From Órgiva in Andalusia, Spain, it took a full day of driving – and topping up with expensive fuel thanks to the newly created war – in our rental car to reach the final two Portuguese destinations of our Southern Iberian Peninsula trip.
Sniffing the air in the Portuguese countryside
It was the middle of March by then. We had a five-night gap between two-week rentals and, since I wanted to explore the Algarve a bit more, I had booked a short stay in São Teotónio, in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Sleeping in the actual Algarve province was cost prohibitive for us.
São Teotónio and the West Coast
The only nice day in the forecast was the day after we arrived, a Monday. An online friend of mine – fellow memoir author and successful artist Alison Sheldrake – lived in nearby Aljezur and we agreed to meet for lunch that day in Odemira, only a ten-minute drive north of us.
To fully take advantage of the sunshine that day, Mark, Maya, and I set out on a coastal walk in the morning, which might not have been the best idea as we showed up to our date sweaty and exhausted!
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Nevertheless, it was a great opportunity to check out two pretty beaches that are part of the famous Fisherman’s Trail. One even had a waterfall!
For a couple of hours, we enjoyed local food and getting to know Alison and her husband, Dave, better. Their rescue dog, Zara, and ours, Maya, got along just fine. Well, both pretty much ignored each other after the initial introduction. It was a lovely time.
Rain was predicted for the following afternoon. Once again, we tried to make the best of the weather before that happened by driving farther north and focusing on exploring the coast and another section of the Fisherman’s Trail.
We started at Furnas Beach, which sported a wide stretch of sand and the mouth of the Mira River. Curious about the town across the river, we made the 20-minute detour into Vila Nova de Milfontes to check it out.
Then, we followed a dirt road for a while to gaze over a cliff and cove before reaching Cavaleiro Beach. We didn’t feel energetic enough to climb down to the actual sand and then back up again.
Instead, we continued our drive to the lighthouse to eat our sandwich lunch on the boardwalk and check out popular Cabo Sardão while backpacking hikers continuously passed by.
By the time we reached the cute village of Zambujeira do Mar, threatening clouds had gathered. We stubbornly walked through town and along the cliff trail before running back to the car as the first fat raindrops appeared.
The weather remained crappy for the rest of our stay in the area. We dealt with research, searching for a 4×4 Vario van, travel logistics, future bookings in France, and job and writing tasks for me. In between storms, we walked into the center of São Teotónio for groceries.
Ironically, our shortest stay during these 2.5 months in southern Europe turned out to be the most pleasant regarding accommodation. This small rental house – for once – had everything we needed, including modern appliances. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t nice enough to sit outside on the patio.
The Western Algarve
Our last day arrived and we still hadn’t made it back to the Algarve. So, we risked it. We packed our lunches and drove an hour and a half south to Lagos to check out a few beaches under dark-grey skies. It was busier than expected!
What we found was a network of boardwalks connecting different bays, beaches, and coves. We hadn’t expected this infrastructure. Thinking we’d have to drive and park at separate highlights, we hadn’t brought drinking water or food. Still, we couldn’t resist following the wooden trail from beginning to end.
Our next stop was Praia da Luz, where it turned really windy and chilly. After a quick lunch on a bench and a stroll, we considered the sky and the time.
We decided to satisfy our curiosity about Sagres, in the extreme southwest corner of Portugal, adding a 40-minute detour to our itinerary. I don’t know what I expected from this seaside town, but it didn’t really do it for us.
After checking out a fishing port and a surfer’s beach, we reached the most popular spot in Sagres: a fort with a hidden lighthouse behind it. The attraction was super expensive and under construction, so we just walked by and checked out a busy overnight spot for overlanders instead. Why? Because it contained four (!) different Vario vans. As we are looking for one, it would have been nice to chat with a Vario owner. None were 4×4, though.
Castro da Cola
On our drive north to the final two-week rental of our trip, we stopped in Castro da Cola, where we found an old church and the remnants of a fort. Being the only tourists around, we enjoyed the ruins, the views, and a frisky, off-leash Maya.
Cuba
Our last two-week stay, also in Portugal’s Alentejo region, was supposed to be the quietest one. Right. I think you can already guess that wasn’t the case.
Our street in the village of Cuba
We arrived to a kitchen counter covered in wood dust and ants. The owner couldn’t send anyone over because it was Sunday. Luckily, the local grocery store was open (unlike in Spain on Sundays) and we could buy ant spray. This created an even messier – and more poisonous – environment.
