terms of our relationship too! I can't tell you how many good times we have had on board. Even though it can sometimes be a little tricky to get up and go - especially when you are doing more difficult or exercise orientated trips - it is always one hundred percent worth it in the end.

We absolutely love sailing, and we love all of the memories that come with it. So I thought I would take the time to share with you why sailing is good for you, and why you should start doing it too!

It can be a really cheap pass time

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to spend a lot of money on expensive boating gear, or even a boat, in order to enjoy sailing. Renting a paddle boat, a kayak, or a day sailing is actually pretty good value, especially when you compare it to an all inclusive holiday! Plus you can easily get equipment using promo codes for boating goods and other outdoors tools. So it doesn't have to cost a lot!



Solitude and time to think

Sailing, especially when you are on board a larger boat with accommodating weather conditions, can give you the solitude, calm and time to muse that you really need. Being able to look back at the land from the water can be a very spiritual feeling, and I know that I really do tend to enjoy the time that it gives me to think. It is commonly held knowledge that fresh air and nature gives people the opportunity for reflection, and this is no different when it comes to sailing.

It really does help to build communication

If you are sailing with someone, whether it is a team, a group of friends or as a couple, it can really help to bring you and others together. Not only are you able to spend good quality time together, but it also forces you to utilise your team working, your communication and actionable skills too. If you are sailing in treacherous conditions, then the feeling of working together really does come into play. This has been one of the reasons that mine and my husbands relationship has strengthened since we began sailing. We have really harnessed the power of teamwork!

You can get very mucky

There really is nothing like getting a little mucky! Having sticky salt ridden hair, no makeup on and getting a bit wet is good for us! It can be really liberating to have the the wind in your face and not care about how you look!

Nature and the fresh air

Being in the midst of the fresh air and natural world really is one of the best things for us, and boy does sailing force us among mother nature's wonders! Not only is this good for us mentally, but it also strengthens us physically as well! Who wouldn't want that!




There are so many reasons why sailing is good for us. Not only is it great physically and mentally, but it can also help us to build communication skills, teamwork and strengthen our relationships too! I am so happy that me and Dan found sailing, it has been the centre of our lives for so long and I have no doubt that it will continue to be!

Me and Dan (my partner for all intensive purposes) have decided that it is time to start planning a summer trip away! But where should we go? We actually have a few really cool ideas at the moment, and we just need to get them sorted into which ones we want to do the most! I thought we might put together a list of all the trips that we want to go on throughout our life, and then slowly but surely tick them all off!

Here are a few of the places that we want to visit this summer, but if anyone out there has some better options then please do let me know! We are planning on using online discounts and promo codes in order to make the whole thing a bit more affordable! Some of these trips can end up being a little too expensive!

#1 Yachting in Athens

I love Greece, but I have only ever visited the destination as an in land tourist. How wonderful would it be to visit as a skipper?! There are plenty of boating packages available, but me and Dan have our heart set on yachting! I love the idea of watching the coast of Greece pass us by as we lull around drinking wine and eating cheese! Fabulous!



#2 The Caribbean

Sailing the Caribbean, like a real life pirate, is one of those trips that sits atop my bucket list. You need to have an RYA skipper qualification to do this and, luckily for me, Dan already has one from his personal trips with friends! Great! I love the exporative aspect that this holiday would bring for us! Who would want anything other than a day spent boating with your better half while sipping on rum?

#3 Devon

We have been sailing in Devon plenty of times before, but we just can't resist going back over and over again. The homeliness of Devon and the absolute openness of the boating community is something truly amazing. Me and Dan want to move there one day! But for now we visit in short trips, weekends and holidays!

#4 The Nile and Boating

That's right, you can fully sail down the infamous river Nile! Now if that isn't on every boaters wish list then I don't know what is! Me and Dan would LOVE to do this one, even though I know it is going to be a little tiring and maybe even scary! What an awesome sailing experience to have though!



#5 Sailing Scotland

Said to be one of the most scenic places to travel in the UK and making it up and on to our relaxing sailing trips list, is Scotland! Me and Dan have been looking into doing a semi-sailing and semi-walking holiday in Scotland for years! Maybe this year is the year that we actually do it!


So these are some of the ideas that me and Dan have at the moment. The problem is that of time. We just don't have the time (or the money) to tick all of these things off of our bucket list in one go! Plus the list seems to be growing my the day! We'll have to pick one. I want to go to the Caribbean!

Where would you go if you could choose one?

Or do you have somewhere even better??

I'd love to know!

I have always loved Devon. As a place of rural beauty surrounded by crumbling cliffs and wildlife galore, it really is one of my favourite places on earth to set sail! And when better to do it than in the windy wet weather upon the Finnmaster? It was liberating!

After spending the preceding afternoon exploring the local cafes and - of course - treating ourselves to a wholesome fish and chips, me and my partner Dan set to sleep early in the hope that we could spend the better part of the day on the boat. We don't do much onboard, aside from watch the coastline trail past us. We have never been massively into the hardcore boating scene, and it really is more Dan who likes the technical side of it. I prefer to soak up the smell of fresh salt air while watching the waves crash.

I have to admit, this was probably the best day that I have had in a long time. Since we began boating, we always wanted it to stay something that was cool, collected and calm. Unlike other boaters who relish in the technicalities and wildness of the experience, we simply want to relax while bobbing up and down on the waves. That is exactly what this day was. An unfathomable state of calm washed over both me and Dan, despite the windy whether. We had a packed lunch on the boat, and I drank a little wine too. It was wonderful, just to get away from the intense lifestyle that we lead in the city. It made us both realise that we want to be down here one day, with a boat of our own, rather than just borrowing them from friends.

Luckily for us, we have a cruise booked in in June. We got it nice and cheap after using some cool discounts that Dan found online with a nifty little site called My Favourite Voucher Codes. This means that in the interim between now and then, at least we have something seabound to look forward to.

We seem to have a tough time away from the water, I wonder if anyone feels the same? There’s just something about being by the ocean that makes us both relax, and we get on a whole lot more too. It’s like the lifestyle of it all just makes sense to us. I always look forward to our trips away, and it isn't just ocean boating that we love either. We recently travelled to the Forest of Dean and tried out some kayaking. Though a lot more stamina inducing, we did have a whole lot of fun! Plus the surrounding woodlands and forest are just beautiful!

So I guess this is just my first little blog post. I am using this platform to record my experiences on the water, though I am a little more spiritual about it compared with other boaters! I hope to be able to look back through these one day and remind myself of all the amazing experiences me and Dan have had on our trips to the water. I just hope I can get to grips with the platform, I can be a little tech naive sometimes!

That’s it for now. Until the next time!