Sagres, Algarve, Portugal

Surf schools at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal April 2023

Where Gods meet and cats can roam wild and free

Praia da Baleeira in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal april 2023

Finally I’m able to do a summary of my time in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal. Sagres is located at the southern most point of Portugal and Europe and is sometimes called the End of the World since in ancient times it was the last explored point of the then known world. Which is easy to understand when you visit, it’s just the sea beyond the cliffs of the town and it feels like you’re at the end of the known world.

After I got back from Portugal I’ve been so busy settling into my house up north in Sweden, this winter I’ve just been in and out of the house, I’ve been travelling so much I’ve sometimes hardly known where I spent the last weekend. There’s also so much to do with a house, it practically never ends. I sort of thought there would be less to do when the snow was gone, but no. Also, this thing with me setting up a web shop and choosing the right eCommerce platform is quite a task. Think I’ve finally made a decision which plattform I’m going to go with. More about that later.

Surfing at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal April 2023

Anyhow. Now I’m taking the time to get back to what I’m supposed to do, present my travels and tell you about one of the most amazing places in the world. I spent one week in Sagres, which means ‘Holy’ in Portuguese, and it really feels like a holy place and it’s holy to me. I love the dramatic Atlantic coastline in Portugal, just walking along the cliffs and taking in the sights. One morning while walking, one of the sights were two dolphins swimming in the sea right outside the cliff where I was standing. I guess I could have taken a dolphin watching boat but I enjoy it more seeing dolphins by accident. Now when I’m writing this the thought struck me again, “Who would have thought that I would get the chance to see dolphins swimming in the Atlantic?”. Not me growing up in the north of Sweden anyway. But here I am, sitting and writing about it. Amazing.

Even if it looks very dramatic you don’t have to be fit to roam around since there are paths along the cliffs and walking is very easy along the coastline. Of course, you can rent a MTB and go biking along the many trails there, or go for long treks, but I prefer walking and stopping here and there, having a coffee somewhere or stopping for lunch. The best walks ends up with me taking a swim in the Atlantic. The weather in Sagres in April was sunny and had the perfect temperature around 20-25 degrees Celsius, so you don’t get too warm while out during midday. The water temperature was nice, I have no idea how warm it was but it wasn’t as if I felt my feet freeze or anything. Just nice and refreshing, another great thing about swimming in Sagres is that the sea floor is made out of sand so you don risk getting reef cuts or so.

I would love to visit Sagres at other times of the year too since the climate is really nice, a taxi driver I spoke to said that it never gets cold and the winter has a great climate too. And of course, the summer seems perfect too especially as the Atlantic get a little bit warmer by then. But I would say, based on my two visits in October and April the weather in Sagres is perfect.

The infinity pool that is The Atlantic Ocean at Praia da Mareta, Sagres, Portugal, April 2023
Sunset in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, April 2023
Rocks stapled on top of each other at Farol de Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, April 2023

Above you can see The Atlantic Ocean where I was swimming every day, The Big Infinity Pool. And the sunset photo is one I took from the balcony in my apartment, I had to stop my yoga practice just to take a photo of the amazing evening sky. There are yoga schools in Sagres too but I prefer to do my practice by myself in my apartment since I’ve been doing it for so long and know it inside out. Or, even if I know my practice I never know how the asanas are going to feel since the body is different every day. It’s an understatement to say that I had a nice practice there, loved practicing with the balcony doors open glancing at the sea in front of me.

When I was walking on the cliffs on the grounds that is the old fortress of Sagres, Fortaleza de Sagres, I took the opportunity to place a stone at the top of the pyramid. In Zen practice the building of stone pyramids is supposed to honour the ones who came before me and remind me that I’m on the right path. I know there’s a lot of debate about the right or wrong of doing this, but I like it, the rocks were already there, not moved from anywhere and didn’t change the environment. And as a reminder to not take thing too seriously, the whole pyramid fell to the ground when a small girl, just minutes after I took the photo, accidentally made it fall to the ground.

