Don Feidner

Southwest Iberian Coast

Last Update:   18 March 2013

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Southwest Iberian Coast Tour - Spain to Portugal

Part 4 - Portugal - Castro Marim - Armação de Pêra

ALGARVE

(Wikipedia) Die Algarve ist die südlichste Region Portugals. Die Algarve hat eine Fläche von 4.989 km² (5,59 % vom Festlands-Portugal) und rund 441.000 Einwohner (4,30 % vom Festlands-Portugal). Verwaltungstechnisch bildet die Algarve eine von sieben Regionen Portugals (Região do Algarve). Sie ist außerdem deckungsgleich mit der statistischen Subregion Algarve, der Metropolregion Algarve (Grande Área Metropolitana do Algarve) und dem Distrikt Faro, einem von 18 Distrikten des Landes (Distrito de Faro). Größte Stadt und Verwaltungssitz der Region ist Faro. Vor allem die Südküste der Algarve ist touristisch stark erschlossen.

Part 1 - Jerez de la Frontera to Seville

Part 2 - Seville, Andalucia - Plaza of Spain

Part 3 - Coria del Rio to the Portuguese Border

Part 5 - Portugal - Ferragudo - Portimao - Alvor

Part 6 - Portugal - Sagres - Lagos - Faro - Tavira

Rick and I entered Portugal in the town of Vila Real de San Antonio, the easternmost city in the Algarve. After visiting Castro Marim 3 km to the north, we took the train to Armação de Pêra.  
(From Wikipedia) The Algarve (which means "The West") is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal. It has an area of 5,412 square kilometres (2,090 sq mi) with approximately 451,005 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities. The region coincides with the Faro District, and has as its administrative centre the city of Faro, where both the region's international airport at Faro (FAO) and public university (the University of the Algarve) are located.

Tourism and related activities are extensive and make up the bulk of the Algarve's summer economy. Production of food, which includes fish and other seafood, fruit, oranges, carob beans, figs and almonds, is also economically important in the region. The Algarve is the most popular tourist destination in Portugal, and one of the most popular in Europe. Its population triples in the peak holiday season thanks to a high influx of visitors, and receives an average of 7 million foreign tourists each year. In total, including national visitors, almost 10 million people visit the Algarve every year.

The Algarve is currently the third richest region in Portugal, with a GDP per capita 86% of the European Union average.

0341 P1190096 Vila Real de San Antonio Portugal

Vila Real de Santo Antonio

0350 P1190113 Flamingos Castro Marim

Flamingos on the Road to Castro Marim

0356 P1190121 Stork Castro Marim

Stork Enjoying a Stroll

0363 P1190130 Castro Marim Portugal

Fortress in Castro Marim

0367 P1190134 Castro Marim Portugal

Cathedral in Castro Marim

0369b 20130208_161113 Fortaleza Castro Marim

Fortress Gate in Castro Marim

0372 P1190139 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Rick in Stocks

0378 P1190141 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Simple Furniture in the Chapel

0386 P1190146 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Inner Castle in the Fortress at Castro Marim

0393 P1190149 Castro Marim Portugal

View from Castle Wall

0394 P1190150 Castro Marim Portugal

Church in Castro Marim with Vila Real in Background

0411 P1190158 Orchard Castro Marim

Roman Tower and Farmhouse in Almond Orchard

0415 P1190163 Almond Blooms

Almond Bloom

0417 DSCN0209 Hanging Bikes

Hanging the Bikes was Not Easy

0429 DSCN0217 Coast Armacao de Pera

Beach near Senhora da Rocha

0430 P1190172 Lord's Bar1
0435 DSCN0218-2 Girl  Coast Armacao de Pera

Nice Place to Read a Book

0440 P1190183 Senhora da Rocha Armacao de Pera

Porcelain Walls and Bench in the Chapel

0442 DSCN0221 Coast Armacao de Pera

View to Armação de Pêra from the Chapel

The coast west of Armação de Pêra was treacherous for bikes, but well worth the view. We needed the bikes to return after hiking nearly 15 kilometers to the west of the city.

