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Sagres and Cape St Vincent
Right out to the west and only 15-minutes drive from Salema is
the port of Sagres and the spectacular headland of Cape
St Vincent, the most south
westerly point in continental Europe. The ancient mariners, including Christopher
Columbus, Sir Francis Drake and Lord Nelson, passed by here on their voyages
of exploration and called this the end of the world!
Sagres became the headquarters for Prince Henry the Navigator
in the 15th century. Here he assembled the best seafaring heads
in Europe to push back
the frontiers of the known world before he sailed west to discover the ‘New
World’ on the other side of the Atlantic.
It can be a powerful sensation to sit quietly on the westerly
cliff top at sunset and almost hear the hissing as the sun settles
into the sea.
Silves
Situated in the foothills of the Serra de Monchique, Silves
was once a city of glittering minarets, bustling bazaars
and the Moorish capital
of
the Algarve. It has the best-preserved castle in the entire region
and the scene of horrific medieval battles between Christians and
Islamic Moors. Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land played an
important
role
in the
re conquest of the Algarve in the 13th century. A few of those
who fell in battle are entombed in the cathedral next to
the castle.
Today, Silves is a quiet market town in the midst of the Algarve’s
main citrus growing and cork processing area. The town has a
lively market,
lovely
shops and two festivals each year celebrating oranges and beer!
Monchique
Inland from Salema is Monchique, a small market town set in beautiful
hills and forests of cork oaks. Here the air is cooler, and the
journey up into the hills makes a nice break from the hot coast
during the summer months. You will see cork oak trees where the
bark has been cut away with the cork piled up to dry. The shops
are full of local produce, including baskets, rough woollen sweaters,
soft leather slippers, honey and medronho the local firewater!
Six kilometres south and 300m below Monchique is the spa village
of Caldas de Monchique, nestling in a beautiful wooded ravine
surrounded by cork, oak, pine and eucalyptus trees. This is a haven
of tranquillity
and has been a spa for over 2000 years, where you can swim in
the famous spring water.
Eight kilometres above Monchique is the rocky summit of Foia,
Algarve’s
highest point at 900m. The winding road up to Foia is lined by
restaurants famous for their barbecued chicken piri-piri. |
