Travel Lightbulb

The majority of photos I post are sunny images that make me feel good, but I had to feature this one! It was taken in Portugal on a night where the moon just popped out from behind the clouds and shone beautifully on the calm sea below.  It was a gorgeous balmy summer night and the church in the foreground was lit up perfectly. Oh to be back to those warm nights! By this time of the year, after what feels like a long winter, I'm desperate for the sunshine to come out; for the temperatures to rise, and for the summer to finally be here. Bring it on!

This cleverly titled giant sculpture is called 'Waste of a Dolphin', and is on display at marinas throughout the Portuguese Algarve this summer, and for the next five weeks it's on display in the outdoor space at the Portimão Museum by the riverside. The dolphin is about eight feet long, and is by Algarve artist BJ Boulter, and is completely made out of discarded plastic.  It's safe to say we're all becoming more and more aware that the oceans desperately need our help, and the idea for this project came from a voyage into South Africa by boat years ago. BJ sailed into the harbour in Durban, and the water was glittering like diamonds - but it was actually a sea of plastic bottles. So sad, and very shocking.  The work is part of a show entitled 'Listen to the Ocean', and is part of a winder initiative powered by Marlagos and CIMA, the centre for marine investigation at the University of the Algarve. We can all do our bit to make the world a be...

Those of you who know me well will be well aware of just how much I love Portugal. I've been holidaying in the country since I was a little girl, and am now lucky enough to have a little hideaway there. It came as no surprise to me that Portugal has been named Best European Destination for the third consecutive year at the World Travel Awards Europe - the travel equivalent of the Oscars.  All in all, Portugal won an incredible 26 awards, with Lisbon being named the best city break destination, and the Algarve as Europe's Leading Beach Destination. So many people I meet have yet to visit the country and I have to say they're missing out! It's easy to get off the beaten track; avoid the tourist hotspots and find your own piece of paradise - even in the busier summer months. If it's not on your list, it should be.

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to flashback to an eerie place to visit. If you're going to the Algarve, then head to Alcantarilha for a spooky experience in the 15th century chapel which dominates the village.  If you want to find out more, then read my original post by clicking here .

I took a long time to decide where to feature for my first post of 2017. A new year, a new start....so how about a new destination for a city break, and one that's perfect for those who love their food and their culture. For some reason, Porto is still a bit under the radar when it comes to European destinations, which surprises me because it's both affordable and fun. It's Portugal's second-largest city behind Lisbon, known for it's beautiful bridges and the production of port wine, which is still stored in vast cellars that stretch along the Douro river.  The medieval Ribeira district is the oldest district of the city - a beautiful warren of narrow cobbled streets and plenty of wonderful family owned restaurants and bars. Top tip: If you're looking for a belly busting dish to try, the francesinha sandwich is a Porto institution.  It's a huge doorstep layered with pork, bacon, smoked sausage, beefsteak all topped off with a fried e...

I love a long walk on a hot summer's day, and the place in the photo below is one of my favourites places in the world to do this. Carrapateira beach is on the West coast of the Algarve in Portugal. In recent years, walkways have been built to protect the cliffs and coastline, and they make it even easier to enjoy this wonderful part of Portugal.  The best thing is even in the height of season, the beaches around this area are so huge they never feel busy. Stunning coastline; endless walks, and beautiful weather - what more do you need!

The little village of Alte can be found inland in Portugal's Algarve region - north of Albufeira. It's a typical Algarve village with whitewashed houses, cobbled streets, and handcrafted chimneys. The church is at the centre of the village, and there are lots of little cafes in the area where you can relax and soak up the peace. February is a good time to visit, as the normally quiet village has a little carnival. Many streets are cordoned off for the parade, and everyone turns out for the afternoon. This is the perfect place from which to explore the towns and village of the central Algarve. Silves, with its Moorish castle, is only a twenty five minute drive from here and Messines, which has a good selection of shops, is ten minutes away. Many people who travel to Portugal never leave the pool or the beach, but if you're one of those people, then I can tell you, you're missing out. There is so much to discover - even in little places like...

I'm a big fan of summer - not only for the lovely weather, but the way the sunshine brings out the colours in everything. This week's photo was taken from the comfort of my sun lounger!  I love all the different colours of the parasols against the blue of the sea and the sky. You can almost feel the heat - what lovely memories. This may be one I look back on on a cold winter's night!

This summer, in the middle of Portugal's Alentejo region I found a place that will steal your heart. Herdade da Retorta is a stunning early 19th century manor house on a 61 acre farm just outside the town of Serpa. As you drive up to the house, the first sight of it is quite overwhelming - it's simply stunning. The owners, Gabriella and Carlos, are wonderful people who could not have done more for us. On our arrival they gave us a tour of the house to make sure we knew our way around; then sat us down for a drink - a much welcomed cold beer! They told us the best places to eat; what local delicacies to enjoy, and where to visit in the area. After our little chat, the pool was too irresistible in the Alentejo heat - it can get VERY hot here in the summer months, and was around 38 degrees for my visit in July. On our first night, we were the only guests, therefore the only people using the pool - perfect! It is surrounded by loungers and deck chairs so we had our ...

Today's photo was taken in Portugal on a drive from the Algarve up to the Alentejo region. I spent a few nights inland, but on the drive up I made sure I didn't miss any of the stunning coastline in that part of the country. The views were simply stunning, and it's amazing how much of Portugal is uncrowded, and still untouched by tourism. If you'd like to find out more about where I stayed in the Alentejo region, then visit my original post  Awesome Alentejo .

