Sitting here with the heating on and plentiful layers of clothing on my mind started wandering off… well, south mainly in search of t-shirt weather. Just over a year ago my wife and I headed off for a long weekend to the peaceful retreat just off the Portuguese coast, otherwise known as Armona Island. I’d never even heard of it until my wife and a few fiends visited the previous year, and such were the glowing reports it just had to be visited. Here are a few shots from the visit:














Mention Portugal to most people and they immediately head west from Faro airport for the established Algarve sunspots and golf courses, however if you prefer a quieter, more peaceful few days head east. A twenty minute taxi ride reaches the coastal town of Olhau, from where a fifteen minute ferry trip takes you to the unspoilt island of Armona.Devoid of cars it’s like stepping back in time, to a world of a much slower pace of life where little happens in a hurry! What Armona has in abundance is miles of sandy beaches with crystal clear seas, and very few people – at least at this time of year, but I suspect August may be somewhat different.
In the short visit we sampled three restaurants, the two either side of the ferry area, both of which did a good line in fresh seafood, but meat was also available for those that prefer it. The restaurant on the Atlantic side, which is up for sale, sold a most fantastic plate of garlic grilled eels. The bills all seemed very similar between 35 and 45 Euros for two including a bottle of wine. A third has apparently now opened nearby so now a plentiful choice of eatery on the island, to go with the array waterfront restaurants at Olhau where the traditional seafood cataplana can be sampled, and well worth it it was too.
Looking out at grey skies and temperatures of at least 6 degrees a quick trip to Armona would be perfect for a few days serious unwinding and r&r… I’ll be back!
Posted in Photography, Travel
Tags: Algarve, Armona Island, cataplana, eating out, holidays, peaceful, Portugal, sandy beaches, seafood, travel, travel photography, undiscovered, vacation