For our summer trip with Mel and Dave, the planning started in September. Why? It was pretty simple, Vic and Mel were in Paris, Dave was in Tokyo, and I was in Toronto. I was on YYZ Deals, found a cheap flight for Lisbon and bang, we were committed to the trip around 9 months in advance!

The background story of why Portugal was so significant:

• Vic and I went to Portugal 2 years ago and fell in love. We originally landed in Lisbon, took a train to Sintra for a day trip, and then went to Porto for 4 days. To this day, if you ask either of us, we’ll both tell you that Portugal has been our absolutely favourite destination.
• Dave’s family originates from Portugal and he hadn’t been back for decades, so in a sense, this was him discovering his own heritage. And of course, this was Mel’s adopted culture as well.

We organized our trip into two parts. We spent half of the trip in Lisbon, and the other half of our trip in the Algarve region (the southern part of Portugal that includes many more beaches and a relaxed lifestyle).

Things to do in the Algarve

1. Take the train from Lisbon to Lagos

We ran into a slight predicament while we were in Portugal that turned out to be a random little adventure for us.  We scheduled in 4 days to be in the Algarve region, the most southern part of Portugal that is known for its beautiful beaches and waves. Vic and I had to take the train there because the rental car did not have space for the two of us plus all of our luggage. So our solution was to split up and then meet in Lagos where the AirBNB was. So we hop on the train and we’re on the way! My stupid-self did not ask anyone for help, assuming that you just hop on the train and go straight to Lagos. Last time when Vic and I went to Porto, it was the same thing. Hop on the train and it’s one destination. NO! WRONG! We were supposed to get off at Tunes and then transfer to a different train which would take us to Lagos. Instead, we sat on our train and just went all the way to Fado, and then had to buy new tickets to get to Lagos (direct this time).

During our break though, we both tried to be as productive as possible. Vic continued to read her book from Indigo, The Last Time I Saw You, while I recorded a podcast and caught up on a bit of reading of my own! Somehow we both ended up getting thrilling murder novels, as I brought The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz.  With all of our time in between destinations, I knew there would be a lot of down time so I figured it’d be a great opportunity for me to get back into reading, so I consulted the Indigo’s Summer Blockbusters list and The Sentence is Death just spoke to me. I’ve since finished listening to the rest of the novel via audio book in the Kobo app, super efficient!

2. Enjoy the city of Lagos

The city of Lagos itself is small, quaint, and frankly, very stunning. With a population hovering around 30-35 thousand people, the city is small enough that people know each other. We stayed in the older part of town where many other tourists stay as well. Stone-laid brick roads, old-fashioned architecture, and local cuisine made this area extremely desirable for us to stay in. We happened upon the Praia Batata, which is right by the city centre. Fortunately for us, it was low-tide season so we were able to explore the bottom of these massive cliffs!

There’s no better to enjoy a nice walk along the beach other than in shorts and a t-shirt, and that’s exactly what I did! As soon as we got to our AirBNB, I changed into my Gap Linen shorts and a GaptFit Breathe Long Sleeve T-Shirt and we hit the beach for a nice stroll before dinner. The light clothes made it a lot easier to walk around the low-tide beach so I could be comfortable before going to dinner.

3. Visit some other beaches in the area!

You don’t go to the Algarve without visiting all the beaches and cliffs that the area offers. My personal favourite was Ponta da Piedade, an area that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It was an absolute marvel of a site, where you can hike up to incredibly high peaks on or off the broken path!

We also visited other beaches like Praia do Carvodeiro and Praia da Marinha, just to chill and enjoy some beach time. I’m not the biggest fan of lounging around on a beach, but I’ll gladly take a day to relax and catch up on my own reading. Our most significant stop was kayaking into the Benagil Caves. We went early in the morning, and it was by far, my most frustrating day of the trip. We each went as a couple in our kayaks, with what was supposed to be only a 5 minute ride from the beach to Benagil Caves.

I am far from a comfortable swimmer, so when we went up and tried to hop on the kayak, Vic wanted me to go first so that she could push us out. Logical enough, except as we were leaving, we got hit with 5-6 massive waves! I don’t mean regular waves, but I mean body encompassing waves! It was super frustrating and scary because we had all of our camera equipment with us! The DSLR managed to survive, but the poor mirrorless camera was a goner. As we managed to get on to the beach, the kayak slammed on to my foot and I suffered a massive cut on my left foot, so needless to say, I was not a happy…kayaker…but the photos!

After a long day being soaked in salt water, it was great to go back to the AirBNB and using the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar to get all freshened up, and the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream to make sure my skin was well hydrated! Despite how humid the Algarves were, it was never enough when we were dipped in the water so all the hydrating products were drastically needed! One thing that I really enjoyed about the moisturizing cream was the ability to pump the cream out rather than having to squeeze a bottle or reach into a jar. The pump mechanism keeps your hands clean and is really easy to control!

4. DO NOT USE YOUR DRONES

I love to use our DJI Mavic Pro whenever we travel, it’s such a great way to get new perspectives. It also helps a lot when the local government is not as strict with its rules and regulations, so we’re able to fly it in non-populated areas. It was great when I was trying to capture images of the cliffs and beaches, until the drone was attacked! I know this sounds scary, something that you’d hear in the news. It wasn’t that extreme, but it was nonetheless attacked…by SEAGULLS! The skies were clear before I launched the drone, and then within 15 seconds, we were surrounded by 20-30 squalling birds! Needless to say, I had to maneuver the drone home.

5. Visit Faro

In our research, we found an absolutely stunning palace in Faro called Palacio de Estoi. The property is now used as a hotel and venue location, but the gardens are opened to public to roam in and enter, and that’s exactly what we did. We went in admired the beautiful artwork and the azulejos.

Make your way into the city to see the Capela de ossos, the Bone Chapel. This chapel was made with the bones of deceased members of the Church. The craftsmanship in the chapel was incredible and just a beautiful site to see.

This post is sponsored by Indigo, Gap, Ebates, and CeraVe, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.