Wednesday, June 18 was our travel day down to the Algarve, the southern coast of Portugal. Everything went really smoothly – we boarded our Flixbus at 1 pm and settled in for the 4 hour drive. Luckily, the bus wasn’t crowded so we could all spread out.

We arrived to Portimão about 5 pm and caught an Uber to our new home for the next 5 nights. Unfortunately, the apartment’s location was not what we expected. Instead of picturesque sea views, we had a head on view of the main road running through the town. The unit itself was very spacious, but we ultimately decided that the space didn’t outweigh the views and went right to work looking for another option.

It wasn’t all bad though… we took a stroll that evening and discovered lovely little lanes throughout Ferragudo that were quite charming.

We also enjoyed a lively seafood dinner at a nearby beach bar, complete with DJ and electric violin.

The next day, the search was back on! After a couple hours we hit the jackpot, scoring a townhome in Ferragudo with a pool and village views. At 7 pm that evening, we moved for the second time in two days. Whew, exhausting for sure – but definitely worth it!

Villa Sunset was very comfortable with four bedrooms, so the girls had their own space. It was just a 10 min walk down to the village too. And we all got great use out of the pool while there. Highly recommend renting a place with a pool while in the Algarve!

Next up, sea kayaking and beach vibes in the Algarve….get your swimsuit and sunscreen ready!