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Top 10 Beaches Around Salema
"Top 10 Beaches" articles are always hotly debated. What makes the perfect beach is a very personal thing. For families good access to facilities and calm waters is likely to be a must. However, those seeking surf or solitude are probably after something quite...
Hiking In The West Algarve
Praia da Bordeira on The Rota Vicentina Hiking Trail From our guesthouse there are many trails and hikes to do. Nature starts right outside the doorstep. There are some amazing places to discover close by. The most famous trail is the Rota...
Walking the fisherman’s trail on the Costa Vicentina with guide.
Always running along the coastline, it follows the trails used by locals to get to the beaches and hot fishing spots.
It is a single track along the cliffs,with plenty of sand, which can only be travelled by foot, and more demanding from a physical point of view.
A challenge to a permanent contact with the ocean winds, the harsh coastal scenery and the wild and powerful natural landscape.
It comprises a total of 4 sections and 5 complementary circuits, totaling 120 km.
Walking this trail will give you a true “back to nature” experience where you will be able to reconnect with yourself.
Joao from Casinhas da Figueira offers guided tours along this route. Please feel free to contact us for any informations. We can tailor the tour to your wishes.
Before and after the hiking you can take a rest for a few days at one of our holiday apartments.
Casinhas da Figueira, What does it mean?!
Our guesthouse is called Casinhas da Figueira. Most people when they hear this name for the first time they cannot even pronounce it.
Let alone figure out what it means. Therefore this post is about why our guesthouse is called the way it is.
The name is Portuguese, we wanted a portuguese name because we wanted to create a local, traditional atmosphere.
Casinhas means, translated into english, little houses. This is the perfect word for our guesthouse since we have 4 houses joint together in one garden.
Figueira is the name of the village that we have our guesthouse. Not such a creative name you could say. But we liked it a lot because Figueira also means fig tree.
Fig trees are very commo n in Portugal, they grow everywhere. Their delicious fruit are used for many different purposes. Fig jam, dried figs, fig chutney, fig cake etc etc.
And although we don’t have a fig tree in our garden (one of the few we don’t have) we feel that our house is strongly connected to it. Because of the village and because of the big amount of fig trees all around us.
That’s why we chose the name Casinhas da Figueira (little houses of the fig tree)!
Fisherman’s village Salema
Salema is the nearest village from Figueira. Easy to find and just a 5 min drive from our guesthouse.
Out of the front door you turn left, on the main crossing you turn right. After about 100m there is a road to the right with a sign saying: “Salema”. Follow this road over the hill and you will reach the centre of town automatically.
Salema is a small village on the beach. This village has all amenities available.
Including lovely restaurants, some souvenir shops, supermarket and a lovely calm easy accesible beach. Enjoy a lovely pizza at Pizza Mobile or a more traditional dish at Boia restaurant. The beach in Salema is quite long and has nice golden sand. At both ends the beach is interrupted by the cliffs rising from the sea. In the western end of the beach you can find a big, flat yellow rock with footprints from a dinosaur. Perfect beach to enjoy a carefree time with children. Accesible by wheelchair as well.
On the corner of the boulevard in the shade, are usually some Portuguese fishermen. Enjoying the view and resting for the next trip.
This village still has fishing boats launched from the beach by a tractor, and there is always a helping hand to handle a boat when needed.
The village square is next door neighbor to the Atlantic sea.
If you go left up the narrow Rua dos Pescadores, you see the old part of the village with the small white washed cottages and cobbled streets. On the right hand of the square you find the newer part of Salema.
Come and see the sea!
Our guesthouse is very close to both the west coast and the south coast. We have some of the most amazing beaches and sea wildlife here. Therefore it is a big recommendation to explore some of the activities that this area has to offer on the sea.
Dolphin watching
In Lagos and in Sagres there are several company’s that can take you on a speedboat to go and see the dolphins. The dolphins live close to our coast all year round. This is definitely a must sea!
We recommend to go with Seafaris (the boat in the picture) in Lagos, they have the fastest and biggest boat. And they are very customer friendly. You can book your tickets with us.
Sailing trips
There are several different options to go sailing. There are private charters or group tours, full day trips or just a few hours. For more information ask us.
Kayaking and SUP (stand up paddle boarding)
Around Praia da batata are many companies that make kayak trips. You can go and visit the famous caves of Lagos by kayak with a support boat following the group. Usually they go in groups of around 20 people.
Right on the batata beach there is one company called Kainui, they have a wooden chalet on the beach. There you can just rent kayaks and you can go by yourself. They also have Sup boards.
Surfing
Portugal’s west coast is famous for it’s many surf spots. Praia cordoama, praia da Castelejo and praia Amado are just some of the beaches that have surf schools. Best just to show up and ask for lessons or/and rentals. The south coast doesn’t have much good swell.
Visiting the caves of Lagos
With a small boat from the Lagos marina you can go and see the caves. They will drive the boat inside some of the caves and the captain will explain you about the history, the fortresses and all the different names of the caves and beaches. The most famous point is Ponte da Piedade (on the picture on the right).
