Our first few nights took place in the coastal city of Lagos (pronounced lah-goosh), along the Algarve (Portugal's southern coast). We were in an apartment complex with a partial view of the ocean, fronting Praia Dona Ana - an amazing beach with towering cliffs. That first night was quite cold (50s and cloudy). We walked down to the beach and were greeted with an amazing rainbow.

We started our first morning with an electric Tuk Tuk tour with Nuno (https://www.tukanotuktours.com/sobrenos/). Elizabeth has been having some foot challenges in the run-up to our trip, and we wanted to ease into our explorations. Nuno was amazing, providing an overview of the city and plenty of historical context. He's 8th generation from Lagos and has tremendous love for his city. While a tourist town these days (plenty of English speakers abound), it's a historic port town that launched many naval excursions during Portugal’s extraordinary Age of Discovery. The old town's pretty cobbled lanes and picturesque squares and churches are enclosed by 16th-century walls. Beyond the walls is a modern but not overly unattractive sprawl and some truly fabulous beaches.

One of our goals for staying in the Algarve was to try our hand at surfing. Portugal has a strong surf culture, with huge waves on the west (Nazare) and approachable spots in the south. On our second day the kids and I (Josh) made it a reality. We took a lesson with Lagos Surf Safari (https://lagossurfsafari.com/). Our INCREDIBLE instructor, Igor, was a 20 something from Brazil whose father was on the pro surf circuit. He led the three of us plus a French mother and son. In the early morning Igor drove us in his company's van to Praia de Porto de Mós, a few minutes down the road. Praia de Porto de Mós is a gem. It's the second largest beach in the Lagos region, a long golden crescent with a huge cliff backdrop. The waves were an approachable 2-3'. We all got up on our boards, with varying degrees of success. Smiles all around, with tired bodies at the end of the three hours.

Day three found us heading east, driving about 45 minutes in the am to one of the most stunning beaches I've ever been to: Praia da Marinha. We parked at 10 am to a fairly empty lot, walked down the steps and were amazed by the small cove and empty beach, towering cliffs, caves, and sunshine. Elizabeth found a spot on the beach to read her book and the kids and I went on a kayak tour to explore one of the wonders of Portugal: Benagil Sea Cave. The Benagil Sea Cave is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in the Algarve and is also known as the Benagil Cathedral or Algar de Benagil (Portuguese name). Social media made this natural wonder in the Algarve super famous. It is popular and gets busy, but for good reason. We paddled for about 30 minutes, exploring small caves (timing with waves to paddle inside - listening to the "whoosh"), passing untouched beaches, watching birds, until we made it to Benagil Cave. it's a true sight to behold. Light streaming through the ceiling, a giant secret beach, a deep cave. Only kayaks tours are allowed to land at this time. Larger boats with tourists float at the entrance.

In the afternoon we headed inland to the city of Silves (pronounced Sil-VESH). Silves starts at Ria Arade, rising along winding backstreets and whitewashed buildings topped by terracotta roofs. At the top of the hill is the largest, and one of the best-preserved, castles of the Algarve. In the ancient Arab kingdom of the Algarve, Silves was the most important city, its capital. Today it's full of rich history presented in an approachable and not too touristy manner. In addition to a wonderful and inexpensive chicken lunch and self-guided tour of the castle, we had the pleasure of visiting Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Silves. The museum is centered around the Almóada Well-Cisterna of the 12th-13th centuries and is a jewel of Islamic heritage in Portugal. Completely clogged in the 16th century, the space would serve as a floor to a dwelling house in the 19th century. Brought to the light of day through the archaeological excavations of the 1980s, the cistern well was found to b in excellent condition and is a construction of the Almoad period. It's a rare work in Islamic architecture and unique example in Portugal, as well as the classification as a national monument. In addition to the well, we explored a variety of archaeological finds found in the region, providing us one of the themes of our trip - prehistory, Roman, Muslim, and modern period.

In the evening we returned to the Benagil Cave, but from above. We got there just in time for the sun to set over Praia de Benagil.

We had planned to stay two more nights in Lagos. However, the unit we were staying in was quite mildewy and it was impacted all of us. We decided to cut our time short and instead found a place in a small western beach town about halfway up the coast to Lisbon, Vila Nova de Milfontes.