Road trip through Portugal • rmf

I attended the Elixir hands-on meeting in Lisbon, Portugal this summer. This gave me an opportunity to visit Lisbon and take a road trip through Portugal.

I had never been to Lisbon before, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. But, Lisbon was absolutely lovely. The weather was not too hot and the cute winding streets were charming and bustling with people. Parts of the city are hilly and scenic viewpoints are everywhere. The city is full of historic buildings, museums, restaurants and cafes. I thought the Maritime museum was very interesting. The food was reasonably priced and delicious. I also happened to be in perfect time for the Lisbon street festivals which meant that there were parties and dancing in the streets almost all through the city.

Views of Lisbon.

After the conference, I rented a car and drove down South to Algarve exploring the countryside.

Views from the countryside.

There are several beautiful sandy beaches along the west coast as well as the South. Few of them that I visited were Praia da Zambujeira do Mar, Praia de Odeceixe, Praia da Cordoama and Praia do Zavial.

Views of various beaches.

Cape St. Vincent (Farol do Cabo de São Vicente) is the Southwestern tip of Portugal, which also happens to be the most Southwestern point of continental Europe. The lighthouse and rocky cliffs are magnificent. I arrived here in the evening just before sunset. The golden hour was amazing and then out of nowhere, the fog came in. The heavy fog drifting across the cliffs and over the peninsula was an amazing sight from the drone.

Views around Cape St. Vicente.

The coastal areas around Lagos, Portimão and Faro have rather interesting rock formations and cave systems. Some of them are Benagil caves (Algar de Benagil), Marinha beach (Praia da Marinha), Arco de Albandeira and Algar Seco. I stayed in Albufeira for a couple of days to check out the attractions. I also went on a dolphin watching trip which was exciting.