Travel • Portugal
From Canada to Portugal! These two weirdos made the trip with destination session on the books, and adventure on our minds.
Day One may have been a butt-kicker- catching a red-eye from Toronto, Ontario to Lisbon, Portugal had us feeling uneasy when we landed, but the drive from Lisbon to Faro lifted our spirits. The sun was hot, bright, and very much, unlike the -10 weather we just flew in from.
Entering the Algarve, we were welcomed with rolling hills and bright blue skies. In our tiny rented car, we approached Faro and indulged in the old, collapsed homes lined roads and fields, covered in this years’ street art.
Our Airbnb sat right on the beach, besides an amazing restaurant and later, was illuminated by a full moon. As beautiful as it was after we found ourselves awake for over 30 hours, we called it an early night. But nothing is more enchanting than the sound of pounding waves as you catch some Zs.
Day Two started early, and hot. The bright sun on our shoulders guided us past farmland and orange stands on our way to Lagos. I would love to capture a wedding here, I could imagine the dreamy shots we can catch on the beaches of Southern Portugal. I wore the perfect outfit from 1861, a linen jumpsuit. Although it fit a little oddly at first, once I wore it for a few hours and ‘broke it in,’ I have to admit that it is my favourite traveling outfit! It breathes, and if you are caught in the rain it will dry quickly.
Exploring Lagos and the surrounding beaches was a dream, and it was unknown previous to me that there was such lush eucalyptus surrounding the Algarve. As a photojournalist, I was excited to travel to Portugal for work- but ecstatic to photograph all the beauty we discovered!
A heavy storm hit us while visiting Praia Donna Maria in Lagos, so we made our winding way to Porto Covo, driving through a Eucalyptus forest during a rainstorm. Our Airbnb that night was quaint and hard to find but worth the search! We lit a fire, dried ourselves and went for pizza after playing some hide and go seek.
Day Three had us heading north, away from the hot sun that welcomed us that morning. But we searched for history, hills and vistas- and that is what we got! After exploring the ruins of a fort along the sea, we headed for Turquel in what was the best stay/ Airbnb of our entire trip. I would highly recommend visiting this spot and taking in the panoramic view of the villages below.
As we drove North, it began to rain and consistently stay grey throughout our 4-hour drive. We stopped for a very late lunch, and a kitchen was lovely enough to open for us and prepare us some traditional salt cod.
As we approached our home for the night, we climbed a steep hill and wandered the small roads on the top of a peaking village. Herds of sheep blocked our path, but we didn’t mind waiting for our new friends to clear the path! The mosaic of stone walls led us to this beautiful spot, where we were lucky enough to catch the sunset.
From our Airbnb that night, we drank the night sky view that was interrupted by masses of fog – but that didn’t steal a sight of beauty at all.
Day Four started with our hosts making us a lovely breakfast, and then a long day of exploring. We ventured through valleys and vineyards to Obidos Castle, where we discovered centuries of history at our feet.
The unpredictable Spring weather started to turn, and as we left it poured as we ventured towards Colares. Our seaside home that night was under rumbling waves as the storm’s winds encouraged their growth. But who can care when you are facing the Atlantic in a dramatic blue?
Day Five meant conserving my gear and batteries for the Engagement Session we had that evening, but we toured Sintra and all of its glory! I felt like a queen in the Ivory wrap dress from 1861 too, which always helps brighten your day! We finished the day with another session and a quick tour of grand Lisboa. Our cozy apartment shared a glorious view of the city too!
As sad as we were to leave Portugal, we cannot wait to return and capture more weddings, engagement sessions and beauty!
