Tavira to Lepe, Spain

April 19, 2022

The A Muralha is a great spot if you find yourself in Tavira. Our hotel room was airy and bright in white and aqua, the vibe is relaxed and their beach cruiser bikes parked at the reception desk added the perfect seaside touch. They advertise their breakfast as being special and it was, especially when we were served a pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice! After cycling through so many orange groves it wasn't until this last morning in the Algarve that we were served fresh oj.

Reluctant to leave, we sat over many cups of coffee, so it was well after 10 am before we started cycling. Over the Roman bridge one last time and soon we were on the now well-marked Ecovia do Litoral heading for Vila Real do Santo Antoni. This section of the trail follows remote roads, through peaceful farmland with several views of the coast in the distance. There were more cyclists and walkers then we had seen up until now. After 10km, the next section was unpaved so we re-routed to the N125 and were soon cruising into Vila Real. We thought we'd see when the next ferry would be crossing before getting some lunch but it was there and leaving in 10 minutes. We bought our tickets and rolled our bikes on. There were three other cycle touring groups and we spoke to a Dutch pair, a German and two non-cycling couples from Toronto. Soon, we were on the other side of the River Guadiana at Ayamonte and tucking in to another lunchtime special, our first in Spain.

Well-nourished we put our heads down and cycled a fast 21km to Lepe. After quick showers we strolled on their new walking/ bike trail to the Parroquia de Santo Domingo de Guzman. Lepe is where we got to first try out our Spanish as neither the hotel receptionist nor our waitress at supper spoke a word of English. This is going to be good practice for us, especially after we leave Córdoba and head into the interior.

We enjoyed our brief visit to Lepe. Right beside the Santo Domingo was an inner courtyard with cafes and restaurants, where we had a delicious seafood paella. From our table we watched people having drinks, tapas or meals too. There were lots of kids, dogs, a busy lady's store selling traditional Spanish dresses and lots of animated conversations.

Typical Portuguese stonework in main square at Vila Real de Santo Antonio, the last town in Portugal

Looking like he has appreciated the Portuguese food, Steven hoping for a more slimming diet (or wind) on the ferry to Spain

The town square is quite different in Spain

Social time before the 8pm mass. This church was alive with people

Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 540 km (335 miles)

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Kathleen WearySpain! What a beautiful place… cool to hear that you noticed the differences! Hope your Spanish is coming in handy xx
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2 years ago

ann and steve maher-wearyStruggling with my Spanish, Dad is much better so we are able to communicate. We are both studying hard but it’s tough. Fun though to say something and be understood. No one speaks English as we move into the interior.
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2 years ago