The house full of hearts in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, April 2023
One of the many cats in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, April 2023
The cat that usually hangs out at Spar in Sagres, Portugal, April 2023

One of the first places I had to visit when I got back, since that was one of the highlights of my visit in October 2022, was the house full of hearts. And, it’s still there. Filled with hearts. I heard from a woman that the price for the land where the house sits is something like 4 million Euros. Personally, I hope that nobody buys it since I appreciate walking there so much and if somebody buys it they will most likely turn it into a luxury resort. And everything would change.

The reason why I call it the place where the Gods like to meet is because that’s what Sagres been known for.

“The name Sagres is derived from sagrado, meaning holy, a term coined by ancient civilizations who visited. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans believed this was the ideal gathering place for their gods, due to the absence of humans.”

And, if somebody buys the land where the house with the hearts is, there will be more people in Sagres, and the Gods won’t gather there anymore.

The other two photos are of the real Gods in my universe, some of the cats I met during my walks. The sleeping cat in the photo to the right is an old acquaintance of mine from my last visit, we met outside of Spar Supermarket in the centre of Sagres. One of the friendliest cats I’ve ever met, so safe and trusting. Sagres is an old fishing town, and when the fishermen had problems with mice they discovered that cats were the solution to their problems, and ever since, that cats of the fishing town is well cared for. Sagres is not only an old fishing town since Portugal in the 16th century was the largest commercial and naval empire which you can see the remains of in the old fort on top of one of the cliffs. Also. The three photos above, and the photo on top of the post, are all taken with my phone so, iPhone photography works.

Surfing at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal April 2023
Surf schools at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal April 2023
Surf schools at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal April 2023

Of course I took surf photos too. When the surroundings look like this it’s quite easy to get dramatic photographs. My surf photography has sort of developed to trying to capture as much as possible of the surroundings too. You can sort of make the photos more dramatic too. In the middle photo, that rock is not really as big as it looks. But the surfer is surfing very close to the rock. In the bottom photo you can see the old fortress on top of the rocks and you see some vistiors taking in the view from the cliffs. Generally surfing in Sagres is suitable for all levels, there are many surf schools there who cater for all levels of surfers.

Surfer in a barrel at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Portugal, April 2023
Bodyboard surfer at Praia do Tonel, Sagres, Portugal, April 2023

But sometimes, the surfer and the sea is enough to make a good photo. Then you can capture the skills of the surfer and the beauty of the sea. As I also had the chance to do.

So my time in Sagres was refreshing, relaxing and stimulating. And. I hope I get the chance to visit The End of The World sometime soon. Obrigado Sagres.

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125 responses to “Sagres, Algarve, Portugal”

  9. What a stunning place! Those cliffs are so majestic, and I’m so glad you got to witness those dolphins! How serene! Thank you for sharing.

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    • It really was great seeing the dolphins. At first I didn’t even know what I was seeing but then I remembered that there are dolphins in the sea outside Sagres 🐬🐬

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      • Yes 🙌 need the old school cool 😉 and by that I mean all the great museums that I’ve heard about. And also, discovering a new city is always fun. People say that, and I do too sometimes, that cities are becoming more similar but every city still has it’s own soul, you might have to look for it a little bit more but it’s there 😉

  15. Lovely post 😄💯🙏. Wonderful to see more of your beach adventuers on the shores of Portugal in Sagres, Algarve and the photos are truly capturing 🖼📸🤟😍. We just got a sample the last time but I am blown away by your top to bottom summary about your time there 👌👌👏😮.

    “There’s also so much to do with a house, it practically never ends. I sort of thought there would be less to do when the snow was gone, but no. Also, this thing with me setting up a web shop and choosing the right eCommerce platform is quite a task. Think I’ve finally made a decision which plattform I’m going to go with. More about that later.”

    You’ve defintely drove the point home here. You are usually out of your contry regurlary and you are basically the the only one that lives at you. So unless you really have enough time on your hands, it’s going to be quite challenging to manage some of these areas that you pointed out, and that’s the catch, yes you travel but you are also a Photographer and your Photography is how you make a living so you need to travel alot since it goes hand-in-hand with the passion you have for Photography.

