Atlantic blues providing the Portuguese catch of the day
Apr 11, 2025
38.7223° N, 9.1393° W
Spring break 2025. Never thought I’d have one of these again. Caro, Connie, and I were headed on an 11 day Portugal trip. Surf, sun, and Scots in our near future. Surf forecast said 0-1 foot waves, but there's a reason they call it a forecast.
Lots went right, lots went wrong, but everything was for the plot.
Day 1: Madrid to Lisbon
Flight was easy. An hour, at most. Get to the hostel and find out it was the #2 rated hostel in the world in 2015. Electric. We set out for some lunch and followed the path along the water. Bustling market, Piri Piri chicken, and a sunny day by the water. Connie is stoked.
We wander around the streets of Lisbon and I’m immediately enamored. This place is encapsulating. Every wall, corner, and window has a pattern of intricate design and color. The city weaves subtle beauty into every crevice and while you'd think you'd become desensitized by constant exposure, you really seem to notice it more as the trip moves on. There's even a street painted bright pink and adorned with exquisitely colored umbrellas.
After lunch, we stop at the hostel to check in before our next destination. We only stop for about 15 minutes, when, out of nowhere: rainstorm. I got ~ soaked ~ pulling out cash across the street. We opt to relax in lobby for a sec and my boy, Thiago, pours me the most dangerous glass of wine I’ve ever seen. Pays to be a bit chatty sometimes.
Every Euro city needs an epic plaza with a statue and a gate
Talk about colors
Walking over the intricacy
Más Colores!
Piri Piri Chicken
Connie stoked on Piri Piri chicken
Crew for the break
Must have been a Wednesday
Once the rain died, we made our way around Alfama, up the hill, and around the barrio. Here we really noticed the consistent occurrence of patterns and colors among the buildings. Connie loved them. The only pics he added to the shared album were patterns, more patterns, and us with patterns in the back (or patterns with us in the back?).
We meandered through the streets and found our way to a beautiful look out with a bar. Glasses of wine overlooking the city was quickly interrupted by a torrential downpour.
On our way home, we tried to take the famous tram ride around the city, but the line was far too long, and we were in far too sketchy of a neighborhood to wait. So we grabbed snacks instead.
Sunset was upon us. We took a quick bus to a wonderful little spot under the fake Golden Gate Bridge or Ponte 25 de Abril. Not too elegant of a name in my opinion. After a short sidequest to find bebidas, we posted up on a bench by the water, watching the boats pass through and the sun sink into the horizon. Sitting there with arrival day energy, sharing stories with Connie and Caro still rings as one of my favorite moments of the trip.
Pattern Ex. #1
Connie struttin'
This view and a glass of wine? Si, porfa.
Bucket hats for days
This view and glass of wine?? No se puede decir no!
They thought the bench would look weird.
After a few hours cherishing the view and the company, we decided fine, we’ll do the hostel pubcrawl. If we have to. We smacked some tacos on our way home, and arrived just in time for some questionable wine and hostel wide shots. The rest of the night ensued as you would expect. Two bars, demasiadas bebidas, a club, and then a brutal walk home. Whoever wanted to take it easy first night to save up for our trip was probably right. But I’m sure as hell glad we didn’t listen.
Day 2: Sintra
Slow morning. Sintra was our destination and we got there - despite a few hiccups.
On our way to the train station, Connie found us a great jewelry store to stop in. We were all going to get friendship bracelets. Mine broke in line so now only Connie and Caro have bracelets. They also have matching necklaces. Not jealous at all! A few days later, Caro realized she accidentally stole an extra bracelet, so she was kind enough to share with me.
We missed our stop on the train and ended up in god-knows-where Portugal. Our Uber picked us and was like wtf are you doing out here. He took us to Sintra, but, in reality, not really. We ended up walking for awhile until we came upon a cafe to stop for lunch. Delightful view of the monstrous hill we were supposed to be climbing to actually get to Sintra. Luckily, one of the tuk-tuk drivers convinced us to take the ride up. We had a great little drive with fun facts and cool stops. Ain’t no way we were walking up that thing. Our driver's name was even names Ola. You'd think that would get confusing in Portugal, right Caro?
