2024 Monte Gordo

We left Broughton, UK and flew to Faro Airport from Gatwick via British Airways. Since the flight was scheduled for 9:00am departure we had booked 1 night in the BLOC hotel at Gatwick as it is right by the Departures area inside the terminal and makes life easy!

Our Booking.com Taxi was waiting for us at Faro Arrivals and we were in Monte Gordo within 50 minutes as traffic was light. Sunshine at last!

Nice picturesque journey looking down the coast and up in the hills for most of the trip. Lots of one-way streets in Monte Gordo to get to apt.

We arrived at the 2 bed apartment and host had left the key in the inside apt door. Brought in bags and then went for a quick walk to the local SPAR supermarket and stocked up on basics and went back to apt. to sort out clothes and put away food.

​Link to AirBnB Listing

We then decided to walk to the promenade which was about 200yds from our apt past the Monte Gordo Tennis Club. Phone said temp was about 66F but the sun felt hot on your skin and probably could burn you if you were out for over 30 mins and not covered! The beaches were practically empty, which was nice.

Link to Vrbo Apartment Listing

We were both in bed by Thursday with a bad cold/cough with a pneumonia like rasping/rattling in chest. We had some medicine with us but ended up walking to the local pharmacy a couple of blocks away, a couple of days later to purchase more medication.

Its been a week since we started getting sick but we are better but still coughing and recovering:)

We walk along the Prom most days to catch the sun and get some fresh air but will explore more when we are nearly 100% recovered.

Its Thursday February 1st today - my eldest's birthday! Happy Birthday Troy XOX. Hope you have a great day :)

Friday February 2nd 2024

Walked to Monte Gordo train station to see how long it would take us...about 30 mins (see map). We intend, at some point, to take the train for a day trip to Tavira and also visit the previous place we stayed last year (2023) in Cabanas de Tavira. We also will be going to Villa Real de San Antonio which is next town over on the Spanish border on the River Guadiana, with Ayamonte the other side of the river in Spain. Trains are reasonable cheap in Portugal and you can buy mobile tickets and also change them which is quite handy,

Saturday February 3rd 2024

Did a big shop at the local Portugues AMANHEDER supermarket. 3 large bags of groceries and 2 x 6liter bottles of water ( nearly 10.5 pints per bottle - heavy!) total $35, so not too bad! On way back we passed the municipal Mercado and bought Carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, plums and apples for a total of $15.

We have been buying alkaline water with a pH of 9.5 (Monchique) which is a natural mineral water and one of the most natural alkaline in the world. Its been known for its healing powers since before Roman times.

CLICK HERE to find more info

February 16th 2024

Went for a walk to east end of the wooden promenade and to feed a carrot to the pony near the park there.

Slightly cloudy and breezy but nice in the sun:) More tourists around and more RVs in the camp sites. More sun loungers and parasols being set up on the beaches.

Still looking for Chameleons along the dune walks...may have to go out in the dark with a flashlight as we were told they move to ends of branches in the dark and its easier to see them!

February 17th 2024

Walked along frontage road along front past Yellow Hotel (the very large pyramid Hotel at east end of town) and Eurocar. Yellow Hotel is closed for refurbishment...although nobody was working there.
Past Hotel Vasco de Gama on the ocean side and the Monto Gordo Camping Park at the end of town.
There on the ocean side is a small park with benches/BBQ and a large carpark behind with walks to the ocean and also along the coast through the Pine trees and sand dunes.
​We took this route through the woods and did a loop back to the pony:) It was nearly 4 miles from our apt and back.
You can walk this way to the last town in Portugal before the Spainish border - Vila Real de St.Antonio on the Guadiana River.
Saw two small lizards but no chameleons :(

February 19th
Total we walked west along trail at end of town to a restaurant on the beach about 1.5 miles away.
It was really pretty walk and the Restaurant was open so we stopped for a beer and ice tea before coming back.
​Nice place for a break! See pics!
Saw a couple more lizards but no chameleons:)
Met a couple from Rutland UK who are RV ing and staying on the front just around the corner from us.
Hot today with just a mild breeze :)

February 20th
Walked through the woods/dunes west looking for Chameleons and went to the beach restaurant for a drink before walking back to Monte Gordo along the beach.

February 24th - Walk to Vila Real de St. Antonio (Spanish Border)
Today we walked to the Guadiana River which is the border to Spain.
We walked along the lower wooded National Park and then up to the road for the last few kilometers into the town.
Walked past the old lighthouse ( which I think is a museum but was not open) and up to the river.
We then walked north along the river to the Marina and then east through shops and restaurants. I can imagine that it is pretty busy here when full tourist season is here!
The ferry goes from the end of the Marina and takes about 15-20 mins to cross. The cost is about $2.50 each way depending on when you go. We may go across to Ayamonte in March, just to have a look around for the day. and will post Ferry crossing pics if we do:)
We walked out of town on the north road and came to Lidl Supermarket. We hit the woods/dunes north of the coastal road that we had walked into Vila Real on and back to the east end of Monte Gordo. About a 3 hr walk and 7 miles.
Recovering with a cup of tea and chocolate muffin!

