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The rest of the day was mostly dirt tracks and faster roads winding through the Algarve hills, until at last we glimpsed the sea. At one point, we overtook a truck, and the two women inside waved and smiled warmly as they passed us later, a lovely gesture of welcome.
At long last, we reached the end of the ACT track. It was an incredible feeling to finish, and we were congratulated by two Brits we’ d met earlier near Belver, as well as other fellow travellers. One of the group shared that they’ d enjoyed some of day four’ s off-road tracks and had a brilliant time on Portugal’ s scenic tarmac roads too. It was great to trade stories, even if we forgot to exchange names!
We found a café still serving food, what a relief, as I was starving! Omelettes and fresh salad hit the spot. After a walk to the beach lookout and some photos, we decided to head inland to Almodôvar for quieter, more affordable accommodation, as the touristy Algarve isn’ t really our thing. We made a booking and set off.
On arrival at Casa de Campo Corvos e Cadavais, we were greeted by the owner and her dog, and shown to a spacious room, all for € 60. We arranged breakfast for 7:30am the following morning, with plans to visit our friend Aida.
After a simple breakfast, we set off on a 300km tarmac ride, reaching Aida ' s place by 2pm, no mean feat on a DR650! It was wonderful to catch up with Aida and meet her partner,
Dom, who together run‘ Do Epic Rides’, specialising in one-to-one off-road tuition. We did laundry, had a good chat, and went for an impromptu ride after Kelvin serviced his Kove. I borrowed their KTM 350cc, and despite being well out of my comfort zone, I gave it a good go!
The sand was unlike anything I ' d ridden before, super soft and very deep in places, which made for a few tumbles but thankfully soft landings. Though sweating and aching, I had a fantastic time, and Aida and Dom’ s tips were invaluable. The highlight was cresting a hill above Praia do Salgado as the sun set, feeling elated and grateful for this unforgettable finale to our Portugal adventure. SP
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