Connie so chic
Said hill
Pena Palace was beautiful. We opted to skip the indoor tour, and just enjoyed the balconies. A little exploration, and then a walk down to Moosh (Moorish) Castle. On our way Connie broke Caro’s heart. Caro would end up returning the favor.
Pena!
Quality colors
Cafe overlook
That's a power stance if I've ever seen one
Running shoes & jeans? Someone call the FP
Me!
Moosh castle was a no go. Tuk-tuk home and burgers back in Lisbon. Quick intermission and then sunset on the water. Drinks and snacks on the way home.
We made it home just in time for the pub crawl and for Tall Tiago to tell me I can’t wear my hat out, even though I was getting my ass to bed.
You know me and my long exposures
Every trip needs a good selfie
Drop it low
Bridges man
Not sure if it's worth of the repeat, pero tienes aqui otra vez
Day 3: Lisbon to Lagos
Travel-ish day. We still hadn’t bought bus tickets to Lagos so we had some flexibility. I, for some reason, really wanted to go to the LX Factory. While it was a delightful coffee stop, it was totally not worth the extended detour away from the bus station, and almost-missed bus ride.
Four hours by bus to Lagos. Pretty damn stuffy. Caro started to go crazy.
We check in to the Surf Experience, and explore Lagos on our way to the beach. Awesome little surf town. Definitely touristy but vibes were immaculate. We posted up on this cool little cove until it got too cold to handle, grabbed some cash-only burritos, and then some drinks at the local watering hole. We even ran into some friends from our hostel in Lisbon! Early night in before our first day of surf…
LX Factory...
Lagos exploration
Our little Lagos escape
All phones about to die. Needed directions. Drew map home.
Day 4: Surf #1
8 AM roll out of bed and breakfast is ready. Pack up our stuff for the day and hit the vans. We loaded up wetsuits and boards and got stuck in a wetsuit with a hole in the crotch. Thought about freeballing it, but decided against it and put on a pair of boardies. Hell of a call.
Van to the beach with the crew. Quick surf check on the cliff overlooking the coast. The great thing about surfing in Lagos is that it’s super close to both the South and West coast. If it’s too small on the south coast then it’s a quick audible to the west. Or if it’s gnarly on the west, the south will usually pick up a little cleaner version of the swell. So remember when I said the forecast was 0-1? Well foolist me only looked at one coast.
First day, the surf looked funky right off the bat. We broke out into our respective levels, and the boy Oscar took us out back. Pretty windy, messy, and overall not the best. Since I was expecting Lagos to be flatter than the earth in the 1700’s, so I was stoked to be catching anything.
Weather today was subpar, and it’s started pouring mid surf. No me importa, we were already wet!
Veggie lunch at the beach was surprisingly delicious, except for they forgot Caro’s GF meal. This would unfortunately become a trend.
Van back home. Nap. We might be in Portugal, but the Madrileñian instinct to siesta runs strong.
Drinks at the hostel bar before our dinner rezzie at the restaurant next door with the hostel folk. Hostel bar was a vibe: outdoor little area with an upstairs deck. The best part was a cup was €3 - regardless of content. So I indulged in €3 ~ cups ~ of green wine. Best deal in all of Lagos.
Caro and I split some salmon and sea bass. Incredible. Some of the best I’ve had. Put me right to sleep.
Teleported home, Murder Mystery before bed and Day 1 at the Surf Experience was complete.
Loading up
Surf check
Day 5 : Surf #2
Day 2 same routine. Today west coast was gnarly. Like 12-15 gnarly. So camp was on the south side today, but unfortunately, we were introduced to Lake Atlantic. Luckily, our boy Oscar was willing to drive a small group of us elsewhere. So we took off again and searched the coast for dreamy Portugal peelers. And boy did we find them.
Well kind of. We stopped at one or two spots before we ended up at Oscar’s favorite break. Super offshore, decent size, and some good A-frame shape. So it was looking pretty pristine.