February 28th
Walked across the town east to the Monte Gordo Camping/RV site and went north on the trails through the woods/dunes.
Turned east towards Vila Real de Saint Antonio and walked to within half a mile and then turned back west and crossed the main road to get to the southern part of the National Park close to the ocean.
Continued walking back in the woods until we got to edge of Monte Gordo, south of the Camping / RV Park and went to see Nucha to give her a carrot:). We stopped at the home made ice cream shop and had Brie Bruschetta, Chocolate Almond Crepe and 3 scoops of ice cream...After eight, lemon and caramel...Yummy! Then back past Mini Preceo Supermarket and made a hair appointment at a salon just across the road for tomorrow.

February 29th
Walked to hair salon for 11am appointment and got our hair cut short. Wendy got her's cut the shortest I have seen it!
​We then walked back along the sea front and went into the Basun Restaurant that we had walked past a few times.
Ordered an Angus beef burger with bacon, cheese and fried egg with fries with a latte and Wendy had Vegetable noodles and a Coke.
We had a latte each to finish off - total about $29 which I thought wasn't bad. Again, forgot to take pics of food :(
The Angus burger tasted really beefy and was really good:)

March 1st +
Walked on path through woods/dune to west up to our favorite beach restaurant and then another 300 yards to next restaurant along the beach to see what it was like. Lots of wildflowers along the way...will look them up but some looked like wild gerber daisies and mini chrysanthemums and a purple flower with leaves like a mallow.
There were a lot of people at the next restaurant which was right on the beach. I took a few photos and we walked back east towards our favorite restaurant, which is a hundred or two yards inland from the beach along a boardwalk.
There were only two people there and a large gull waiting to be fed on the balcony railing:)
Wendy ordered a chocolate something with ice cream and i had a tender garlic beef slice in a fresh panini type roll with french fries.
Walked back through woods looking for lizards and chameleons but saw none at all today.

March 23rd
We found a Cat/Dog sit just across the border in Spain at a small town called Villablanca. We decided to apply for the sit as we could explore the area, being a little inland and more away from tourist areas such as Ayamonte. We still want to visit Ayamonte so we may go back via ferry in the last week we are here.
Looks like we can either get ferry across to Ayamonte, Spain and then get the 318 bus to Villablanca. There are only 2 buses there and back each day. Checked Taxi pricing for the 30min ride and it was about $35 so we decided to go by taxi.
We may still try out bus back to Ayamonte then ferry across river to Vila Real de Santo Antonio and the walk back.

We had a sand storm come in from the Sahara which deposited red dust on everything and you could taste a powder in the air.
It looked like a smog over the town. Apparently it affected a lot of the Algarve and may even have got to the UK!

March 24th
Rain today and probably tomorrow as well. Forecast for our trip to Pet sit in Spain is 70 deg + but possibly more rain and thunderstorms...will see!
See the website for Villabanca: https://www.andalucia.org/en/villablanca
Hopefully get a few good pics to post :)

See our Villablanca Blog Page

March 28th - April 5th - Pet sit in Villablanca, Spain

We decided to book a Taxi to take us to Villablanca door to door, as it was about $28 each way and 30min trip.
Arrived around 11am so we could visit with hosts before they left around 1pm.
Light rain greeted us but we were treated to a car ride around the town to point out the various restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and vista points around the town.
They lived north of the town on a small hill overlooking the town. In the distance you could see the Guadiana river and the suspension bridge across to Portugal.
Archie the old Golden Doodle and Loki the shorthair cat greeted us as we entered.

Very rural area with lots of horticulture... a few buses to the nearest city, Ayamonte twice a day.
It was a 12 min walk downhill to El Jambon supermarket, and then a longer walk back up the hill with carrier bags!
There was a fenced dog park, a picnic area/park and plenty of walking trails but Archie couldnt walk too far so we tended to take him out for a 30-45min walk, come back then go for a hour or two walk ourselves.
Old restored windmills in town and up near us on the hill. (see pics)

We were spoilt for TV channel choice...US, UK and Euro channels were available so Wendy enjoyed the Snooker from Manchester but we were unable to see the Sunday final when we returned to Monte Gordo!

We were invited for lunch by friends of the host who lived in the same urbanization, just around the corner which was very nice! We will be meeting them again and our hosts when they drive over to us in Monte Gordo on Wednesday for a meal out!

Taxi picked us up on the Friday night to take us back to Monte Gordo.

Nice relaxing week!

See our Villablanca Blog Page

April 6th
Decided to go out for breakfast to our favorite local place, Basun - a Nepalese owned restaurant. Food is good and prices not bad.
Three Latte coffees, one double Cheese and tomato toasted sandwich and my English Breakfast - two eggs, two fried tomatoes, teo pork sausages, two slices of bacon, Lots of mushrooms and a bowl of baked beans. Finished off with two rounds of toast with strawberry jam :)
Total cost was less than $20!
Went for a walk along sea front and picked up a couple of 5.4 liter jugs of drinking water.
The new build apartments opposite our AirBnb had been laying cobbles outside when we left and they were all finished and looking good!

April 7th
Walked to the Bakery and pastry shop and had a nice hot Latte each and a pastry. Picked up a fresh loaf which they sliced for us.
Walked back along sea front wooden promenade and back tp Apt.
​Time for washing clothes!