That week revolved around spraying the wall and cleaning the counter three times a day and not being able to prep meals out of fear that poisoned ants would fall into our cooking pots and food. Or onto the floor, where Maya would vacuum up crumbs and food droppings. Even after the owner came over, sprayed the ceiling with strong chemicals, and covered the area in plastic, ants and larvae kept falling “through the cracks.” It was gross, but the casualties slowed down over time.
Cuba itself was cute enough and we enjoyed the typical Portuguese buildings, white with colorful stripes along the bottoms of the facades and around the windows.
On our first walk, we discovered a dog-racing event. Initially appalled, annoyed, and mad at the scene, we decided to give it a chance and watched a few races as the only spectators. Taking it all in, we realized this was a low-key hobby of greyhound owners who seemed to treat their dogs well.
Beja
Our first day trip was to nearby Beja. Checking out the small castle in the middle of the city was nice, especially since Maya was allowed on the grounds, but the employees were unfriendly.
Lunch out was a better experience after two failed attempts. We ordered typical Portuguese dishes – duck rice for Mark and fish balls with rice and beans for me – which we washed down with a liter of homemade sangria. If that didn’t lift the spirits, nothing would.
We strolled through the rest of town, which contained a few historic buildings, before returning to our ant mess at home. The little patio out back offered some relief, but the lingering sewage smell chased us inside at some point every day.
More Cuba
This rental house stood in stark contrast to the previous one and we weren’t too happy. In addition to the ant infestation, the house lacked comfort, the walls were thin, and the neighbors noisy. But the biggest disturbance to our sleep came from the cobblestone street out front. It wasn’t busy per se, but the bakery across from us attracted people day and night, creating constant traffic and youths demanding bread at all hours – even overnight when the bread was being baked. But maybe this was just a Semana Santa (Easter Week) thing?
After a few days, the weather finally turned around and we enjoyed gorgeous sunshine. When we weren’t sightseeing, we strolled to the store for groceries or to the nearby park for walks and a rest on the grass.
Our Airbnb listing in Cuba showcased photos of a beautiful lake with white-sand beaches. Reality offered a rather unremarkable reservoir with a run-down stretch of sand. The highlight turned out to be a 4.5-mile walk through the surrounding fields, where we were the only human beings – and dog – around.
One afternoon, we decided to explore our “backyard.” After dealing with a handful of barking loose dogs (I swear Portugal has a lot of similarities with South America), we walked through the fields to visit a couple of windmill ruins.
The following day, we ventured farther afield and accidentally ended up on a private farm, forcing us to backtrack for a mile. Maya didn’t mind and had a great time in the swampy grass, returning home soaking wet. When we later found tons of ticks on her, that part of town became off-limits.
Vidigueira
At the end of March, we finally made the short drive to Vidigueira, famous for its wine and the explorer Vasco da Gama, who was named its 1st Count. The town itself wasn’t particularly special, but we enjoyed our stroll. The idea had been to eat a typical Alentejo lunch in the village of Vila de Frades on the way back, but without a reservation on a Saturday, we didn’t stand a chance.
Vila de Frades
Days later, we returned to explore more of this cute village and try again at the restaurant. This time, we couldn’t eat there because dogs weren’t allowed. Luckily, we had a backup plan of packed lunches!
When returning from Monsaraz (see underneath), we planned a visit to a Roman villa near Vila de Frades. We waited around until it reopened after lunch only to be “greeted” by the loose, aggressive, barking dog of an employee.
This was one of the few dog-friendly sites in the area, so this kind of welcome was frustrating and off-putting. Why don’t people train their dogs better or at least keep them away from other dogs when they’re this nasty? Mark was super annoyed and principled, so I did a solo visit by myself.
Évora
Évora – which I would call one of the highlights of Portugal – was an anticipated destination an hour’s drive from Cuba. I had planned a 2.5-hour walking tour that brought us past nice buildings, parks, and squares.
The main attraction in this historic city is the Chapel of Bones, which had been my main reason for visiting. Mark didn’t want to spend 7 euros staring at human bones and skulls, so he stayed outside with Maya.
Other cool sites included the Roman temple ruins, the amazing aqueduct, and the city walls.
Again, we attempted a typical (and fancy) Alentejo lunch at a recommended high-end restaurant. I had really looked forward to this one. Again, we were turned away because of Maya. We saved a lot of money that day by eating ramen noodles – with a cheer-up drink – at an Asian restaurant instead.
In the afternoon, a country drive brought us to a menhir and a megalithic site. At 7,000 years old, this circle of rocks is older than Stonehenge.
Monsaraz
As often happens, our favorite destination turned out to be the unexpected one: Monsaraz, a medieval walled town. What a place and what a setting! This small enclave offers expansive views over the reservoir and countryside while maintaining a picture-perfect interior that’s also clean and cute.
