Quinta da Mimosa
Monchique, Portugal
desde 1990
PT | ENG
Quinta da Mimosa
Monchique, Portugal
desde 1990
PT | ENG
Towns & Villages
After exploring the sleepy town of Monchique, there are many mor places just waiting to be explored. But before you head off on that family road trip, make sure you sample some of Monchique's unique delights such as the little Chocolate shop just up the road from Monchique Parish Church or sample some of the local tipple. Monchique is the home of Medronho, Portugal's fire water that is made from the strawberry like fruit of the Arbutus trees that grow all over the mountains. Much of it is made moonshine fashion in backyard stills deep in the forests and if you get to try a shot, the best way to drink it is in one swallow and then wait for the afterburner to ignite! A much tamer version is Meloso, or Medronho Com Mel which has the fire taken out of it by being sweetened with honey and flavoured with cinnamon making it quite a pleasant liqueur. Some restaurants will offer a complimentary tot of either, after your meal. Alternatively the National drink has to be Vinho de Porto or Madeira Wine, a centuries old drink favoured by many around the world including Rasputin Russia's mad monk. However its important to note that here in Portugal Drink Driving limits may be different to other countries with a limit of 0.3g. After a drink and a meal an energetic walk up the winding road to the old convent high above the town is well worth the journey. The gardener there may let you look around the ruins if you buy some fresh fruit or vegetables from him, and who knows he may even give you a guided tour in Portuguese. Officially known as the Convento de Nossa Senhora do Desterro, it was damaged in the 1755 earthquake which ruined much of the country. Today it stands as a reminder of the towns historic past.
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Portimao
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Silves - The Algarve's Former Capital
Portimao is a big and busy port. Look out for the sardine restaurants on the quayside upriver of the old road bridge. There are some huge free car parks in this area and Portimão pedestrian areas and shops are within walking distance so don’t pay to park in town. Hot chestnut vendors (long since gone from England) still cook on Smokey braziers along the pedestrian streets so for a euro or so you can get a true taste of the past. The car parks on the riverfront near the bus stops, but these are now charging but are not too expensive. The municipal market is worth a visit where in the big modern building you will find huge areas of fresh fruit and vegetables and freshly caught fish being sold by dozens of vendors as well as the biggest selection of fresh meat you will have ever seen. There is a big car park under the market and you can stay up to an hour free. Across the estuary from Portimao is Ferragudo, a particularly pretty village with waterfront restaurants and the same laid back atmosphere you will find in most of the Algarve as well as some secluded beaches.
Aqua Portimao is one of Europe’s biggest shopping malls. Only opened in spring 2011, it is about 15 – 20 minutes drive from the villa it has 1800 free parking spaces underneath a vast range of shops including a very big Primark store and a hypermarket. On the top level is the food court with a large open air seating area where they often have entertainment in the evenings and it is a free WIFI zone. Close by this is another mall which is popular with ladies from the UK as it has a C&A store. Also in Portimao is a big Continente hypermarket complex, lidl's, Aldi, Macdonalds and Barclays.
SILVES It is possible to get a boat trip between Portimão and Silves along the picturesque River Arade.
At Silves, you will find an ancient castle and the Cathedral. The castle was once an important fortress when Silves was the capital of the Algarve. It is open to the public for a small fee and the views from its ramparts are hard to beat. If visiting the Cathedral and castle, look out for the gift shop/café near the castle gates which has nice quality linen gifts and the café bar seats are old motorbike saddles. Alternatively, have a coffee at the nearby café, Casa Inglés and you may meet a small friendly dog who “sings” whenever the church bell rings! Silves has a couple of useful supermarkets, the Continente and also a Lidl. Near Silves is a lovely lake (follow signs to the barragem (google earth co-ordinates: 37.2396, -8.377) on the main road toward Messines) in the nearby hills.
LAGOS is a lovely historic town and port. There is an interesting museum in the old church in the centre of town and the original slave market is near the seafront. There are some good coffee bars and cafes and surprisingly, the marina cafes are not expensive. One of the bars even offers customers free ‘phone calls to landline numbers! There are miles of secluded and sandy beaches nearby just waiting for you to discover them. Cat lovers should take some cat food with them to the end of the road, past the marina and boatyards where there is a purpose built house for stray moggies!
Different types of watersports can be booked at Lagos marina. These range from surfing and waterskiing to dolphin watching cruises and river trips, from exploring coastal caves to trips on old pirate ships, modern yachts or powerboats. We would recommend going in one of the smaller cheaper boats that will take you right into the sea caves and show you the weird and wonderful sculptures provided by nature.
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Further Afield
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Consider making the trip to the Eastern Algarve and Spain, but make sure your car is insured to go to Spain. On the Portuguese side of the river is Vila Real de St. Antonio where you can buy bargains in bedding and glassware aimed at the Spanish and then cross the big suspension bridge into Spain and visit the town of Ayamonte where you can buy bargains which are aimed at the Portuguese! Alternatively, take the ferryboat over from the centre of the Vila Real waterfront, a good trip for about 4 euros return, but do make sure not to miss the last boat back!
If you have time on the way home, stop off at Tavira, a picturesque old town with a Roman bridge over the river or stop at Faro, where you can climb to the top of the Cathedral bell tower in the centre of the old town or if you want nightmares, visit the gruesome Chapel of Bones in the beautiful gold encrusted church Igreja do Carmo! On the N125 road towards Albufeira there are a couple of big waterslide parks as well as Zoomarine Nearer to the villa there is a waterslide park at Lagoa and if you missed the Chapel of Bones at Faro, there is a smaller bone chapel beside the parish church at Alcantarilha in Silves district.
A full day out will allow you to visit Portugal's Stonehenge, the Cromeleque dos Almendres. This is one of Europe's largest Neolithic sites and dates from about 5000 BC. Located near Evora it comprises of about 95 granite stones and its free to visit. In Evora, the Cathedral offers another Bone Chapel, though this is the largest of all and well worth a visit, thousands of human skulls make up the entire church and ceilings, it even has what one may call the most beautiful church in Portugal which could give St. Peter's a run for its money.
For those of you with deep religious belief, the Shrine of Fátima located 341 km north is well worth a visit. This is the site of the 1917 Maranian apparition where the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children at Cova da Ira. Today a large Cathedral stands near the chapel of apparitions which has daily services and nightly candle lit vigils. Nearby the Shrine of Fátima is the village of Ajustreal where you can visit the homes of the three children; Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia dos Santos.
A little closer to home is the capital of Lisbon and the city of Sintra - home to many Royal Palaces , once used by the Portuguese Monarchy. These include the picturesque Pena Palace, the national Palace of Sintra and Quinta da Regularia - also known as the Millionaires Mansion, a huge gothic palace with unique grounds associated with the Masonic Lodge and the famous Inverted Tower.
Easter Sunday in São Brás de Alportel
A sleepy town, a few miles north of Faro, comes to life at Easter. It is an amazing sight, even if you are not religious. Over a mile of the towns streets are made into a carpet of flowers and some making pictures and designs. Then the Church leaders head a parade through the town, accompanied by hundreds of young and old men (and women) carrying what they call Torches of flowers. This is followed by lots of festivities, eating and drinking!
Quinta da Mimosa
