Stage 6 — April 20: Aljezur to Praia de Arrifana (15 km)

17°C — Cool, cloudy with some blue skies

  

By Jim

After visiting the Castillo de Aljezur yesterday, we continued on to our accommodation only to find that Aum Home was half way to the end of our next stage.  Due to ravines, what was only 1-2 km as the crow flies turned out to be 7-8 km as the crow walks.  We opted to catch a taxi and found the distance to be further as the crow drives.  Anyway, we had decided to spend two nights here and walk today’s stage in a loop.

We woke up to rain and suited up to make a run to the grocery store for supplies.  The Mercado was doing booming business and after finding some food for supper and tomorrow’s breakfast, we fell into a line that snaked its way through the store.  At the till, we paid for the groceries and decided to have coffees and sandwiches on a covered terrace in order to wait out another shower.

We retraced our way back to the Aum Home, dropped off the groceries, and headed out for our day’s trek.  Praia de Monte Clerigo was 4 km away along an asphalt road.  The wind and rain were pleasantly cool and the clouds began to part as we joined a walking path at the beach.  Easter Sunday at an Algarve resort town was not what I expected.  All the restaurants and the beautiful beach were nearly empty.  

We combed the beach for heart-shaped stones to photograph (something Laurel needs for something??).  I found a couple of triangles that with some creative sand sculpting looked like hearts, but they did not pass her test.

We left town along the Fisherman’s Trail, finding the sandy path pleasant — close enough to the cliff edge to see the surf but far enough away to feel safe.  The path periodically intersected an access road where surfers parked their vans and set up base camps.  I’m not sure how they got to the beach (skydived?).

Our loop took us out around a peninsula of cliffs.  We clocked 15 km and made it back home in time for an early supper (late lunch).