Its well-maintained castle (free) is the highlight, as is the fact that not too many tourists flood the area since Monsaraz lies off the beaten path.
We left feeling like we had found the quintessential medieval village.
Since we were almost leaving the area, we made three (!) attempts in Cuba that evening to enjoy an Alentejo meal out. We failed miserably and ended up cooking at home.
Our last day in Cuba
Good Friday arrived… our last day in the village of Cuba. We were determined to eat a typical Alentejo lunch and returned to our first choice, Adega da Lua. They had promised us ahead of time that Maya would be allowed inside, but… the restaurant was full and we didn’t have a reservation.
A typical Alentejo restaurant in Cuba – We never managed to eat here.
For kicks and giggles, we walked by Essa Taberna, another highly rated local restaurant, which Google had marked as “closed.” And that’s when our bad fortune turned around. Owner Paulo welcomed us with open arms. He was there because it was a holiday (he has a day job as well) and to prep for dinner service.
He produced an Alentejo feast of multiple dishes – like a tasting menu – but without meat since it was Good Friday. Small, tasty dish after small, tasty dish appeared from the kitchen and the wine he left on our table flowed smoothly.
After the dessert surprise, he joined us outside, another bottle of his favorite white wine in hand, and kept our glasses and bellies filled – on the house – while chatting away. Unexpectedly, this extensive lunch became our highlight of Cuba, where the hospitality and local charm had finally grabbed us.
Paulo told us Christopher Columbus had been born in his town. This surprised us, so we followed the “evidence trail” that afternoon. Despite being a tad tipsy, we don’t think this alternate truth is correct.
And then the slightly dreaded April 4th arrived. On that day, we had to return our long-term rental car, and the adventure with Maya and all our luggage would continue… by train. Stay tuned!
Expenses for March 2026
Not unexpectedly, March was a pricey month, mostly because of lodging in Portugal and our upcoming accommodation costs in France. We also had an unexpected $129 expense to help out the new owners of Thirsty Bella, who got into trouble in Chile.
Another big bag of Maya’s dog food – to be delivered in Belgium – was purchased, but the other categories were manageable. We used gift money from my parents for most of our meals out.
Take-out pizza – and fries in Cuba
Out of the $2,825 total, only $1,000 went to actual living costs. If only we didn’t have to rent places to sleep! 🙂
Here is the breakdown:
- Accommodation: $1,830
- Groceries: $312
- Dining out: $236
- Car: $148 ($140 fuel; $8 parking)
- Miscellaneous: $129 (apostille and notary document Chile)
- Dog: $94 ($76 food; $18 meds)
- Utilities: $33 ($17 propane; $16 internet)
- Alcohol: $33
- Transportation: $24 (train Lisbon to Porto for Maya)
- Entertainment: $7 (puppet show, tourist train, Sentinel House)
- Drinking out: $5
- Laundry: $5
- Household supplies: $2 (masking tape)
TOTAL: $2,825
Next up: Pretty Porto in Portugal
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May 10, 2026 at 11:02 am
I am continually impressed how flexible you are about change. I hate change, yet you embrace it. Lovely pictures.
May 10, 2026 at 5:09 pm
Hi Jacqui,
You are so right. I don’t think I could handle routine tasks in a familiar environment, so change (especially of scenery) suits me just right, haha. Even when we are stationary for a little while without any new experiences and excitement (or challenges), I become antsy. I find it very interesting that you have decided to write about the prehistoric peoples who had to deal with change and uncertainty all the time. 🙂
May 10, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Oh dear, bad wether and ants! I’m glad your luck changed towards the end though.
May 10, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Hi Anabel,
Sometimes, only sometimes, one becomes successful by being persistent. 🙂
May 10, 2026 at 3:08 pm
Travel is intense living, and you guys prove it with adjusting to extremes in weather, accommodations, and food costs. A few of the photos reminded me of what we saw in the southern Balkans and Greece recently: Roman temple ruins + blue and white architecture.
From I can tell, things balance out a little. . . in the end! 😀
May 10, 2026 at 5:15 pm
Hi Marian,
Welcome back! I can’t wait to read about your Mediterranean adventures!