0446 DSCN0226 Coast Armacao de Pera

View from Above

0447 DSCN0227 Coast Armacao de Pera

Coast West of Armação de Pêra

0457 DSCN0234-1 Seagull Coast Armacao de Pera

Local Inhabitant

0459 P1190194 Armacao de Pera Coast

This Beach is Only for the Birds

0469 DSCN0238 Submarine Rock Coast Armacao de Pera

Sea Stack

0470 DSCN0240-1 Coast Armacao de Pera

Rick with “Submarine Rock”

Vila Real de Santo António is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal. Both the city and the municipality are the southeasternmost of Portugal. Vila Real de Santo António was founded after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

In the 12th century, the coastline area of Vila Real was inhabited by Megalithic tribes who constructed beehive tombs in the around Nora, near Cacela. The Romans, and much later the Arabs, made the settlement of Cacela an important village during their occupation of the territory, constructing fortifications to protect them from invading bands.

In the 17th century, the vila (town) of Santo António was an important frontier outpost, controlling commerce and developing the lucrative fishing grounds, there establishing canning and conservation industry. Vila Real de Santo António was a relatively recent community; the region was sparsely populated prior to its foundation and Cacela was the municipal seat of the existing municipality.

0344 20130208_103007 Camping Monte Gordo

Monte Gordo Camping

0352 P1190115 Flamingos Castro Marim

Flamingos in the Wilderness

0360 P1190127 Salt Hill Castro Marim

Mountain of Unrefined Salt from the Salines

For centuries, Castro Marim was the only large town guarding the border with Spain, and the settlements in the region were small and undefended. On 30 December 1773, during the reign of Joseph I, a royal decree ordering the creation of a new town at the tip of the Algarve.  Along the river, the customhouses (Portuguese: Alfândega), was one of the first buildings to be completed during the Pombaline reconstruction, to house the offices of the Sociedades das Pescarias (fishing associations/societies), and dividing the settlement in two. Vila Real de Santo António thrived on the growth of the fishing industry, which included the processing of species of tuna and sardine.

The new "Royal Town" of Santo António (Portuguese: Vila Real de Santo António) soon became the seat of the municipality, stripping the once important town of Cacela from this status.

In 1886, it became the first city in the Algarve to have gas lighting installed. As the fishing industry went into decline (around the 1960s), tourism quickly took over as the principal economic livelihood for many of its residents. The extensive stretches of sandy beaches attracted both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. Monte Gordo is particularly visitor-oriented, counting with many hotels, bars and a casino.

0364 P1190131 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Military Bastion in Castro Marim

0369 P1190136 Castro Marim Portugal

Path to Fortress in Castro Marim

0370 P1190137 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Fortress Entryway in Castro Marim

0371 P1190142 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Fortress Entryway in Castro Marim

0373 P1190138 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Chapel inside the Fortress

0383 P1190144 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Stable in the Fortress at Castro Marim

0388 20130208_153039 Fortaleza Castro Marim

Musem Depiction of Fortress

0408 P1190154 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Rick on the Castle Wall

0410 P1190157 Fort Castro Marim Portugal

Castle Wall with Ayamonte, Spain, in Background

0412 P1190160 Almond Tree Castro Marim

Almond Tree in Bloom

0416 DSCN0208-1 Train Vila Real de San Antonio

Boarding the Train in Vila Real

0420 DSCN0213-1 Beach Armacao de Pera

Armação de Pêra

Armação de Pêra is a Portuguese freguesia (parish) in the municipality of Silves. It is a popular tourist center with fine beaches, hotels, cafés and restaurants. The village is on a broad bay that stretches from Pont da Galé to Senhora da Rocha. Its beaches extend from Praia dos Pescadores or the Fishermans Beach, to Salomão beach, including those of Maré Grande and Beijinhos.

0425 P1190168 Senhora da Rocha Armacao de Pera

Senhora da Rocha (Lady of the Rock)

Until I visited Armação de Pêra, I didn’t know that the Lord had a bar, but there it is in black and white. Of course, like in Italy, a bar is not what you might think. A bar in Portugal is the same as in Italy - a cafe where you can get all kinds of things to drink - primarily coffee.

