I Run Like A Girl

After an amazing first week in Lisbon and Evora, I didn’t think our Portugal trip could get any better. Boy was I wrong. Joe and I enjoyed our second week on the sunny Southern coast of Portugal (aka the Algarve Coast). We were really looking forward to beach time after getting plenty of city & countryside scenery previously. 

We decided to stay in Carvoeiro for the entire week. We absolutely loved Carvoeiro as it truly had everything we look for while traveling. While it’s popular to road-trip across Portugal’s southern coast, we decided to stay in one place and get to know it very well. I’m so pleased with this decision. The way we traveled reminded me lot of all our trips to Sayulita (one of our favorite places to travel). We traveled slow while focusing on staying active and enjoying the natural scenery. Our recipe for a perfect trip. 🙂 

Day 9: Settling in + beach town vibes in Carvoeiro 

We drove from Evora to Carvoeiro in the morning, which took about 3 hours. We checked into our Airbnb which was a 15-minute walk uphill from the center of town. I enjoyed living away from town as it was peaceful and residential. Our Airbnb was very modest (especially compared to the 5-star wedding resort in Evora), but after settling in for a day I quickly enjoyed the local vibes we got from staying in the Airbnb. 

After settling in, we went out for a walk to town. As we walked down the hill, we saw the center of town, including Carvoeiro Beach and surrounding restaurants and villas. It looked right out of a postcard. It was a breathtaking moment, and I couldn’t believe we were spending the week here! 

Carvoeiro is a small beach town featuring many scenic sights and local residential charm. From a quick walk through town, it seemed more focused on natural scenery, slow living, and suited for families and couples. It seemed less focused on luxury accommodations, shopping, and nightlife. Carvoeiro had the perfect low-key vibe we were looking for.

We got drinks on the beach to kick off this portion of the trip. 🙂 

Then, we went grocery shopping at Intermarché for the week. Shopping here was a fun experience as we took our time translating the Portuguese brands. I love shopping for food in other countries as it’s another glimpse into the local culture. We loaded up on fresh fruit as it was so fresh! 

In the evening, we ate dinner in town and retired back to the Airbnb. Evenings were always a relaxing part of every day. I loved the feeling after taking a shower, cutting up some fruit, and watching movies until midnight. Sometimes it’s the simple things. 🙂 

Day 10: Special visitors + Seven Hanging Valleys Hike + Carvoeiro Boardwalk + Algar Seco Rocks 

The next morning, we had a special visitor. There was a stray cat at our doorstep. We noticed some stray cats around our place yesterday and tried to interact with them, but they were too scared. One black cat mustered the courage to say hi to us. We fed her boiled eggs and laid out some water. Thus, began a beautiful relationship. We “adopted” this one and two others! 

Over the course of the week, we laid out food for the cats, and they grew exponentially more comfortable with us. It was hard not to care for them, especially seeing how skinny they were. By the last few days, the 3 cats lived on our porch full time. Taking care of them was such a memorable part of our week as I looked forward to seeing them every day and growing our bond.  

The other two cats came as a pair (boy + girl). We called the girl “Loafy” as she was always the perfect, tiny loaf pressed up against the porch screen. We called the boy the pimp as he kept his distance and supervised Loafy while she worked her cuteness for food. 😉 

After breakfast with the cats, we set out for a hike at the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, one of the most popular hikes on the Algarve Coast. It’s an 8-mile out-and-back hike with beautiful coastal views the entire way. We didn’t do the entire hike as we wanted to take it easy and the views didn’t change much. 🙂 Nevertheless, I absolutely loved this walk as it was another “wow” moment of the trip. The southern coast was truly epic. 

We took our time walking on the rocky terrain and snapping photos. The scenery reminded me a lot of California’s coast — a blend of the towering cliffs in Northern California with the dry landscape of Southern California. Needless to say, we were in our element seeing such natural beauty here in Portugal. 

Some climbing happened. We may have gone off trail. 😉

After the hike, we ate lunch in town and rested in the afternoon. In the evening, we went right back out for more sightseeing. We walked to the Carvoeiro Boardwalk, a wooden walking path along the coast with views similar to the hike earlier. Joe thought the boardwalk was going to be like Coney Island, so you can imagine his surprise. 😛 

At the end of the boardwalk was Algar Seco, a collection of large rock formations and a popular tourist destination. It was a little crowded, but we had a blast climbing on all the different rocks and exploring the nooks and crannies. 

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant in the center of town. This might be unpopular, but we didn’t love Portuguese food! The cuisine focuses on highlighting simple ingredients, but it was a little bland for me. We resorted to Italian food almost every night.

See you in the next post, where I’ll share part 2 of this week!