Other sea activities
It is also possible to go fishing, rent a jetski, and many things more. Just tell us what you would like to do and we will recommend you where to go.
Reviews
From Pedro and his family:
“Our time in Figueira was amazing! Nienke is a super host, she made sure everything was perfect for us! We had the best time there, we love the beach and the village and all that area. Thee house is perfect and all was ready, clean and welcoming! We really recommend!!”
From Paolo and Ion:
La casa è proprio una… casina! Essenziale, piacevole, col suo angolo di giardino, copn una buona doccia. La cucina è basica: ma per chi ama insalatone e microonde, perfetta! Niente grandi bucati, non c’è lavatrice, ma per chi veste da mare… perfetto! E in compenso, c’è Gordigna, la gatta di casa, un must… almeno lo è stato per noi:-)! Grazie a Nienke per l’ospitalità Paolo e Ion
From Federica:
Great experience! Nienke is a very kind host and she answered fast before and after the booking. The house is a really nice apartment in a beautiful garden with flowers and fruit trees where you can eat (there is a little table) or rest after a busy day at the beach. The pictures don’t show as the apartment is: the house is better!! The house is closed to shops and to a really nice beach you can reach by a 15mins walk in the beautiful nature of Algarve. I’ve appreciated the little book that Nienke left in the house with the presentation of some of the towns near there and with some suggestions of activities to do. And if you need more information Nienke and Joao are available to find what you need. Very positive experience and if I’ll come back I know where I can stay!
From Patrick:
Nous avons passé un agréable séjour dans cette charmante petite maison, simple, calme, entourée d’arbres et de verdure, située dans un village tranquille, à 15 mn à pieds d’une petite plage sauvage et encore peu fréquentée par les touristes. Merci à nos hôtesses pour leur accueil, leur gentillesse et leur disponibilité à répondre à toutes nos interrogations, malgré la barrière de la langue (nous parlons très peu anglais) qui nous a empêché de dialoguer autant que nous l’aurions souhaité.
From Madalena:
Sentimo-nos muito bem nesta casinha simples mas com tudo o que é indispensável. A Nienke e o João foram extremamente simpáticos e acolhedores. A localização da casa, a uns 15′ a pé da praia, é um ponto muito forte.
From Kristina:
The communication in advance was very nice and informative. During our stay Nienke and her boyfriend made sure we had everything we needed and provided us with insider tips on what to do and where to go. So e.g. we were able to find an awesome spot to watch the sunset. The house was as described and we felt very much at home. Especially the garden with the outside shower was just perfect – we found fresh lemons and mulberries and enjoyed our evenings sitting in front of the house – accompanied by the lovely cat. What we really love about the place is that it is perfect for people who like to communicate with the host but also for people who enjoy a little more privacy – since this place offers both ? We are already planning to come back next year- as its location is just perfect for exploring the Algarve and its numerous beaches and sights ?
Praia da Figueira
Praia da Figueira is our local beach. It is a beach where even in July and August it is still possible to find peace and quiet.There are no cars, no restaurants and no activities. Only sand, ocean, cliffs and nature. To get there you can leave your car at Casinhas and...
Our secluded and (almost) private beach
I love our beach! The little river flowing into sea, the walk through nature you make to get there and all the peace and quiet.
When you go there in the morning there is a big chance you will be all by yourself.
There are many hiking trails as well. For example you can climb over the cliffs all the way to Salema.
It’s a nice distance from the guesthouse. In about an hour walking you can have breakfast in Salema 😉
Come and enjoy our non-touristic, natural beach in Figueira <3
Our beautiful garden in Figueira, Algarve Portugal
Our garden is lush and abundant, full of life and energy. It really is a place to reset, rest and regain energy.
Lying in the grass in the sun or making a BBQ with friends. Baking pizza in our pizza oven or climbing the mulberry tree to pick berry’s.
We have a wonderful mulberry tree. At the moment it has thousands of berry’s and they are delicious. They are sweet and juicy.
The first batch of mulberry jam is already finished, and i have to say it is delicious! This week i will make another load of jam, this one will be for our guests to try out.
You can also pick them and mix them through the yoghurt in the morning, or just as a sweet snack. Be careful with your clothes though when you pick them, they make big red stains that are difficult to get out.
There is also an apple tree, the branches are hanging low from the weight of the apples. Just a little longer before they will be finished.
Once they are ripe i will make apple compote and dried apple rings. You are welcome to come and try 😉
There is so many little corners in the garden that you and your family enjoy enough privacy. Every apartment has it’s own private terras and these terrases are linked to the main garden. There is an outside shower for general use to wash of your sandy feet when you return from the beach.
Our garden needs a lot of water in the dry Portuguese summer climate. Luckily we have the fortune of having a well on the land. We pump up the water from here and therefore are able to give our garden plenty of water. And have our water fountain run whenever we want.
Algarve Tips
Visit AlgarveTips.nl for great information on what to see and do around the Algarve.
