A region in the South of Portugal, Algarve is beautiful and picturesque. If you arrive by plane, during the landing you can already admire the beautiful scenery full of colors. I was lucky enough to have a window seat and I was already enchanted during the landing. The coast consists of numerous cliffs of interesting shapes and colors, which give a truly extraordinary impression.

Algarve attracts tourists because of its climate: the number of sunny days per year compared to the rest of Europe is very high. Even in winter the temperature does not drop below 10 degrees. We chose a hotel in Carvoeiro, hired a car and went! We visited almost the entire coast from Faro following west to Sagres, the southernmost point of Europe. Despite being pregnant I could easily travel and visit places, since the climate is just perfect: very hot, but with a refreshing breeze from the ocean. We were in the Algarve at the end of August and beginning of September, so in the summer, and that was a perfect time in every aspect. The only exception was the freezing cold ocean water.

We visited most of the coastal towns and Algarve stood out as so beautiful. My favorite place was definitely Lagos, its old town with a history of a slave market, the beach, but I also liked it because from there we went by boat to see the dolphins. It was an incredible moment, as these wonderful mammals accompanied us during the cruise, coming back and forth, they were so free, but so friendly. Even though some years have passed since this trip, the Lagos dolphins are still in my heart. Another tourist attraction for me were the storks. Going under a bridge near Portimao before noon, when there is low tide, we saw a lot of storks who sought the frogs in the muddy places where there is high tide in the afternoon. Great views and a unique experience: so many storks in one place.

In Algarve I ate a steak served on a hot stone for the first time in my life. First they put huge bibs on us, then they gave us a hot stone with a piece of raw meat on it that we had to “fry” according to our tastes. We also ate delicious fish there, but almost all the restaurants served the same sides: potatoes, carrots and green beans.