In the water proved to be a little tougher than I thought: strong current and the offshore wind was blowing a little too har. A couple extra paddles were needed and a few eyes-closed drop-ins as the spray overwhelmed my senses.
Regardless, super fun day with some clean ones coming through, and lots of kooks in the water so more for me!
Day called. Caro’s lunch missing. Van home. Nap.
Offshore
Just a couple of shredders!
Playa de Oscar
Mas selfies
Night two was very different than night one.
Post nap, we went with everyone to this pretty fire Portugués place. Had some popular Portugués sandwiches, and had some real spicy piri piri beef. My taste buds have been way to comfortable lately. This gave ‘em a little kick in the crotch. In the best way possible.
I wish I could post audio for this next part because the accent is muy importante. I will try.
After dinner, I asked Nat, our Kiwi hostess, what the plan was. She said we’re going to a bar called “Joe’s garish” (think Aussie accent). We’re ready to dip so I’m trying to look it up so we can get their first and start the night. Can’t find it anywhere. What kind of crazy Lagos vernacular is Joe’s Garish? So we go back and forth for like a minute of me saying Joe’s Garish and Nat’s like yeah that’s it just type it in. Nada. She finally types it in and she’s trying to say (well, successfully saying in NZ), Joe’s Garage. Couldn’t stop laughing. Better told out loud. This anecdote is really for me 20 years from now to remember Joe’s Garage in Lagos.
But the night was just beginning. As of yet, we hadn’t really interacted with who we now call the Scots. Four 21 year old Scottish boys who all work on an oil rig. Group leader Murray, the apprentice Kyle (but you say it all Scottish-like, ~ Kael), Callan the boy, and Ben the mortal. These are four of the most heinous, obnoxious (in a funny way), and crazy humans I have ever interacted with. Apparently Nat had to seat them outside during this dinner because they immediately got too rowdy to sit inside. This theme continued at Joe’s Garish and lucky us it was karaoke night. We watched four different groups walk in and walk straight out after watching the Scots perform probably like 10 songs straight. Murray signed me up for Chicken Fried per my request, and while I tried to perform solo, there was no way they were letting me steal the limelight.
We had a wild night with the Scots, took some photos in the Photo Booth, hung out on the couch, and Day 2 terminado.
Hostel bar & jugs of green vino
Visuals are needed
Day 6: Surf #3
Super mellow beach day. South side again this morning, but no Oscar excursion today. Would have loved to know that prior to choosing my board for the day. When I asked the two instructors (who were on foam boards themselves) if there were any foamies left, they said probably not and then proceeded to catch waves for themselves, on said foamies. From one professional to another, I was rather disappointed. Eventually, someone did tap out so I stole that board and started messing around in the foam. Nice mellow day for a racing heart and dull headache.
Post surf today was pretty much straight to the nap. No surprise there. Woke up to a burning whole in my stomach from the hunger not yet satisfied. After a bit of a quest, Connie and I hunkered down to cure our hankering at Illicit Burgers: Voted Best Burger in Europe in 2023. Holy cow. Could have been the mind numbing hunger or the Corona on an empty stomach, but that burger absolutely smacked. Caro joined shortly after, hiding her gluten-free tacos in the windowsill as we munched our way into a food coma. Murder Mystery 2 anyone? I’ll take 3 tickets and a bottle wine please.
Gorgina
"Did you hear me come back last night?"
"You couldn’t have opened those crackers louder."
Day 7: Surf #4
4th day the swell took a turn.
4th day the swell took a turn.
Raw power
The swell died a bit, so the south was dead. That left the west coast forecasting 8-12 nalus. We show up and it looks messy, but the tide was rising, the swell was filling in, and the wind was set to die. All things pointed towards an epic day. And it was. But not before a little drama. By the end, I had water, sand, and stoke in every inch and crevice of my body.
Our crew set out like normal. Today there was a new surf instructor and she was by far the coolest. Definitely better than Grumpy.