    There is so much more revealing insights that you have provided in this lovely topic, but I will keep my comments brief 🙂💞💞.

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    • Yes, it’s like I have to have my base, both professionally and personally, in order to be able to do some more traveling. And, I have to say stop to taking in more info about my future webbshop and just start finalising it. In the next weeks I hope, but I never know what the universe throws at me that I have to take care of. Been the target for that forever now 😹 thought it would be easier in Sweden when I got back last summer “But the universe said nooo”. And that’s a reference to Little Britain, which is a great TV-series by Matt Lucas and David Walliams, in which there is a skit where “The computer says nooo” a lot. And, in times like now, with AI popping up everywhere … it’s sort of more current than ever. 😉

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      • Exactly, the base is like the foundation and having a stable foundation is very important since it’s where you would be able to organize, plan, recharge and things like that 🙂✌️. If you think the time is right for your Webshot, launch it and see what you gain from the experience 📈📊🤗.

        I understand what you are saying about thing not always going according to plan in reference to the universe saying no but not doing anything is not an option 🫡🫡; you have goals, you have dreams and you are going to make them come through ✊✊😂. I didn’t know about the Little Britian tv-series until now — I have to check it out. I don’t think I have the channel(s) it originally aired on but thank GOD for YouTube 🤭😄. You do make a great point about the talking computer in the skit for the show saying no and how A.I is more current now than ever, which I find to be an interesting coincidence haha.

      • Having a base to re-charge and work is so important. I was at a seminar with a Chris Burkard, who’s a photographer that photographs surfing and other outdoor activities all around the world lots of them in Iceland, and he said that he couldn’t do the kind of work he does if he didn’t have a very stable base where he could recuperate between his travels. And when he said that I realised how much I needed that too after traveling for more than a year. And, believe me, I am doing stuff but also, I need to relax and do nothing sometimes since that’s when new ideas are born 😉 so building a stable base, getting new ideas, and continuing setting up my site and web shop 💡📖

      • I smiled when I read that; you’ve got it! 👌😄😃. Although you do want to get the Webshop going, you should definitely stabilize the base for all of the vital reasons you have mentioned including the utmost priority which is your well-being and giving yourself room to relax, and it’s good that you have also heard that from a fellow Photographer 👍👍😆

      • Well, at least I’ve sort of got it professionally and know what needs to be done. And when I heard the photographer saying how important it was for him to have a safe home, somewhere to land and recuperate, it was as if bells went off inside me because I knew it was true for me too. Maybe I need to move tho, but finding a new place takes up so much time and energy so my business will have to be put aside again. And I don’t really feel I have the time or energy right now. But let’s just say, it’s not ideal here at all for me. But there are not that many houses or apartments available in the north since a lot of industries are expanding here. And I would prefer to have my base here since it’s the part of Sweden where I grew up, love and chose to move back to. Hope it gets better 🤞

      • Great to hear that 👍😄. So I said it, and according to you Chris Burkard also said it, so what more do you need! ✊👏😂. I guess it is a no-brainer at this point LOL.

        Generally speaking, we all know and prefer that our homes are “neutral” ground and we also don’t want to be do the same things that we do otherwise, also at home.

        The places where we live should feel “homely”, plus someone who is traveling alot like you are, will get home sick, not just in terms of wanting to be back in your motherland but also the actual pace where you literally live. Moving is another option on the table, but as you mentioned, it requires alot and you definitely have to give it careful consideration because you obviously don’t want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire or essentially just bring “unfinished business” with you 😅😄. Change can be just the thing you need, but for right now your beautiful heart seems to be in the place that you grew up in, and while moving can be great, it’s not something you want to rush into in knee-jerk fashion because of problems you’re experiencing without thinking about if such a move will actually fix the problem 👍🤟💙🤩🤩.

