Traveling South from Lisbon to Sines, Portugal and Beyond
After collecting our pre-booked motorhome rental at the international airport outside Lisbon, choices spoil us. Do we go north or south, or travel east towards Spain through the countryside. On this journey, we choose to head for Faro on the south coast. For this is one of the loveliest coastlines in all of Portugal. Our first stop will be Sines, some 160 kilometres (100 miles away). We decide to take our time, and visit Grandola where we hope to find a delicious lunch.
A Pleasant Drive to Sines With a Stop for an Alfresco Lunch
We travel due east on the A2 for a third of our journey, before diverting to the E1 almost due south. The town of Alcácer do Sal marks the halfway point, and so we stop to top up with fresh provisions. This is a lovely place on the banks of the Sanso River, and it has one of the finest Moorish Castles we have seen.
Needs be we must head on to Grandola for that promised lunch. This exceeds our expectations, and we receive a warm welcome everywhere we go. Motorhome rentals are not as common as you might expect in rural parts of Portugal.They can be an icebreaker, which is great. We find a simple eatery where we enjoy delightful ‘bife’ steaks. They serve these with with fried potato ‘batatas’ and eggs, with garlic sauce, crispy rolls and fresh green salad on the side.
What a Pleasure Sines Turns Out to Be When We Arrive
What we enjoy most about motorhome rentals, campervans and RV’s generally, is we can change our mind at the last moment because we have no hotel bookings and are free agents. After we find a peaceful campsite with a pinch view of the ocean, we put our Faro plans on the back-burner for several days. We want to explore our surroundings first. We discover Sines was a Visigoth fortress and they left many carved stones dating back at least 14 centuries.
After the Portuguese drove the Moors away in the 13th Century, they built impressive castles and coastal defences to keep sea pirates at bay. Then they created a series of graceful homes and churches within the fortifications. Some of these survive in near original condition.
Onward to Faro in Our Delightful Rental Motorhome
The wanderlust kicks in again after three delightful days and starry nights. We stow the luggage, secure the bicycles, and head for Faro on the southern coast of Portugal 220 kilometres (140 miles) away. We feel the golden beaches call us as we hit the road again, and continue on our journey in our delightful motorhome rental.