The surf looked manageable from the shore. There was a small crew set to paddle out back. Tom, the Surf Experience Vet; Mark, the instructor; and myself. I was still on my 7'6", and by now I had figured out the duck dive. Well, as best I could. Paddle out: brutal. The inside break screamed, " Try me and you'll be gluing your board back together." Super heavy, super shallow, and not a single lull. Just back to back to back. We spend about 10 minutes trying to get past the inside break. No dice. I was just a tad out front from the other two, and with a stroke of luck after taking one on the head, I snuck through and made it to the deep water zone where you can chill for a sec. I look back and see no one. Little did I know as I'm sneaking through my window, Mark is telling Tom that it's not gunna happen today. They start to head in only to realize I'm already through. As the instructor, I don't think he could just leave me out there, so after a few more attemps, they joined me outside.
Now came the real fun. Past the deep water zone, the waves were pumping. The forecast was not wrong when it said 8-12. The deep water broke up the thrill a little (thank god) and allowed us an easier paddle out, but when the sets came through, boy my heart was racing. We sit outside for a second to assess, and determined it was manageable. So we said fuck it! I was the first to grab one. Popped up and didn't even try to turn. Just held on for dear life as I screamed down the line. Pulled out before detonation, paddled back out, and the day officially was epic. We traded waves for the better part of 1.5 hours. Did i mentioned we were the only ones out? 3 people, on a random beach on the west coast of Portugal. We were god knows how far out from shore and having a blast. Talk about taking advantage of your 20's.
Worth every step
As epic as our day was, your boy was not in surf shape, and my arms were toast. I realized this, unfortunately, the hard way. Set comes through. Paddle hard. Were in it. Pop up. Arms give out half way up. Face first into the water, and smack. I skip down the face, head first, until I stop at the bottom. Peace. Then I get ragdolled over the falls and thrashed back underneath. It suddenly became very apparent that I was in remote Portugese beach, an unknown amount of feet from shore and 2 random people as my only saving grace. The thought always goes through my head. Unrealistic. I know I can hold my breath for more than the 10-15 seconds I'm underwater. But it still comes through the brain. What if.
I pop up! Another wave on my head. Not as bad. But thank god that was it. I paddle out, exasperated, thankful and humbled. At this point, it's time to go in before my strength completely depletes. I take a look at my Apple Watch to see how long we've been out here. Only thing left on my wrist is the €3 friendship bracelet Caro stole in Lisbon. Goodbye Apple Watch (and my Segovia bracelet!)
I tell the fellas es la hora, I catch one more into the deep water and then paddle my ass in. Enough adrenaline for one day. Almost snapped my board coming through the inside section. Ate a few cookies on the shore. Took a walk to a cool rock. Then ran back when we saw everyone leaving.
Indian food for dinner. Buttered chicken. Fire.
Then we met our friend from Madrid (Gillian) out in Lagos. She got to the meet the Scots firsthand. Table banter, more Photo Booth pics, and a game of cards? Ended the night hanging on the couch, and a daunting final day ahead of us.
It's not just a rock
"Preach Queen"
Yew!
Perritooooo
Day 8: Lagos Extended
Day 5 was an extended day in Lagos. Part of my philosophy this trip was to allow for the spontaneous. So we purposefully didn’t plan stays or transportation past Friday in Lagos. I’m not sure how spontaneous it is to plan to be spontaneous, but here we are.
We ended wanting to stay in Lagos for a Friday night, and since the surf hostel was open, we made it happen. We had the opportunity to surf, but after yesterday’s beating, myself nor Caro y Connie were enthusiastic about surfing. We had a lay day, spent it at the beach, and surprisingly had an amazing weather day. We grabbed some poke, took a nap and then awoke in time for volleyball. The three of us, the Scots, and some others made our way across the bridge to the courts. We had a lovely time and were able to get some fun games in. Caro and I peppered towards the end which was definitely the highlight. Gotta do more of that in Madrid!
Quick pop into the hostel bar before dinner. We broke through to a few of the Scots and turns out they are super normal if you can isolate them. Two of them hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro so we bonded.
