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PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER KAIN
Despite being so close to the more developed parts of the Algarve, the eastern
coast remains largely untouched by mass tourism. In a single day you can eat charcoal
grilled sardines with the locals, discover genuine Portuguese fishing ports, Roman
saltpans, award-winning white beaches, Moorish architecture and see the rare web-footed
Algarve water dog. What are you waiting for?
By Carolyn Kain.
It’s surprising that so few visitors to the Algarve travel east of Faro.
Despite the ease of access via the new motorway, it remains virtually undeveloped
and yet is so charming. The natural beauty of the coast and inland areas are worth
exploration and reveal much more about the real Portugal, its history and its
people than any of the resort towns further west.
The approach when flying into Faro often follows the coastal nature reserve
of the Rio Formosa and even a glimpse, from the air, is enough to inspire curiosity.
It is a wonderfully unspoilt area that stretches eastwards for 40 kilometres,
almost as far as the Spanish border. There are sand bank islands and sand bars
creating tranquil lagoons and estuary formations that are constantly transformed
by the tides.
At Quinta de Marim, close to the town of Olhão, there are walking trails
through the reserve, where it is possible to enjoy the splendour of this natural
wilderness. The resident population of birds increases during autumn and spring
with many species calling in on their migratory routes. Flamingos, White Storks
and Black-Winged Stilts are familiar sights throughout the year and seeing such
large and spectacular birds in their natural habitat is not to be forgotten.
There is also a working tidal mill on the reserve and inside this splendidly
restored building there are six great millstones, grinding grain. There’s
also the remains of Roman saltpans, where 2,000 years ago sea water was evaporated
to leave behind the salt, important at that time for preserving foodstuffs. These
are familiar features all along the coast and even today there is a commercial
industry in salt production.
The Research and Visitor centres at Quinta de Marim highlight the importance
of this wildlife haven. A breeding programme of the rare Algarve water dog has
been undertaken here. These attractive and placid animals look like large poodles
but have webbed feet enabling them to swim with great efficiency and dive to depths
of six metres. They were previously a common sight in the Algarve, working on
fishing boats where they assisted with the nets.
The nearby town of Olhão is a genuine Portuguese fishing port complete
with an early morning fish market on the quay. Its traditional way of life far
outweighs its beauty though it has some worthwhile features. The flat- roofed
houses of the old fishermen’s quarters are Arab in design and are not found
anywhere else on the Algarve. The town has had long standing connections with
equivalent fishing ports, across the water in Morocco, where these flat roofs
are a common sight and used for drying fish in the sunshine.
Beyond Olhão is the handsome and historic town of Tavira. It is one
of the most fascinating places in the Algarve and it has almost certainly been
inhabited for the last 4,000 years. The picture-postcard bridge that crosses the
River Gilão in the centre of town is a perfect vantage point to admire
the ornate 16th century houses and neat little cafés that line the river’s
banks. The old Municipal Market situated on the quayside has recently been transformed
into an exclusive arcade of shops and eating establishments, some with views across
the river. In the clear water, shoals of shining fish flash by and at low tide
when the river almost empties, locals can be seen digging for clams, a popular
gastronomic indulgence often eaten in a stew with pork.
The old walled city of Tavira, situated on the hill is a treasure trove of
architectural interest, with a great deal of excavation still taking place. The
period of Moorish domination of the Algarve is well represented since they were
rulers here for 500 years. It is an entirely captivating experience to thread
a route through narrow cobbled streets, remembering that this was an important
Moorish citadel. Once they were expelled it was common throughout the whole of
Portugal for Islamic mosques to be converted into churches, which were then renamed
Igreja Santa Maria. There is a fine example of such a church in the centre of
the old city.
Travelling further on along the coast are the hamlets of Cacela Velha and Fabricá.
A lone restaurant called O Costa stands right on the lagoon beach at Fabricá.
It serves delicious, unrivalled fish dishes. The dourada, an Atlantic sea bream,
is a succulent white fish that is so fresh it could almost swim off the plate
back into the ocean, just a few
Tavira is one of the most fascinating places in the Algarve which has been
inhabited for the last 4,000 years metres away! From this point the coastal sand
bar and the nature reserve come to an end.
