We reward our hard work by heading to Praia do Barril, a former fishing village on Tavira island that has been transformed into a beachside paradise.
Although it’s just along the coast from the busy resorts of the western Algarve such as Albufeira, the side east of Faro is relatively undiscovered, particularly by British tourists — but we’re missing out. The beaches are quiet, golden and stretch for miles.
This one is part of the Ria Formosa, a national park that spans 65 square miles, formed of islands and sandbanks that make for calm warm waters, perfect for swimming and boating.
The area was once known for its communities of hard-working men fishing for enormous Atlantic tuna, but now it is where the locals go to avoid the crowds.
My guide Vanda, who founded her tour company Algarve Treasures as a way to share the lesser-known delights of her region, explains how tourists rarely used to venture here, but that they are seeing an increasing demand for a more authentic type of tourism.
And that is what visitors find in Tavira. Known as the prettiest town on the Algarve, it is in fact situated on the mainland on the Gilão River, a few miles from the beach, and I spend the evening enjoying its whitewashed charm. It’s even quieter than usual thanks to the pandemic, but is rarely what you might call hectic.
Despite this, there is plenty to do and see, from the town’s 37 churches to its 12th century castle. The Jardim do Coreto, or bandstand garden, is an excellent place to people-watch and enjoy an ice-cream in the shade.
As the sun descended, we climbed the hill to the Santa Maria do Castelo church, enjoyed a glass of Algarvian wine on the terrace of restaurant and bar A Ver Tavira, and watched the colours change over the town’s terracotta rooftops.
Of course, a road trip wouldn’t be a road trip if you stayed in the same place, and our next stop awaited. Vila Real de Santo Antonio overlooks the waters of the Guadiana River, which forms the boundary between Portugal and Spain.
It was known as the global centre of the canned fish industry, and this wealth is still evident in its Belle Epoque-style riverfront and the large pleasure boats moored in its harbour. In fact, when the town was destroyed in the same 1755 earthquake that tore down Lisbon, the capital’s architect, the Marques de Pombal, was sent south to rebuild the town.
I stayed at the Grand House, formerly the Hotel Guadiana, the first hotel in south Portugal, which was refurbished in 2019. The only five-star hotel in the area, it certainly lives up to its name.
With Bose speakers and toiletries from CO Bigelow Apothecaries, the rooms are light, sophisticated and designed with a nod to the hotel’s golden age in the roaring twenties. Its well-stocked cocktail bar overlooks the river to Spain, as do a library, a canary-filled aviary and high-end restaurant.
As well as fish, the region is best known for its salt, and I head to nearby Castro Marim to meet Jorge Raiado, who took over his father-in-law’s salt pan 13 years ago. He produces the most coveted salt in the region, fleur de sel, harvesting it with a 12ft bamboo rake as it floats on top of a pool of brine.
The process is fascinating to watch, and he explains how his salt, as opposed to industrial salt, enhances the flavour of the local produce, sprinkling some on large beef tomatoes and pairing it with white wine.
Salt used to be most important for preserving local fish but Jorge is one of the farmers who have turned it into an industry of its own, and his product is in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world.
His next move is to open floating pans, allowing visitors to suspend themselves in the salty water and meditate under the Algarvian sun.
Heading back west, my last stop was Olhão, a traditional town near the capital of Faro. My home here was the Casa Fuzetta, a truly stunning 12-bedroom 19th-century property that was also recently refurbished.
With its rooftop pool, White Company linens and layered terraces and gardens, it is an oasis of pure luxury and the perfect place to rest my head.
Olhão is a destination with many personalities. Fishing is once again an important part of the area’s history; this is the largest port in the Algarve. Its morning markets, of which there are two, one for fish and one for produce, are famous across the region.
Diana, my guide for the day, explained how Olhão’s industrial heritage has influenced its food, its people, but most of all its artistic heritage.
The old factories and traditional lanes are now home to a trail of stunning street art, much of which depicts local legends and stories of how life once was. The town has attracted artisans from around the world, inspired by its gritty past and idiosyncratic aesthetic, and is proud of its quirky side.
Browsing boutiques stocked with locally made and designed arts and crafts is all the more enjoyable for the canopy of handmade patchwork fish and nets that are suspended above the main shopping thoroughfare.
As I walk through its labyrinthine centre admiring the myriad patterned tiles, I realise that not only do no two streets look the same, but no two stops on my trip have been the same either.
A world away from the resorts just a few miles along the coastline, the eastern Algarve has won me over with its substance, style and beauty. It truly is a secret hidden in plain sight.
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