Caminho dos Pombais

I didn’t know the path we were walking on had a name. Turning back, I saw a sign reading Caminho dos Pombais (Path of the Dovecotes). A pombal (dovecote) is a structure with nest holes for domesticated pigeons. Having just passed such a structure and having marveled at the flock flying in dramatic circles above it, I felt oddly pleased at the apt naming.

We started out by walking on the road and heading in the direction of Centro de Saúde de Tavira, the public health center (saúde is the portuguese word for health). We veer off to the right before that and onto Rua José Falcão Berredo. Continuing onto Rota da Costa Atlântica and turning off at Rua Do Caminho das Trindades, we head to small fishing village of Santa Luzia. We stop here for a coffee before continuing on.

Avenida Engenheiro O Duarte Pacheco and Rua Da Terra Estreita lead us out of Santa Luzia. We turn right and follow the EM515 until an old arrow-shaped sign beckons us to turn. The sign reads Sopursal and a cursory translation attempt resulted in nothing. Later, with some googling, I found the Sociedade Industrial de Sal do Algarve website which proudly proclaims O Sal de Portugal, Escolha Portugal! (The Salt of Portugal! Choose Portugal!). Staring at the word some more, I wondered if was multiple words and discovered that Só Pur Sal means Just Pure Salt. It gets even better their brand of salt is a clever play on words: Salgarve. I’m dead.

Now we are in the salinas (salt flats) and we could turn on one of many fingerling trails to explore but will save that for next time. It is peaceful here, trail a bit muddy following the recent rains. The air, fresh. On reflection, I don’t believe we encountered another human as we traversed the dirt paths today. A flock of birds catch my eye. They are flying tucked closed together in some seemingly choreographed movement. They swoop up dramatically toward the sky, arcing in unison then plummeting as if they were riding an invisible rollercoaster. We stand quietly and just observe, the sound of air passing above our heads as they race by combined with other chirps from birds hidden from the eye. 💎 Highlight Video.

Cacela Velha

We were encouraged by my new friend, Liza, to join her on a bike ride to the small village of Cacela Velha. This 27 km round trip ride was magical. I am so thankful to have Liza guiding on a route I would have otherwise not found on my own. 💎 Highlight Video.

We took the usual path turning right near Tavira Plaza in the direction of poor man’s beach. We pass Hélder Madeira Olive Factory and turn left heading toward Salines- Ciclovia de Tavira where we ride across a bridge, pass Quinta da Canáda and arrive in the town of Cabanas de Tavira.

Liza suggests we take an alternative trail through a grove of palm trees. We hear the wind passing through the palms, and see a variety of large birds. Mental note taken to come back and experience this a bit longer next time.

It is a quick ride along the road before we find ourselves on Rua Oito (Road 8), Rua da Fortaleza and Rua do Estanco Velho. Skirting along N125 we turn down Quinta da Ria and pass an enormous all inclusive golf resort.

Passing into Ribeira do Junco the road becomes CM1242. The turn to Bar Da Praia Fabrica is close by, and we will come back to it for a coffee after reaching Cacela Velha. Cacela Velha is a special place. It has a peaceful and relaxed vibe, with amazing views. We could have locked up our bikes and explored on foot to the east. But we will do that another time. Liza points out a place serving clams, oysters, and bubbly wine open from 4pm. She tells us it’s a popular first come first served establishment (so arrive early).

After taking in our views, we head back to Fábrica for a coffee and a Pedras. This is a hidden gem, and from May until November, you can take a ferry boat to Fábrica Beach. On the return trip, I stop of photograph a lone poppy. Liza promises that the area will be flooded with red poppies soon which means we will certainly ride here again.

Volta ao Algarve

The 2025 Volta ao Algarve (Tour of the Algarve) road bike race took place Feb 19-23. Stage 3 ended in Tavira.

• Stage 1: 19 February 2025 – Portimão to Lagos, 192.2 km
• Stage 2: 20 February 2025 – Lagoa to Alto da Fóia, 177.6 km
• Stage 3: 21 February 2025 – Vila Real de Santo António to Tavira, 183.5 km
• Stage 4: 22 February 2025 – Albufeira to Faro, 175.2 km
• Stage 5: 23 February 2025 – Salir to Alto do Malhão, 19.6 km 

It was an exciting day, people crowded the streets to get a glimpse of the race. Large screens projected the race as it made its way to our town. The energy level was great, and people stayed out having refreshments in the cafes afterwards.

Portuguese Lesson

Your Portuguese lesson today is about plurals. In many cases, you simply add -s after a vowel to make it plural. But we learned that the Portuguese language is not simple. To make pombal plural, replace -L with -is. So pombal (pom-bawl) becomes pombais (pom-bye-sh). But wait, there’s more.

• Add -es after -n, -r, -s, and -z. Ok that’s easy enough.
• Replace -m with -ns. Seems unnecessary but ok.
• Replace -ão with -ões, -ãos, or -ães. Wait what?

There are some exceptions (oh really, do tell). Words that already end in -s are unchanged — the singular and plural form are the same. For example, the word for pencil and pencils is lápis.