Jo’s Monday walk : Culatra- an easy amble

I’m going to be a bit lazy for my first walk back with you.  After all, I’m still in the Algarve, nominally on holiday, but in fact testing out a new lifestyle to see if it suits me.  Many of you won’t be surprised to find that it does.  I have taken you to Ilha da Culatra before, but my Stroller friends were going there recently and I just had to tag along.  I’m sure you’ll see the attraction.

Culatra is an island of fisherfolk, but it doesn’t spurn the attention of tourists or beach worshippers who make the effort to cross over from the mainland.  I regularly promote Enjoy the Algarve, a monthly online magazine full of fascinating events and details.  Culatra features briefly this month and I thought you might like to see a little more.

Smooth as a millpond
Count the seabirds?
Boats for working and pleasure

Embarkation from Olhão is an easy affair.  Ida e volta will get you a return ticket.  We chose to disembark at Farol, the second port of call on this long, barrier island, guarded by a strut of a lighthouse with a red cap.

Weaving between a few cottages and a restaurant, almost immediately you reach the beach.

I couldn’t decide quite what the waves were jumping so playfully over, but they held me captive so that I had to scoot to catch up with the others.  Of course, you can linger at the beach for as long as you like, but the walkers are single-minded folk and food was a top priority.  A boardwalk turns inland, leading back to the village of Culatra, the first port of call.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the bougainvillea
You can feel the heat!
Abandoned?
Maybe I’d stay at this one
With it’s delicious flowers

To escape the heat of the sun there are several restaurants.  As usual I was more interested in my surroundings than food, so I grabbed a quick bite and set off again with my camera.

This villa was opposite my restaurant
The shells were set into the wall
Making a grand image
Another contender for favourite flower
Half a boat is better than none?
No idea who they support?
Here’s a clue
Another pot or two
And a simple veranda

It’s a very basic lifestyle.  Sand and sea rule and necessities have to be shipped from the shore.  As I’m writing this a thunderstorm is rattling overhead and I know that the islands are in the frontline for inclement weather.  Hard to imagine on a day like this, but I’ve heard this ocean roar.

It’s a gritty shoreline
With green hued urchins
Abandoned boats aplenty
And even acrobatic seagulls
And the distant gleam of sandbars

There’s an element of scruffiness that doesn’t suit everybody.  No manicured greens to tee off on here.  But I was highly amused to find, right by the water’s edge, a miniature football pitch.  Evidence of another Portuguese passion!

And then it’s time to make for the ferry, wending back past ochre houses, idle bikes and always a twist or two of flowers.

The still calm waters of Olhão await, Becky.  No changes yet!

I hope you’ve enjoyed being back in the Algarve with me.  I still have another week or so to go.  My daughter joins me on Sunday so I expect to be quite distracted but I’ll try to post another walk next week, and keep up with comments on this one.  Take good care till then!

Please find time to check out these walks, if you haven’t already done so.  Many thanks to all of you for your loyalty and support, even while I’ve been absent.  Special thanks to Meg and to Jude for lovely birthday surprises for me.

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I am a huge admirer of this lady’s work, so thank you very much for joining me, Debbie :

Street art galore

Another lady who always produces beautiful work.  Take yourself strolling with Susan :

A Saturday Stroll at Wave Hill

A Leisurely Sunday Stroll through Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery

I wonder what Jackie might have cooked up this week?

Home cookin’

There’s nothing like good company on a walk.  Tobias has a style all his own, and I love it :

Perigueux

Les Jardins d’Eau

Candy takes me to parts of Brittany I didn’t even know existed :

Pilgrim Route and Chapels

There’s much more to Birmingham than meets the eye, and you can rely on Becky to find it :

Dragons, Rags and Shiny Things

What’s Woolly been up to?  Keeping very busy!

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk39_Le-Hamel_Australian-Memorial

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk40_Le-Hamel_Australian-Memorial-2

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk41_Tank-Monument

Carol explores her own backyard, but Australia’s a big country :

Staying Up, Looking Out

I do love a garden, and Cadyluck Leedy has a really fine one to share :

Jo’s Monday Walk : Sandhills Horticultural Gardens

And a place I’ve always wanted to visit :

Jo’s Monday Walk : Mont Saint Michel, France

Why not try it Marsha’s way?  The scenery is beautiful, even if the company is grumpy :

Why We Didn’t Take the Train to the Grand Canyon from Sedona

How to Get Someone Out of a Grouchy Mood Even if you’re at the Grand Canyon

I wouldn’t have expected to miss fog, but Jude’s walk on misty Bodmin is hauntingly lovely :

The Cheesewring

And finally, Kaz gladdens the heart with a gazillion, glorious jacaranda!

Jacarandas of Woolloomooloo 

Much love to you all from my sunny Algarve home.  See you soon!

 

166 comments

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  5. Loved your wonderful photos, especially the one with the brilliant bougevvilla. We have a lavender colored one that is just starting to bloom. Enjoy the rest of your vacation in the Algarve.

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  7. Lovely photos Jo – Culatra looks a delight. Can relate to the wild weather that can sweep in off a westerly ocean – we get very strong south westerlies and gales and storms here especially in winter but sometimes other times. The strong south westerlies in summer bring in a welcome afternoon sea breeze – makes it so much more bearable though not if you want to sit on the beach! Enjoy the rest of your Algarve sojourn – have only just come back onto the blog today. It was all too hard whilst I was travelling and although I’ve been back about 10 days, there has been so much to catch up on not least our elder’s daughter’s 30th birthday celebrations last weekend. Now just have to try and organise Christmas…..! Hope all’s well with you and your family, take care xx 🙂

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    1. Hello, darlin! Lovely to hear from you. It’s been a hard time for you but life goes on and it’s good that you came back to a celebration. I’m expecting my daughter’s arrival later today and I couldn’t sleep for thinking about it. 🙂 🙂

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      1. Oh that’s lovely Jo – have a fabulous time with your daughter! One unexpected bonus of having to go back to the Uk unexpectedly was seeing my younger daughter Mlle! Unfortunately Monsieur missed out but he’ll see her next month when she’s back in Perth for Christmas. Have a lovely time with your daughter 😃😃

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    1. I’m not greatly looking forward to going home next Friday, Susan, but at least it will be the Christmas season and lots going on. I’ll have to get my thinking head together. 🙂 🙂 Many thanks to you!

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  11. I am telling you that this post almost made me weep I miss the sea so much. And those beautiful Algarve whites, yellows, and pinks against all that blue were icing on the cake. I will be back to sea soon enough, but right now it seems years away, so thank you for transporting me back there for just a moment. A very happy belated birthday to you.

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  12. Jo this looks absolutely perfect to me. Maybe it’s the fact that we are already well into snow and ice but the colour of the flowers , the building and the sea warm my chilly bones. Enjoy your time with your daughter. Such special time. Xo

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  13. Judging from this delightful stroll, I bet you’re having a great time. I love those weathered, yet somehow still vibrant, old fishing boats. And I swear that I can smell that sea air. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

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