After finishing our 11-day hike of the Fisherman’s Trail, we spent the next 5 days taking it easy and making our way to Morocco. We spent one night in Lagos (where we finished the trail) – took care of laundry and went out for a nice dinner. The next morning, we got massages (which was wonderful!) and then took the train to Faro. 

Faro is the capital of the Algarve region of Portugal. We stayed in the quaint historic center.

And, as if we hadn’t had enough hiking, we went for a long walk in the area’s protected coastal lagoon (Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa).

The park’s diverse ecosystems attract numerous bird species. The best bird picture I took was of this small white heron while it was hunting for food.

In Faro, we visited the cathedral and climbed the tower for lovely views across the city.

There was a nice selection of restaurants and cafes in Faro. We enjoyed delicious meals in the evening and excellent espresso in the morning. 

Our next destination after Faro was Cádiz. It was a beautiful day and we didn’t want to spend it on public transit, so we decided to see if we could get an Uber from Faro to Cádiz (~3.5 hours drive). It worked! A driver with a Tesla was willing to take us, if we didn’t mind stopping to charge (which only took ~15 minutes as there was a supercharger along the way). The ride cost 170 Euros, roughly 100 Euros more than we would have spent on the bus & train. It was money well spent as it afforded us the opportunity to enjoy more time in Cádiz. 

That afternoon, we visited the San Sebastián Castle. This historic fortress built in 1706 played a role in protecting Cádiz from pirate attacks and foreign invasions. Fun fact… the fortress (and other parts of Cádiz) were featured in the James Bond movie Die Another Day to recreate the Cuban setting (since filming in Cuba wasn’t possible due to U.S. restrictions).

While in Cádiz, I went for a couple runs along the oceanside boardwalk. It was my first time running since leaving the states. It felt good. 

Just inside the cathedral entrance was a virtual reality experience which provided an introduction to its history and significance. Neither Jay or I had done one of these before and found it interesting.

Cádiz is widely recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, established by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC. I found the city to be quite charming with its labyrinth of narrow, winding cobblestone streets and rich cultural heritage. I really enjoyed our time there. And no doubt, part of the reason that I enjoyed it so much was the beautiful, sunny weather we had during our stay. Although not warm enough to go for a swim in the ocean, it was great weather for walking around and sitting outside in the sun.

From Cádiz, we took a 1.5 hour bus ride to Tarifa. And from there, a 1-hour ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. Goodbye Europe, Hello Africa!