Cacela Velha and Other Delights







Took the peugeot to a few beach villages near the spanish border yesterday. First stop was Cacela Velha, a hamlet perched on a cliff overlooking the atlantic. Fields of wildflowers and olive trees on both sides, this is a magical untouched (by tourism) peaceful 18th century town. The phoenicians and Moors used this spot until it was taken over by the Knights of Santiago in 1240 (thanks Portugal travel guide). We continued east along the coastal highway, and ended up in the last town before the Spanish border. Vila Real de Santa Antonio is an important fishing port for the Algarve coast, and has mega cafes with a long list of seafood dishes (grilled sardines, garlic shrimp, clams, mussells, etc). Along with a ton of seafood for sale, there were also old wooden primary colored fussball tables lined up infront of the cafes. We ended up sharing a bottle of white wine (all wine is under $4.00!) and a bowl of amazing fresh green olives (much like the buttery french lucques variety). yum.

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