ThePADDLER 30
At the side of the car park ,
a few traders are selling fresh orange juice , fruit and freshly made sandwiches to order , and that was my breakfast sorted with a few treats for Ella before padding to the Benagil Caves .
PRAIA DA MARINHA
Very nice views from the top with two impressive arches in the sea ( some pics taken ; it looks a shape of a heart ). Paddle towards the arches until you reach Benagil Cave which takes about 45 minutes to an hour on each side , but you can always stop at the small deserted beaches . There are many small caves on the way ; in some of them , you can get inside and rest .
PRAIA DE BENAGIL
If you want to see the famous cave , you can park nearby at a car park up on the hill , which is then a short walk down to the beach with your board , or you can also hire a board and go on a guided tour of the caves and paddle inside ( maybe 10 minutes each side ). There are better caves , less famous around the coast , and fewer boats and people , a SUP explorers paradise .
A beach cafe at Praia de Benagil serves a fabulous lunch ; you can relax there with a coffee ice-cream or cold beer and water for your ‘ fur baby ’ ( Ella ).
My next stop was Carvoeiro which was a short drive , so we parked for the night and experienced the most spectacular views from the cliffs ; there is a fabulous boardwalk with breathtaking views – the sunset from there is spectacular .
Praia de Carvoeiro was a short walk from where I had parked , with lots of restaurants , bars and shops where I could buy fresh fruit , food and water ; there were also toilets and showers near the beach , which I used before returning to my van , - saving water was a must for me on the whole tour . On the way back to the van , I had the pleasure of experiencing the most fantastic sunset overlooking Carvoeiro before a relaxing beer with a lovely German couple parked next to me . When they arrived , the first thing they said to me was would you like an ouzo , and I , of course , said yes , please . I later asked them why ouzo , and they said there was an offer in Lidl that they couldn ’ t refuse with two complimentary glasses !