A bridge too far?

Well, it is, isn't it?

Well, it’s long, isn’t it?

I had no idea that it would be so long!  But then, I’d only ever seen it from the sky as I flew over the Algarve.  I knew it to be a part of the swish resort of Quinta do Lago.  Not my usual stamping ground, but curiosity impelled me to take a closer look.

Parking alongside a selection of resplendent villas at Vale do Garrao, I descended some steps and followed the path around the salt marsh in the direction of the sea.

Vale do Garrao in the distance

The villas at Vale do Garrao

Sure enough, there was the beach

Sure enough, there was the beach

Not too many people to share it with!

Not too many people to share it with on a January day

I plonked myself down for 10 minutes, to enjoy the gentle warmth and the glinting sea.  Then it was time to head off along the beach, in search of the bridge.

And there it was!

And there it was, bridging the gap across the lagoon.

In the far distance, Praia de Faro

In the far distance, Praia de Faro

A burst of colour awaits at Quinta do Lago

And on the shoreline, a riot of colour

While the bridge stretched all the way back to the beach

The bridge stretches all the way back to the beach

This is Quinta do Lago

But now we’re in elegant Quinta do Lago

From the map it looked as though there was a footpath to where the car was parked.  Otherwise it would be a long walk back along the beach.   Following the path, I was surprised to discover a large saltwater lake, with pedal boats tied up for the Winter.

The lake and the country club

The lake and the country club

Back in the land of unaffordable housing

Back in the land of unaffordable housing

But the flora and fauna are free

But the flora and fauna are free

And the bird life in the marshes

And the bird life in the marshes

The colours melting into one another

The colours of nature, sublime!

It just goes to show that you don’t need a pot of money to enjoy the Algarve.  The beauty is all around you and it’s free.  The walk took just a couple of hours and the sun was beginning to dip as I returned.

Flying home, I didn’t see the foot bridge, but I did get a hazy shot of the road bridge out to Praia de Faro.  It was a little cloudy, so not too sad to leave!

The road across the Ria Formosa to Praia de Faro

The road across the Ria Formosa to Praia de Faro

And from another angle

And from another angle

81 comments

  1. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : São Lourenço Trail | restlessjo

  5. non conoscevo questa zona dell’Algarve, ne sono rimasta affascinata, certo questo è dovuto anche alla bellezza delle tue foto…il fiore rosa è la lantana ibrida, non conosco il nome di quello con i fiorellini gialli dovrebbe appartenere alla famiglia delle succulente, per caso ne conosci il nome?

    I did not know this area of Algarve, I was fascinated, of course this is also due to the beauty of your photos … the pink flower is the lantana hybrid, do not know the name of the one with the yellow flowers should belong to the family of Succulents, by any chance do you know the name?

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    1. Buon giorno Ventis 🙂 After conferring with the expert (Michael) I can tell you that it is buddleia madagascarensia. Phew! Another mission accomplished 🙂 It is a beautiful area, but a little exclusive for me with my patched jeans.
      Hope you’re well, and happy 🙂

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      1. grazie a te e a Michael ( ma è tuo marito l’esperto in botanica?) così mi sono appuntata il nome della bella buddleia che dal nome latino sembra provenire dal Madagascar, scusa il ritardo, non riuscivo più a trovare il post, ha ha

        Thanks to you and Michael (but your husband is an expert in Botany?) so I pinned the name of bella buddleia that from Latin name seems to come from Madagascar, sorry for the delay, I could no longer find the post, ha ha

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      2. Now I’m confused, lovely Ventis 🙂 Do you use Pinterest? I will look when I visit your site soon.
        Michael designs gardens so is very interested in plants. If he doesn’t know the name he will search till he finds it. To me, it’s a nice yellow flower 🙂
        Big hugs, cara! Hope you have a beautiful weekend.

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    1. Are you meeting up with Marianne, Christine? You’re much closer to her haunts. I’ve just done a piece for another blog which features some of the border with Spain. When it’s published I’ll send you a link. Can’t remember your itinerary but I’ll look it up. Too much to see…always! 🙂

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      1. we might meet Marianne, I will email her the dates soon, now they are decided, and see if anything matches with her …. we are not going very well learning Spanish … will have to try harder!

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    1. I’m thinking I should have something booked, Madhu, but Michael’s business is busy right now so he’s “riding the wave”. It’ll soon fall quiet again. Maybe I should go and look at flights right NOW! 🙂

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