When crafting our family’s itineraries for our travels, I struggle to find the balance between seeing the famous tourist spots and trying to capture the true essence of where we go. Having lived in both London and a small town in Italy for short spurts, I became quite proud of the fact that I was an “immersive traveler.” I didn’t want to rush from photo stop to photo stop merely to put a check in a box and come back to my American ways unchallenged and unchanged. I wanted to really know a culture.Â
Fast forward to today…
Of course, I still prefer to travel that way. I want to leave a country knowing its spirit and heart; I want my kids to be challenged and changed by the experience. But our travel is squeezed into small hunks of vacation breaks. How is it possible to be an immersive traveler in this relationship with time?
It’s hard. Our trip to Portugal was an example of how I try to thread that needle, whether successfully or not.
When planning our family trip to Portugal, we knew Lisbon and Sintra would take space on our itinerary. But we had a few extra days to fill. The questions was: where?
We could have hit the incredibly popular town of Porto. It appears on Best Of lists all over.
But, instead, we opted for a small town on the coast.
Part of this was due to weather (we were traveling in November) but part of this was wanting to stray a bit more off the beaten path and see a different side of Portugal – not just the big cities. After researching many different Algarve coast towns, we felt that Lagos was the right one for us, and booked it.
After a chaotic extraction of ourselves, our rental car, our luggage and our groceries from our Lisbon apartment, we started to drive through and down Portugal.
Driving through the back country of Portugal provided a new vision of the country we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Dry hills with dripping olives, burnt grass with scraggly cows, miles and miles of empty highway… It was a trip that let us see the heart of Portugal more clearly.
We arrived in Lagos, weary and worn from a long day of travel (with some stops to see Evora along the way).
Of course, Lagos isn’t new to tourism. I am aware it’s hardly a sleepy, undiscovered hamlet. It is one of the most visited cities on the Algarve coast due to what it offers: beaches, history, nightlife, and natural beauty. But it is also known to be quieter than the other options available. And our time in the off-season proved that Lagos is bustling with people who live, work, love and hurt there. It’s not just beach-goers.
Interestingly, the topography reminded us our time on the California coast.
We walked the Ponta da Piedade, looking out at the numbing emptiness of the sea and fragile rock arches.
But Lagos, Portugal is immensely different from California, too. Due to its location, its human history began over 2,000 years ago. It was a place where trade thrived and goods entered this part of the world (including, tragically, the start of the slave trade). It has been conquered by Celts, Phoenicians, Moors and more. Vasco da Gama launched here.
I can’t even begin to comprehend the diverse footsteps that walked where my Target-shoed feet traversed.
A surprising aspect of Lagos is that, while still a hotspot for tourists, it has maintained a phenomenal sense of charm and personality. Tiled streets meander around gift shops offering any Ronaldo jersey option you could think of; there are Portuguese men sitting at sidewalk cafes smoking cigars; notices for the town’s upcoming holiday festivities were being posted on doorways.
We moved slower here than we did in Lisbon. There were fewer destinations to “conquer.” We made spur of the moment decisions as to which beach we wanted to walk to and when. We lounged outside our patio apartment talking with the property’s owner about American politics, COVID, and kindness.
There was a different Portugal here.
Where (and what) to Eat in Lagos, Portugal
I know I have mentioned this many times, but we cook more at our lodging and bring picnics than eat out when we travel. But in Lagos, we did treat ourselves to one nice meal at Camilo.
The table sat at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the blue waters and boats going in and out. A pick-your-fresh-fish table was laid out at the front (much to the obsession of my kids).
Inspired by the salty air, I ordered fresh oysters. They were different than my PEI oysters, but still the purest form of ocean available for a human to eat.
After driving through acres of olives on our way to Lagos, I wanted to taste them.
They were different – briny, not as meaty, but certainly as tasteful as the sun and ocean meeting together should be.
Where to Stay in Lagos, Portugal
When planning, I was amazed to see how cheap lodging was. We found a highly rated AirBnB for, at the time, under $100/night. While warmer temperatures would have given us more opportunity to enjoy the grounds (the pool and the BBQ patio looked divine), the boys still loved the freedom to play in the spaces created by the owner’s children and swat the ball around the tennis court.
Everything here was comfortable and relaxed. We enjoyed the owner, Tunje, every much. Mr. Family Trip and I absorbed her story and view of the world (particularly America). It was as close to immersive travel as I can get these days.
The place did throw us a few surprises. We didn’t have any temperature control! Or potable water!
I was quite nervous about the lack of heat, as it was set to get cold. But the thickness of the walls kept us bundled up tight and it wasn’t a problem in the least.
Tunje made sure we had jugs of water, even though guests are technically encouraged to bring and purchase their own. Throughout the Algarve coast, salt water leaches through the aquifer, making the water coming out of the faucets throughout the region undrinkable.
On the evening before we were set to head back to the Libson airport and home, we visited Meia Praia. This large, long beach had ample parking and more than enough sand to entertain my children for hours.
The weather was chilly so we were bundled up, but it still reminded us of our Wilmington days of living on the coast. I was reminded how people all over the world live differently but are filled by the same things – the same hopes, desires and dreams. Wherever we go or whatever language we speak, the sun still sets on our frail human hearts.
Visiting Portugal with my family was a trip I was glad to have planned, even with COVID upending expectations and adding layers of complications. From the city alleys of Lisbon to the hidden lagoons of Lagos, I felt we explored many sides of this unique country.