You know, I have a hard time telling a brief story, giving a succinct answer to any question, and writing a not-too-long blog post, because so much always happens in our lives. We get exhausted from all the excitement and challenges, but from the moment we have a quiet week (like currently in Belgium), we can’t wait to get our traveling lives back. 🙂
May 10, 2026 at 4:09 pm
Liesbet, Monsaraz really does look like one of those places that almost feels too perfect to be real, especially with those wide reservoir views from the walls. I also liked the photos from the Fisherman’s Trail area. The cliffs, boardwalks, and that little waterfall on the beach looked beautiful. The contrast between the two rentals was pretty striking as well. That house in São Teotónio looked so comfortable and peaceful, while the Cuba stay sounded like one long test of patience between the ants, noise, and sewage smell. The photo with the flashlight and towel setup genuinely made me laugh because it perfectly captured the difference between “vacation Portugal” and actually living somewhere temporarily. And after all those failed restaurant attempts, it was satisfying to see the meal with Paulo finally turn into such a memorable experience at the end. Thank you for sharing. Jim
May 14, 2026 at 4:48 am
Thanks for the in-depth reply again, Jim. You really make me feel good by reading and digesting my posts so thoroughly and I love your thoughtful comments. It seems like we always have so much to talk about, because we have been sightseeing like crazy on this trip – which is very different from our usual camper life – and because things never ever go right or the way they should go. We seem to attract issues and “you can’t make this up” moments. 🙂
May 10, 2026 at 5:22 pm
You are so nice to continue to help the new owners of Thirsty Bella, and at considerable expense, too! I do hope for your sakes that you can “cut the cord” and worry only about your own next vehicle, since you have really gone above and beyond for those buyers (who you gave a good price in the first place.)
May 14, 2026 at 4:32 am
Hi Marie,
I agree that we’ve been nice to the buyers of Bella. We, indeed, gave them a better deal on the price and a lot of other help, because we wanted to support their journey and make the transaction as easy as possible. We also wanted them to enjoy our truck camper (which they do). We would hope for the same kind of relationship, understanding, and compassion ourselves when it comes to a new vehicle for us, but this – as you can probably guess – is not happening. Unfortunately. I just wish there were more kind people in the world and things would go our way more often than not.
That being said, it’s nice to still be in touch and friendly with the new owners of Bella, but they’ve gone through quite a few challenges already, partly because they were inexperienced and clueless about a few things. But, if we can help, we will. Not just them, but others in the overlanding world as well. And we have. I guess, one day, good karma will come our way too. 🙂
May 11, 2026 at 7:42 am
Sorry about the ants. They are so invasive!
As always, you took in some beautiful sights.
May 14, 2026 at 4:33 am
Hi Alex,
I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: “What’s life without a good challenge?” Haha. So many issues, so many stories. But I’m glad we don’t have to deal with that ant infestation anymore. Right now, we just fight different battles.
May 13, 2026 at 6:47 am
What an action-packed post; I especially loved the ‘Despite being a tad tipsy, we don’t think this alternate truth is correct’ bit. That reminded me of the times we used to go to London for lunch on a Saturday and then go shopping! We always ended up with stuff we’d never have bought had we not been tipsy. But given that lovely gesture of a free lunch and wine from Paulo, I don’t blame you for eating and drinking before sightseeing to check out the Christopher Columbus story.
Funny you should mention ants, because for the first time I can remember, we’ve had an invasion of them in our house through a gap in the skirting board in the living room. I filled the gap with blue-tac, and now there is no sign of them.
I’m wondering if the mention of a train is because of the cost of petrol and diesel. I’m sure we’ll find out in the next post.
May 14, 2026 at 4:39 am
Hi Hugh,
I’m glad my stories trigger memories for you. Funny ones and less enjoyable ones. But I’m glad you managed to have stopped your own ant problem. There surely is a difference between having a few squeeze through the cracks once in a while, or having a true infestation. When the dropping ants were joined by dropping larvae in our kitchen, it turned really gross.
We only rented a car for nine weeks – during a cheaper period. Because the prices went up on Easter, we returned this car the day before. The initial idea was to then take the train from Lisbon all the way to Belgium as quickly as possible, becuase we have free rent here and didn’t have a car anymore. But, our timing changed.
So, the train rides (or attempted ones) didn’t have anything to do with fuel prices, but more with needing to cover distances in one direction, north. And one-way rental cars are super expensive.
May 14, 2026 at 5:54 am
Oh, interesting. I look forward to reading all about it, Liesbet. Your lives never cease to amaze me.
Belgium has made it through to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest this Saturday. I don’t know if you have ever watched it, but it’s a fun watch.
May 14, 2026 at 5:59 am
Wonderful! The last time I watched the Eurosong Festival (as it is called here or used to be called anyway) was sometime in the eighties, when a Belgian singer made the top three. I’ll see if I can find a way to watch it on Saturday.