Greenroom, the local Mexican hotspot, was popping and lived up to its reputation. We ran a quick mission to Grand Cafe to watch Tobi ONE spin. It would have been sick! But no one else was upstairs. Everyone else was entranced by the mid DJ downstairs. Poor planning in my opinion.
Our cove
Rio de Lagos
Cups of Vino!
Day 9: Lagos to Albufeira
We were planning on renting a car. We had booked a spot in Albufeira the day prior. So spontaneous of us. Turns out it was much closer than we expected so we Ubered, thinking we would rent a car there. We never rented the car. And it turned out to be for the best.
Albufeira was nothing like what I expected. After raving reviews from a few friends, I was shook at the Vegas-esque, British bachelor party destination we arrived at. Pubs and tourist traps everywhere. The beach was still incredible. Spent the day with our stuff on the sand, met up with Gillian again, until a crazy rainstorm surged down and cleared the entire beach. Took about 20 minutes to pass and then clear skies yet again. The birds almost got to me while I napped.
We checked in to our place and had an early night where we finally watched Just Go With It. Our bathroom didn’t have a light and flooded pretty much immediately so every shower or bathroom break was like Pirates of the Caribbean.
The shells along these beach are increíbles!
Prime beach day, until...
My friends really let him get close
Connie!
Really exposing that water
Caro's whitewash
Sunset walk
Departing the Surf Experience
CB!!
Day 10: Algarve
First set day in Albufeiral, we did a hike recommended to us by the instructor that paddled out with me when I lost my watch: Seven Hanging Valleys. It turned out to be a hell of a hike. The Algarve was an incredible stretch of coast with crazy blue water, and incredible rock formations that made the vistas incredible. The hidden coves and beaches we encountered were fantastic for a mid-hike beach moment. We had packed lunch and ya boy was ready to eat.
Simply Pristine
What's for dinner?
Live, Laugh, Love
We licked this
AZ meets the Atlantic
On top of the Elephant Arches
Best of friends!
Making sure Caro doesn't fall
Paid actor
"This is where I'd pitch my second tent"
We were unsure about finishing the rest since we didn’t really no where we were (so spontaneous, I know), but we said porque no and finished it out. We encounter a crazy cool fisherman and a lighthouse before we ended at an incredible cove with a restaurant to reward our efforts. Burgers legit on the sand, view of Connie, and a glass of wine. Perfection.
"If I was alive during this time, I would be a high-ranking conquistador"
Magic
Best view in all of Portugal
Thank god we followed Caro
Adorable
Hi Mom!
Cove view
0.5 for the win
My guy always willing to go the extra mile
Day 11: Kayak to Benagil Caves; Algarve to Madrid
Last day of a long trip. Crazy enough we weren’t ready to throw each other off a cliff. Or at least I wasn't. Maybe I was the problem.
Check out. Uber back to the same beach we were at yesterday. There was a very specific cave that I wanted to go to: Benagil Cave. Turns out it was around the corner from our beach spot the prior day and we had hiked over it without even knowing.
Caro and I took to the seas after I lotioned up in the restaurant. No shame. Ya boy is pale.
We originally thought we were just doing rentals, but then our boy David popped out of nowhere and guided us around the caves. In the water, Caro and I were like Duke’s 1997 rowing team. Sheer force and pure grace. Hyperbole. But we did a fantastic job of switching off between controlling the vessel and letting the other take pics/vids.
Benagil cave ended up being super sick. A little blundered from the amount of tourists, but we got a sweet moment of just us, and David caught the flick of the century.
We kayaked through a few other epic caves, through the dark, and back around the trail we hiked the day prior. The arches from the water looked like an elephant! A unique perspective on a previously experienced place. Paddle back against the current. Rookie mistake.
Cotton clouds
Caro was ready to leave Connie behind
Teamwork
Going on the wall
Black Pearl?
Big ass rock
Look at that synchronization
Yewwwww
RM Logs are back.
Suntan and sand until it was time for our flight. Lounge. Easy flight home.
What a trip.
