As we travel further up the West coast of Portugal we are struck by how much more remote this area is. We try to follow the coast as much as possible, driving along roads that run parallel to the sea, but oftentimes we cannot see the sea..it is obscured by huge sand dunes. So, when we come to a beautiful, unspoilt town like this it is a real joy.
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Sao Martinho do Porto. We stopped here for a coffee and yet another croissant...and to take in the view....[/caption][caption id="attachment_2854" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
A safe harbour if ever I saw one....[/caption][caption id="attachment_2855" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Now...that's just greedy!!! We just cannot imagine touring Portugal...or anywhere for that matter in this huge truck...especially given the state of the roads!!! But...I bet they have a luxurious HOT shower on board, and a proper loo, headroom, oven etc.....Nope! I still wouldn't want it...we love our small compact Bluebelle too much![/caption][caption id="attachment_2856" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
We drove through the town of Nazare....now a very quiet ghost town since the season has ended...to visit the beach that is famous for a surfer riding wave that was over 100ft! Not such huge waves today....[/caption]
From Nazare we followed the coast road, passing through Figuera da Foz ....before finding our stop for the night.[caption id="attachment_2858" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Seagulls taking refuge from the waves on a sand bank ...[/caption][caption id="attachment_2859" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Paragliders enjoying the warm sun, gentle breeze and an awesome view....[/caption][caption id="attachment_2863" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Endless golden sandy beaches....[/caption][caption id="attachment_2861" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
This gives you an idea of the roads we have been travelling today....we took the coast road, only to find that the tarmacked road ran out once we were out of a towns boundary...we then had to cope with whatever came our way, which was usually a potholed, rough surfaced track...until we came within throwing distance of another town, and then the road would miraculously be covered in lovely neat, smooth tarmac![/caption][caption id="attachment_2862" align="aligncenter" width="534"]
It took us a long time to find our resting place tonight...mainly because although we followed the coast road, there were very few access roads to the beach...eventually, once it was beginning to get dark and it was drizzling we found this place..somewhere between Praia de Quiaios and Praia da Tocha! Not the best place we have ever stayed, but nonetheless, we can still hear the sea...always a bonus![/caption]
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