Portimao anchorage
Thursdays Child
Robin & Joanna Minchin
Thu 16 Apr 2015 20:08
008.31.312W
Anchored at the entrance to Portimao
After a pretty uncomfortable roly~poly night at anchor, we decided that rather than moving we would spend most of the day ashore today.
On the eastern shore of the river is a small town called Ferragudo which is a working fishing port and compared dramatically to the brash tourist destination of Portimao which seemed "closed for business until July and August" ~ hotels and shops depressingly shut when we walked around Portimao yesterday. As a result Ferragudo felt much more alive with fishermen tending their nets on the quayside, selling directly to the restaurants and there felt a generally more relaxed atmosphere.
The children had a ball on an enormous sandy beach, making cuttlefish boats, rock pooling, scrambling, digging and generally feeling free and happy. As we only have a week left in Portugal, we treated ourselves to lunch ashore in a fish restaurant on the beach and had a delicious Sea bass, platter of Sardines and Calamari, wonderful.
Then a beautiful cliff walk with dramatic views across the bay and on down the coast past Lagos towards Cape St Vincent where Thursday's Child will be sailing next week. Harry managed a swim before we returned to the boat around 7pm for a spot of fishing (one exciting bite but nothing caught!), and a chilled out evening.
Much calmer swell this evening and off in the morning to Alvor :-)
