If you’ve ever googled images of Ferragudo, you must have seen pictures like these – it’s got to be the most photographed bouganvillea in Ferragudo, if not the Algarve.
So, here are ours. It really is wonderful and perfectly situated on “pretty street”, the picturesque Rua Doutor Luiz António dos Santos in the old village…
We’ve had a great day out at the beach! If you’re staying in Ferragudo, the beach club NoSoloÁgua is just a few minutes away by car – or by water taxi, which is our favourite way to go. From the water taxi, you get a fantastic views of the castle with Praia Agrinha and Praia Grande either side. Also a good view of Praia da Roche marina as the taxi approaches. NoSoloÁgua is only a couple of minutes walk from the taxi stop.
At NoSoloÁgua, you can choose to go either beachside or poolside, both are lovely, although we prefer beachside with sunbeds right on the beach. After relaxing for an hour or so, enjoying a swim and a drink or two, we dined in the beachside restaurant. Lots of menu options – on a special occasion we went for the 100 suchi platter – wow!
Check out the NoSoloÁgua website for details: https://nosoloagua.com/nsaptm/
We have an great variety of restaurants appearing in the square in Ferragudo – European brasserie style menus, Italian, Indian, Kebab. Fusion burgers, just off the square, is newly opened offering a range of homemade beef, chicken and fish burgers. Another new choice, which we sampled last night, is at Sunsubiro – already with a great Thai food menu for most evenings, Thursdays is now Indian curry night. Very much enjoyed!
This place is a must for anyone taking a trip through the mountains behind Ferragudo. You can stop off on your way up or down from the highest point at Fóia – but the lovely little spa town of Caldas de Monchique is really worth a visit of its own, with very interesting architecture, thermal spa, surrounded by wonderful countryside. All this and it only takes around 30 minutes to get there by car!
Most of the hotels belong to the Spa Thermal Resort group, but we stayed overnight at the independent Albergaria do Lageado, which has beautiful tiered gardens and a swimming pool at the top. Not 5 star luxury but a lovely old building, spotlessly clean, with delightful hosts who were proud to tell us some of the history and serve local dishes and wine.
We strolled through the streets enjoying the architecture and then followed the steps to the source of the spring, very peaceful even with plenty of places for picnics!
One of our favourite things to do is spend Sunday afternoon at Club Nau, watching the band over some food and a drink or two. The Covid-19 lockdown put an end to this for several weeks, but now “magic Sundays” are back!
Club Nau is a great beach-side restaurant/bar – enjoying a cocktail, looking out over the palms across Praia Grande’s beautiful white sand to the sea, you could easily be in a tropical paradise. The music is always good, as is the food and drink which is served by welcoming, friendly and efficient staff.
This week we went for the yummy prawns cooked in a tomato, garlic and herb sauce, along with a man-size Club Nau sandwich. More than enough for us to share – although as ever we were tempted by other menu offerings, including Club Nau’s delicious Sunday roast, which is a good as any we’ve eaten in the UK.
Even though it was busy, social distancing was very well managed, plenty of space between tables, cordoned walkways for entry/exit and access to the toilets and hand sanitiser everywhere. We felt safe and very able to enjoy the magic Sunday atmosphere. See video clip of the band, Mad Cats on our Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/p/CBs_dIwlTWE/ and check out https://www.club-nau.com/
The sun was shining, the evening was warm and Sunsubiro restaurant in Ferragudo’s village square was the ideal location. As if that’s not enough, we were there to taste new recipe dishes from the Thai menu. Tasty starters included a new addition, “Lettuce Platter” – I must say, I am thinking it needs a new name as this doesn’t do justice to the delicious chicken and mushroom combination with tamarind, ginger and spice dipping sauce! Followed by traditional Thai red, green and massaman curries cooked to perfection this was a real feast. Definitely a recommended evening out for anyone who loves Thai food.
During the day, Sunsubiro serve a good range of tapas of all kinds, including Thai, and light meals.
Food and drink prices are very reasonable and the staff are lovely and friendly. Sunsubiro is a good place to sit and enjoy the square at any time of day.
A trip to the mountains is a real treat. There are a couple of routes from Ferragudo, but whichever way you go it’s a drive through lovely countryside with spectacular views as you wind your way up the mountain.
Monchique itself is a small market town about two thirds of the way up to the peak of Fóia. With plenty of cobbled streets, restaurants and bars, it’s worth a visit on its own, or a stop-off for a couple of hours on the way to Fóia.
Fóia is the highest point of the Serra de Monchique and, at a height of 902 metres, actually the highest point on the Algarve. As you can imagine, the panoramic views across the south and west coasts are amazing. On a clear day you can see from Cape St. Vincent in the west, to Faro in the east and even to the Serra da Arrabida (near Lisbon) to the north. Drinks and snacks are available from the cafe and lots of local/artisanal products for sale in the craft centre and store.
After soaking up the views, it’s great to meander back down the mountain and stop off for lunch – several restaurants with fantastic views. One of our favourites is the last restaurant on the right (going up) or first on the left (going down). The Paraíso da Montanha has plenty of inside seating, but what we really love is to be at a table on the terrace. We’ve never ordered from the menu, simply ask for chicken piri piri which is delicious and comes with plenty of fries and salad. Sample some local olives and cheese whilst you’re waiting and wash it all down with a crisp vinho verde – what could be better?!
A regular menu item in restaurants, it can sometimes be a little predictable and boring. Not so at PortArade restaurant in the square in Ferragudo village, where we sat outside today. The tuna salad at PortArade is a generous portion with extra ingredients for a special taste. Great lunchtime light option – if you are hungrier, try the set price lunchtime menus which are good value and also include a drink!
Now the beaches have re-opened it’s great to see Taxi Ferry is also back in action. Catch this water taxi from Ferragudo village, just past the fishing boats and opposite Sueste restaurant. Just a few Euros will get you across the water to either Praia da Rocha (amazing beach and lots of restaurants, bars and shops) or over to Portimao town. Runs all day and very easy to book times for return journeys. What a great way to travel.
Check out their Facebook page or call them on +351 927 272 784
As well as the beach re-opening, it was Kalu’s first day open after a long period of covid-19 shutdown. One of our favourite places, we had to wander down to enjoy a glass of wine and a Dutch sausage special…mmmmmm!
Check out the Kalu Facebook page.
I Saw a Ship A-Sailing
Amazing Sunset
Algar Seco
Life Back in Ferragudo
