Back in 2017, before Covid, before Trump my instagram account was full of beautiful places to visit. 2 places that popped up on my feed were the castle at Ferragudo and the Benagil Caves. Planning started and 2018 was our first visit for 10 days and quickly followed by a month in 2019. We had found our spot lol. Then covid, then some medical issues, 3 more grandbabies and guess what we are finally back in 2026. On our list we have added some new spots, but top of the list are Ferragudo and Benagil.

Our visit to Ferragudo was a little chilly, but it wasn’t stopping us. The market square which is full of little restaurants was still there and crazy busy for March. Lots of Canadians filling the chairs and tables. All wearing layers of clothes with maple leaf pins and hats. Sitting under big umbrellas laughing, the weather wasn’t stopping them. You could hear snippets of conversation, most of it about the weather back in Ontario lol.

Our drinks appeared at the same time as the heavens opened up, we huddled under umbrellas, scampered into restaurants and 15 minutes later it cleared. Lunch was delish and the laughter contagious as we wiped off chairs to continue our chatter.

A town of fishermen on the Arade river, their beautiful boats still dot the riverbank. Tourism has now mingled with the fishing industry to make this a busy little town. The last time I was here was a beautiful blue day, surprisingly I am enjoying my pictures with that moody sky look.

After lunch we headed through town, lots of little narrow streets, filled with tourist shops meandering up and down the hilly lanes. There is not much on the west side of the Algarve that doesn’t include a hill and cliffs. My walking sticks are wearing out lol.

The tide was in so we couldn’t walk around the Forte de São João do Arade, built in the 1500’s, it is now a private residence. The town is hoping to turn it into a cultural centre, but as you can imagine the expense would be huge.

We drove up to the top of the castle and walked down to the beach on the other side. Some lovely changes from our last visit, including a lovely beach side restaurant looking out onto the mouth of the river. I continued my walk, not only do I love all the holes/caves in the rocks, but I collect rocks and things that the waves have left behind. The treasures from the sea, you can just picture them being tumbled in the waves and then deposited on the shore for someone like me to find lol.

Sorry for all the pictures, I am loving my new camera and after my sabbatical from blogging, I’m glad to be back.