Spanish Seduction: A Vacation from Vacation... Lagos, Portugal!

With an apartment found and no commitments so far, I decided to spend a few days at the beach before the Fall chill starts to permeate the air. After some brief research I decided to venture down the coast all the way to Lagos, Portugal. Lagos is only actually a three hour drive from Seville, however, with the many stops the bus makes in between the trip actually takes about six hours! Yet I would say that it is definitely worth your while to check out this fun and beautiful beach town.

I knew that I was in for an interesting experience when I decided to stay at a hostel called "The Rising Cock." Yet despite its off-putting name, the hostel had rave reviews and helped make my stay in Lagos fun and relaxing.

After arriving in Lagos I made my way up the windy cobblestone roads toward my hostel. I was greeted at the door by "Mama," a 55ish Portuguese woman who takes care of the hostel and its guests. Ironically, Mama had lived 35 years in Chicopee, Massachusetts before her two sons (both Northeastern graduates) decided to revisit their roots and build this hostel. After chatting about what a small world it is (I'm from Massachusetts and went to school right near Chicopee) Mama showed me to my all girls dorm room "The Princess Room" which was immaculately clean and had a private bathroom. She then told me that each morning her famous homemade lemon tea and crepes are served between 9:00-11:00 and then proceeded to send me off to the beach with some of her staff. What a welcome! Definitely not your typical hostel!

The beaches in Lagos are gorgeous, although the water was a bit cold (it is the Atlantic after all...) Lagos has multiple beaches along its coast and is famous for the small grottos and caves that separate them. Taking the "cliff walk" through the first few beaches was absolutely stunning!

Doors To Paradise

Being a huge "foodie" I was eager to try some of the delicious Portuguese food that I'd seen advertised all over town. On my first night I decided, haphazardly, on the restaurant O Cantinho do Mar. For about €14 ($21) I received lamb chops, two prawns, vegetables, fries, and a half bottle of Portuguese wine. It was delicious! Why can't Spanish food be like this!?

The next night I opted for a less expensive option and went to a recommended "Churrasqueira" (BBQ Restaurant) that served take-out only. For €5 you receive half a roasted chicken with "spicy" (not really) piri-piri sauce, a montrous portion of fries, and either a beer or a soda. Simple--but delicious!

On my last night in Lagos it was difficult to decide where to go. The town is literally filled with restaurants, both Portuguese and International. Yet as amazing as one of the Italian restaurants looked, I decided to stick with traditional Portuguese food. Following a recommendation from the website http://www.simplylagos.com/ I triedthe restaurant Casa de Pasto do Zé. Perplexed by some of the menu's translations (what are cockles or purple half-wedge shells!) I figured I couldn't go wrong with fried shrimp and a salad. The "fried," however, seemed to have gotten lost in translation (I said "frito"!) and I received a plate of sauteed prawns, eyes, feet, brain, and all! Yet besides being very messy to eat, they were delicious. I ate them with the spicy piri-piri sauce (my new favorite thing ever) and loved every bite. The only part of the meal I didn't like was waiting about 45 minutes for my check after asking for it... somewhat understandable when a chef is also the only waitress for about 15 tables... but overall a Spanish/Portuguese norm that I can NOT get used to!

Although I'd prefer not to admit it, I did eat one other "meal" before leaving Portugal. Later that night (or should I say early the next morning...) I hit up the "Cachorro Quente" (Hotdog) Stand with the Canadian girls I'd gone out with. Initially, I was not going to get one-- as I absolutely despise hotdogs! But, I was starving, it was the only thing open, and it had a lot of cool toppings-- onions, mushrooms, shredded carrots, corn, potato sticks, ketchup, mayo... very Brazilian style I thought! So, against my better instincts, I gave it a try. Bad idea. I'm pretty sure that was the last hotdog of my life!

Overall, Lagos is a really fun place, worth checking out. It is very very touristy, (and I wasn't even there during the high season), but the beaches are lovely and there is plenty of excellent food to be found (but do your research to avoid tourist traps!)

I left Lagos with some new friends, a bottle of great Portuguese wine for $5.00, and I glowing tan... what more could I ask for from my vacation from vacation?