        Yes I definitely hope things get better 🤞🌹☺️. With you, I think it will, it’s just a matter of time <3

      • Thanks 🙏 yes, I really long for a home at the moment, even if I’ve been back in Sweden for almost a year. But before that I traveled for practically 15 months, and before that I moved from Stockholm where I lived for such a long time of my life, so I’ve been moving about a lot and need to settle. Decided to stay here and try to make it my home, at least for now. You just never know with me, I’ve been known for changing my mind. I decide on one thing and the all of a sudden I come up with a new better idea 😹 and who knows what the world will look like tomorrow!

      • You were welcome, luv ✌️✌️😄.

        I totally get it, especially what you were saying about your mind 🤣🤣. You do know what you’re doing for the most part, and you are surely no stranger to moving and traveling. Given all of the things you are trying to sort out, I think your idea to settle for now is probably a good decision since the circumstances probably requires you to have a change of pace and not necessarily a change of plans, in order for you to get some things out of the way 💯🌹🌹. Plus, we all know about the tale about doing the same thing but expecting different results 😂.

      • Hahaha you are definitely not an id..ot. I admire you 🫶😆☺️. I “hope” i’m not one either; it’s still a mystery 🤭🤣🤣

        I have no idea how the “were” in “you were welcome” go in there; it’s supposed to be “are” 😅😅.

    • Oh, I’m fine thanks 🙏 how are you? I’ve been super busy these last weeks. The Tornio River, or Torneälven as it’s called in Swedish, was flooding over up here in the north of Sweden. The water level hasn’t been this high in 50 years. Very beautiful but of course, tragic for the people who had their basements flooded and had their saunas, and other buildings, taken by the river. Have taken so many photos. They might end up here.

      Also, I’ve finished my pattern design course at Folkuniversitetet in Stockholm. My teacher was super great and used to work for Chantal Thomass in Paris. I enjoyed the classes so much. But, it’s been tiering going to Stockholm every week. This time it was a bit crazier than usual since there was a NATO meeting in Luleå and the traffic was cut off on my usual route.

      Also, I’ve had some business meetings both with Almi, who’s a Swedish business financing partner. But also, taken part in local seminars in Luleå with Creative Ebeneser. And, here in Kalix with the department for business development. So, have unfortunately had to focus my priorities elsewhere these last two weeks. Hopefully 🤞 I’ll have more time soonish 😉

      Reply

      • You are welcome; good to see you my friend 🙏🙏😆😃. I am doing great for the most part, I am just a little sick so i’m not 100% and I am not able to fully respond to your comment as i’d like, but I am generally in a good mood 👍☺️🥰.

        WOW, the Torinio River flooding to the highest it has been in 50 years is seriously significant. I am definitely sorry to hear about those who have to deal the the flooding 👎😟😅.

        There were definitely some challenges to overcome like the NATO meeting obstructing your usual route in Luleå plus the grueling back-and-fourth weekly trips to and from Stockholm but I am tremendously happy for you knowing that you finished the course in pattern design, compliments of your dedication and the great teacher that taught you 🎊🎉👏🥳😂🙌. I am glad that you were able to take so many pictures of this historic event 👍🙂.

        You did have quite a busy schedule with the business meetings and Seminars; you had to focus on your priorities elsewhere but I think that sacrificing the time to do these essential things now will benefit your future 💯☺️💙.

      • Thanks again 🙏 it feels like the seminars are very helpful, setting strategy and everything else. Also, realised that I spelled the name of the river incorrect, but was on my phone 😉 of course the river is Tornio River, or as it’s spelled in Swedish Torneälven 😄

      • You are welcome 🙏🤗.

        I am glad that you feel that way about the seminars 👍😄😄. They are a great way to get ideas as you mentioned, and to help you to understand the business side of things which is veery competitive lol.

        Hahaha no problem, thank you for the update about the name of the river. I will remember that it’s Tornio/Torneälven; a name that’s sacred and will be spelled and pronounce correctly at al time 🙌🫡😂.