The next place of significance is Monte Gordo, set on an expansive white beach,
where there is a string of bars and cafés. These are casual places, mostly
dominated by Portuguese visitors eating sardines on crusty bread – the correct
way of enjoying these charcoal grilled specialities. This is the only town on
the eastern Algarve coast that has a rather gaudy holiday atmosphere, with several
hotels, a casino and one tall apartment block. Once on the glorious beach, looking
out to sea and the distant coast of the Costa de la Luz in Spain, it’s easy
to understand why this resort is so popular with the Portuguese.
Further eastwards still is the River Guadiana, a majestic waterway that forms
the border with Spain. On the Portuguese side is Vila Real, a smart little town
rebuilt in just five months during the 18th century, following its earlier destruction
by a tidal wave. Its perfectly geometric grid-like streets and the exact architectural
symmetry of the buildings were a modern innovation at the time. When the town
was completed, it was forbidden for residents to place a plant pot on a windowsill,
since this would spoil the carefully designed equilibrium! Even today, when sitting
in the town square of the Marques de Pombal, the eccentric autocrat who commissioned
the re-building of Vila Real, there is still a striking sense of order. A ferry
from here makes frequent crossings to the delightful town of Ayamonte in Spain.
For just a few euros, a car and passengers can be transported to another country
on the Central European time zone (add one hour)!
The trip takes only 20 minutes, first passing the castle of the Knights of Christ
and the colossal fortress of São Sebastião at Castro Marim. The
modern motorway suspension bridge that crosses the Guadiana looks particularly
impressive from the river and after a plate or two of genuine Spanish tapas in
Ayamonte, it makes a convenient route for the return journey back to Portugal.
A tour inland along the Portuguese bank of the River Guadiana is another rare
experience with some magnificent viewing points along the way. The landscape is
dramatic and yet the vegetation is very southern European; hillsides are covered
with aromatic bushes of Gum Cistus, and there are cultivated fields of olive and
fig trees, small vineyards and fences grown from Prickly Pear Cactus plants. There
is no equivalent road on the Spanish side of the river but the huge fortress of
Sanlúcar de Guadiana, which was built to intimidate the Portuguese, looks
both impregnable and imposing!
The town of Alcoutim has its own inland beach, created by a man-made dam forming
a sheltered haven
Not to be outdone, on the Portuguese side is the town of Alcoutim, which has
two castles of its own. One is 12th-century with Moorish origins and the other
dates from the 14th century. This is another town with a past that is long enough
to absorb any avid historian and there are plenty of small cafés, high
up on the riverside, to keep a yacht-spotter or a people-watcher entertained!
The town’s population of 400 includes several boat- owners, who will take
visitors on excursions up and down the Guadiana.
This little town quite surprisingly has its own inland beach, created by a
man-made dam, to form a sheltered haven away from river currents and turbulent
tides. White sand and all the other necessary amenities have been transported
to the site, where they complement the natural habitat of giant reeds and papyrus.
The quality of the water is pure and silky; the EU, which has recently awarded
169 prestigious Blue Flags to beaches in Portugal, has presented one of them to
this unusual spot in Alcoutim.
Also in town is the beautiful Estalagem do Guadiana, situated as its name suggests,
on the riverbank. The indoor dining room and outdoor rooftop restaurant, 'Panoramico’,
have elegant charm and serve real Portuguese cuisine. The wild boar and the ancient
lamprey may well end up on your plate – but these culinary delicacies depend
upon the season. However good the food, it is the scenery that is the ultimate
delight.
The high road from Alcoutim back to the coast runs parallel to the Guadiana
route but takes in a different scenery of pine- covered hillsides and the natural
park of Mata Nacional Terras da Ordem. The route leads along the edge of the Odeleite
reservoir and travels onwards until crossing the length of the dam’s wall.
The views stretch up the flooded valley and the sun sets dramatically at its western
end. The return journey on the motorway, when leaving any of these lovely places,
is a quick and convenient conclusion to an unforgettable eastern experience! RH
Useful numbers
Estalagem do Guadiana, Alcoutim.
Tel: +351 281 540 120
Restaurante 'O Costa’ at Fabricá.
Tel: +351 281 951 467
Castleo at Castro Marim.
Tel: +351 281 510 740
Parque Natural at Olhão.
Tel: +351 289 704 134/5
HOTEL QUINTA DO LAGO
8135-024 ALMANCIL ALGARVE PORTUGAL
TEL. +351 289 350350 - FAX +351 289 396393
www.quintadolagohotel.com
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