0436 P1190177 Girl reading Armacao de Pera

View to Beach from Senhora da Rocha

0439 P1190181 Senhora da Rocha Armacao de Pera

Senhora da Rocha

0441 P1190186 Senhora da Rocha Armacao de Pera

Senhora da Rocha - Inside the Chapel

0445 DSCN0224 Coast Armacao de Pera

Treacherous Hiking Trail

0454 DSCN0229-1 Coast Armacao de Pera

On the Cliff

0456 DSCN0232 Coast Armacao de Pera

Empty Beach West of Armação de Pêra

0463 P1190198 Armacao de Pera Coast

Natural Limestone Arch

0484 DSCN0241 Coast Armacao de Pera

Private Beach - At Least for Us

0487 P1190221 Armacao de Pera Coast
0485 DSCN0242-1 Coast Armacao de Pera

Private Beach - Taking Off my Shoes

0488 P1190224 Armacao de Pera Coast

Footprints in the Sand

0492 P1190230 Armacao de Pera Coast

Rick on the Private Beach

0493 DSCN0244-1 Algare Coast Armacao de Pera

View From The Cliff - Click the Picture

Algares, or natural pits, are peculiar forms of relief, shaped amongst the limestone rocks that make up the Algarve - the southern coast of Portugal.

These formations, associated with naturally eroded limestone geomorphology, include a series of cavites with a variety of shapes and sizes. They arose and evolved as a result of light chemical and mechanical erosion over millions of years.

Extensive fracturing of limestone structures encountered in this area facilitates the infiltration of rain water which, because of its high carbon dioxide content, becomes acidified and dissolves the limestone. This continual process progressively increases the cracks in both width and depth and gradually forms natural pits, known in Portugese as "algares".

These formations establish connections between the surface and the network of underground galleries and grottos. They are naturally extremely fragile and often reveal areas with kinds of natural consoles, as well as unstable ridges, disintegrating walls, etc. The pits occur due to the collapse of roofs of underground galleries.

0496 DSCN0249 Coast Armacao de Pera

Algare

0499 P1190233 Armacao de Pera Coast

Algare - Yours Truly Standing on the Roof

0500 P1190234 Armacao de Pera Coast

Large Algare - The area between Armacao de Pera and Portimao has the highest concentration of these pits.

0502 P1190236 Armacao de Pera Coast

Rick - Strolling Around the Algare

0506 DSCN0250 Coast Armacao de Pera

Taking a Break -  Drop of 100 Feet to the Sea

0509 P1190240 Armacao de Pera Coast

Fishing on the Edge -  What to Do with a Big One?

0513 P1190243 Arch Armacao de Pera Coast

At low tide, you can walk through this natural door.

0522 DSCN0261 Arch Coast Armacao de Pera

Natural Arch Between Armação de Pêra and Benagil

0529 P1190252 Armacao de Pera Coast

Natural Arch Between Armação de Pêra and Benagil

0525 DSCN0265 Coast Armacao de Pera

Rick - Dancing on the Arch

0563 P1190265 Flower bud
0564 Flower

Beach - Unreachable Except by Boat

0560 P1190278 Armacao de Pera Coast
0561 P1190279 Armacao de Pera Coast

Many of the beaches on the Algarve are inhabited only by seagulls who feed primarily on the fish in the turquoise sea.

0566 DSCN0276 Coast Armacao de Pera

In this area, it was rare to find a beach where one could descend to the ocean. Here, in the photo to the right, we were able to park our bicycles and go down steps for access to the beach below. And what a reward it was. The boy in the picture was swimming with his brother.

0569 P1190284 Armacao de Pera Coast
0578 P1190291 Seagull Armacao de Pera Coast

A Swimmer - February in 60°F Water

0572 DSCN0280 Seagull Coast Armacao de Pera
0581 P1190294 Armacao de Pera Coast
0579 P1190292 Armacao de Pera Coast

This beach was a very special beach, because there were several double arches and views that are unequalled in beauty on the Alrgave coast.

CIMG4934_Praia_da_Marinha
CIMG4882_Praia_de_Albandeira

Praia de Albandeira

Praia de Marinha

0594 DSCN0293 Benagil
0595 P1190300 Armacao de Pera

Benagil - The Last Beach at the End of the Day

Great Way to End the Day - A Good Meal at this Restaurant

Part 1 - Jerez de la Frontera to Seville

Part 2 - Seville, Andalucia - Plaza of Spain

Part 3 - Coria del Rio to the Portuguese Border

Part 5 - Portugal - Ferragudo - Portimao - Alvor

Part 6 - Portugal - Sagres - Lagos - Faro - Tavira

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