I see that our Flemish singer actual won that year: “Sandra Kim was a finalist—and the winner—of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986. Representing Belgium at age 13 with the song “J’aime la vie,” she won the contest held in Bergen, Norway, becoming the youngest-ever winner in Eurovision history.”
May 14, 2026 at 7:24 am
I remember it well, Liesbet. I’ve watched every year since Abba won the contest in 1974.
May 19, 2026 at 8:25 am
Wow, you are a fan of the Eurovision Song Festival! I hope you enjoyed watching the most recent show.
May 19, 2026 at 8:56 am
I did, even if the UK came last with one point. But it was fun to watch, Liesbet.
May 20, 2026 at 6:26 am
I’m glad the show didn’t disappoint this year, Hugh.
May 13, 2026 at 10:14 am
Wow! Everything is so amazing. Can’t wait to get to Europe! I love all the buildings and the coastline.
I like that picture of you and Maya lying on the ground.
And less than $3000 is great for living anywhere. You are doing well on your accommodation expenses—even though you are getting a dud every once in a while.
Running into the greyhound races reminded me of the time we happened upon a rodeo in Ecuador. I would never pay to go to a rodeo, but of course, it was a fascinating cultural scene. They were roping young bulls, and I enjoyed that; sometimes the bulls seemed to be getting the better of the vaqueros.
May 14, 2026 at 4:55 am
Hi Duwan,
Southern Europe has been such a pleasant surprise. There is so much (architectural) beauty! We’ve been loving it, wondering if we’d ever come to the point where we’d say “aah, another castle” or “sigh, another historic village” but we haven’t yet. I guess we left at the right time, after about three months.
While our budget has been pretty high, I’m curious how it compares to that of people who live a “normal” life in a rented or mortgaged home. But nobody ever takes me up on my question about what they spend each month.
As travelers we have to remain open minded about cultural traditions and differences. Sometimes that’s harder than other times. We saw one of those rodeos in mainland Mexico in 2006 and didn’t like them. Yet, I’d prefer witnessing one of those over a true bullfight in Spain or Portugal. And, they’re very common in Texas.
May 13, 2026 at 1:25 pm
Thank goodness you got at least one decent place to stay! The place with the ants completely grossed me out – I’m guessing you didn’t have an alternative at that point, but I would have been tempted to ‘abandon ship’ and hunt for another place.
The Chapel of Bones is fascinating, in a macabre way. I looked it up, wondering about the history of all those corpses, and was relieved to find out they were just ordinary bodies exhumed from the nearby cemetery. I had been imagining some vengeful, violent monument to the deaths of someone’s enemies, so the truth was less alarming. Still, I wonder about the mindset of the friars who dreamed up and built the chapel. It doesn’t seem like the kind of idea that would occur to most people…
May 14, 2026 at 5:05 am
Hi Diane,
In the situation of the ant-infested place, we did actually search for other accommodation, but this late in the game, prices were super high. The owner had another house not too far away, but that had been booked as well or we would have insisted to move there. Plus, this booking had been the most affordable one in the three months we were in southern Europe. So, as often with us, the cost and budget played a factor as well.
I’m glad you found the history about the Chapel of Bones. I should have provided more info, but my posts are getting so long already… I guess a link would have helped as well.
But, yes, this was not too shocking or macabre, based on the origins. Still, like you said, an interesting decoration choice by the builders. And the inscription above the entrance reads “We bones that are here, await yours.” There is another chapel of bones in the Algarve, but it’s on a smaller scale.
May 13, 2026 at 2:13 pm
Wow, what a trip! That rental in Cuba would have pissed me right off. People who don’t make sure their places are clean and ready for guests paying $$$. They should have taken care of that ant problem. I’m glad you got to meet up with a fellow blogger and Maya had company too. You guys are quite brazen in your freestyle life in the midst of world chaos – and gas guzzling prices. Stay safe! 💜
May 14, 2026 at 5:15 am
Hi Debby,
One of the reasons that we have to keep traveling is, honestly, we don’t have anywhere else to go. Especially now, being homeless feels a bit tough since we are not finding another camper and the search is getting old. We have no other our purpose (and therefore joy) than finding the right 4×4 Vario truck or van.
But back to the rental accommodations – each single one we have been renting, whether it was a house or an apartment, has had things we would never put up with of it were our own place. It became part of the course. The ant infestation, however, was an issue of an entirely different degree! It was gross, time consuming, inconvenient, and mood deteriorating. We couldn’t cook anything without a lid, since ants or larvae could fall into the pan at any time!!! It was the only time out of ten rentals this last winter that we wanted to find something else and abandon ship. Of course, our budget could not allow that.