      • Wow 😹, coming from you that’s saying alot because you love the water and you’ve been to (and seen) so many other rivers 🌊🌊🏖💙😄

      • Well, it’s the river I was born close to and have seen all my life. Heard stories of life around the river. So, naturally I love it the most ♥️ and when I was little, before I was allowed to go there by myself, I was swimming in it when ever my parents or relatives would take me. Cold and refreshing!

      • Oh my, that is, so sweet 😆😆. That river will always have special place in your heart — nothing beats those childhood memories. Helena’s memories 💕😹😘

        A river that’s cold and refreshing to swim in, is super enticing 🌊🌊🙌😂. Torneälven here I come, even if I have to be illegal immigrant 🙌😃🤣😁

      • I know 👍😄. I said it that way to be comical and convey “immediacy” and express my “uncontrollable excitement” and desire to go and be there right this second LOL

      • For sure 🤟😄. I would visit the official way in reality. Comment wise, I just “jokingly” expressed my uncontrollable desire to be there 😆😆.

      • This is the best time to be up in the north of Sweden. 24 hours of daylight, everything is fresh and green and lots of water in the rivers and lakes. Also, not all of the mosquitos have arrived 😄 pre-summer! One of the eight seasons of the arctic.

      • 😂😂 WOW, the 24 hours or daylight, which is not a thing is most parts of the globe, and the refreshing beauty of overflowing rivers and lakes is incredibly alluring. Plus minimal mosquito intrusiveness seals the deal every time 🦟🚫👌😂

      • Well, the 24-hours of daylight can be a bit troublesome too … since if you’re not used to it sleeping can be a bit difficult. I’ve heard that the Sami people didn’t care about what time it was in the summer, they just kept going and then went to bed when they were tiered. And slept for as long as was needed. I’m a bit like that. But this year I’ve been sleeping great 🙌

      • Yes it could be confusing, but to people who have never seen or experience this, it would be quite awe inspiring for some 💯😆🤯. If what you have herd about the Sami people is indeed what they dide, that is interesting because that’s exactly what I was thinking when I read up to the part where you talked about how sleeping could be a bit difficult. I was thinking that I would just sleep when I need to and try not to get distracted by the fact that there is always sunlight LOL. As long as you can keep track of the time (if you have to go to work or be at places before they close at a certain time etc etc); you’re all set to snooze 💤😴🛏🤣

        So the Sami people were ahead of their time 👌🤣😃. and I am glad that you have been sleeping great this year my dearest 👍😆

      • Oh, I think it was the Sami people who always was in tune with nature and most people have been trying to ignore the impact our surroundings have on our bodies and minds. And, December in the arctic are made for sleep and naps 🛋️

      • Couldn’t agree more with your points about the Sami people and Decembers in the arctic — highly intriguing stuff 🙌🙏😃😃

      • T o use your word, it is: magical 🛋️🛏⭐🌙🙌☺️. It is not your average December especially with only 2-hours of daylight 😹

      • Sounds too good to be true 💯✨💙😄. It’s like when I first saw you, I had to pinch myself, I thought I was dreaming 👍😃😆. But that didn’t seem to work — a splash of that ice cold Tornio River water to the face might be just the thing to wake me up 🙌🌊💧😂

      • 🤣🤣🤭🤭 You kept it too real 😂. You are right and there is no way I could have actually seen you for real and not say “hello” 😂😁

        But when I said seen you, I meant when I first noticed you on WordPress 😄💙

      • Awwww 🤗🌹. Sorry to her that. It reminds me of “the struggle is real” 😅😄

      • Trust me, I feel you 😹🫶💖

        I brought up “the struggle is real” sort of like a play-on-words to “You kept it too real” haha

  21. I’m so glad you loved Sagres! Have you ever visit the North of Portugal? It’s wonderful! I know because I live there 🙂

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    • Oh, I love Sagres! And the Portuguese coastline in general. Really want to visit Porto, which I guess counts as north Portugal. I’ve met some fun yogis from there and, there’s surfing too 😄

      Reply

    • You absolutely should! It’s one of my favourite countries to visit. And, they’ve got the best soaps in the world, always bring a couple of them back home 😉 and of course, it’s a great country in many other ways too!

      Reply

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