I took this photo in one of my favourite spots in the Western Algarve in Portugal, just outside Lagos. Just behind the Ponta da Piedade lighthouse, there is a long staircase that leads down to this beautiful view. In the height of summer, it's where the fisherman take tourists out on boat trips to see the rock formations along the coastline. In the winter months, it's almost always deserted, and a perfect place to just sit for a moment, and enjoy the scenery. Have you been to the Algarve? Do you have any photos of the coastline? If so, share them with me - details of how to get in touch are on my contact page . 

If you've ever been on holiday in Portugal, you'll know that the array of local food on offer is absolutely delicious. As someone who is allergic to fish, however,  I often look for an alternative to the grilled meat dishes served in the majority of restaurants, so I can enjoy a little change. I found something completely different in the town of Luz, at Chicca's. It's a small restaurant which serves delicious home made food, with a variety of vegetarian dishes; pasta; meat, and beautiful pies. The owner, Chicca, is delightfully eccentric, and brings a blackboard packed with daily specials to your table. If you have a question about any of the dishes, then just ask and you'll see just how passionate Chicca is about her food!  I ordered the lasagne (above) and my husband had one of the delicious chorizo pies, which is accompanied by no less than nine delicious mini salads. The best suggestion I can give you is to leave room for dessert - they...

Hotel Vila Galé is a funky hotel located on the outskirts of the town of Lagos in Portugal's Algarve. It's situated a short walk across the road from Meia Praia Beach - a four kilometre long sandy beach which is so big, you can always find a quiet spot. It's bigger than most places I feature on Travel Lightbulb, but it's the design that really caught my eye when I visited, and it definitely deserves its place here. This four star hotel has 248 standard rooms and 38 suites.  Portuguese style inspired the decoration of the hotel, and the rooms are large and modern. That description matches most of the public areas too. There is a fashion theme to the bar (see catwalk shots on the columns in the photo below) and outfits created by Portuguese designers are draped over mannequins in many areas of the hotel. The pool area is not only huge but also stunning, and there are plenty of sun loungers and a pool bar to quench your thirst on hot summer days. The hot...

This is the second of my posts on accommodation in Portugal's second largest city Porto and today, it's all about luxury. Porto is a haven for wine lovers, and the prime destination for anyone who wishes to experience the pleasures of Port itself - the classic wine for which this city is famous. The Yeatman is a stunning hotel located in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto in the middle of Porto's wine companies. If you are a wine enthusiast, then you'll be in your element here.   Some of Portugal's finest producers sponsor individual rooms and suites and the hotel's spa has exclusive skincare products and therapies using extracts from the vine! As for the hotel itself, there are eighty-two stunning guest rooms and suites, each with private balcony's which have fantastic views across the river Douro to Porto's historic centre. They're all incredibly spacious; fitted to the highest standard, and even the bathrooms have stun...

This week I'm dedicating two posts to the fantastic city of Porto, and two very different accommodation options - one budget and one luxury. For some reason, Porto isn't considered to be one of the top destinations for a city break, but I can't imagine why. If you haven't heard much about the city, it's Portugal's second largest city behind Lisbon, and is very different to the rest of the country. It is a very hilly city with medieval alleyways; stunning over the top baroque churches, and beautiful squares. Porto's historic centre is the Ribiera district, which is a UNESCO World Heritage zone with houses that  seem to tumble down the hillside towards the River Douro. The place I've picked as my low-cost find for this fabulous city is called '6Only'.   It's a guest house situated slap bang in the middle of the city, and as the name suggests, there are only six rooms. It's a stylish bed and breakfast that has recently been con...

When you're on your travels, sometimes you come across something that tickles you - and that's what happened on a trip to Portugal earlier this year. I was on my way to Martinhal beach in the Algarve, which is overlooked by the stunning Martinhal beach resort and hotel, when I came across this little guy. It was part of a touring exhibition of art from Quinta dos Vales (a winery, retreat and arts centre in Estombar) and there were lots of elephants placed in all different locations around the grounds of the resort. They were all very different in both colour and texture - some painted, while some had pretty cool mosaics. The way the light hit the elephants was just stunning - especially the way the strong Portuguese sunshine hits the darker sculptures. My own personal favourite was the elephant in the photo below - she looked like she was out for a morning stroll, enjoying the beautiful views from her vantage point! Sadly, the exhibition is no longer th...

Following on from my first Algarve beach post , today's featured location is another one of my favourite beaches. Cordoama is dramatic, stunning, and unspoilt. It's reached by going through the village of Vila do Bispo in the Western Algarve, around 25 minutes from Lagos. After driving through the town, you really can't miss it as it's signposted all the way. There are several stunning beaches around here, but this is one of the more accessible ones - the access road was improved a few years ago meaning a much less bumpy drive than before!  This beach is on the Algarve's wilder West coast and has beautiful clean water with rolling waves that are perfect for surfing. It's such a large expanse of sand that it's almost too far to walk from one end to the other - it just seems to go on for miles.  There is a small restaurant just beside the parking area, which serves fresh fish (they do superb grilled sardines when they are in season) and they also s...

This week, I've decided to feature two of my favourite beaches in Portugal. Today's offering is near Sagres, at the Western tip of the Algarve. There are a number of beaches in this area, but my favourite is Beliche. Getting to the beach is easy - it's well signposted from the town, and parking is plentiful. As you can see from the photo below, there are LOTS of stairs to get down to the beach, so take your time as some of them are quite steep. The bay itself is stunning wth soft golden sand and huge towering cliffs which give you shelter from the wind, which can sometimes be quite strong in this part of the Algarve. Out of season it can be really deserted, and even in the busy summer months, it would take a lot of people to make it busy! It's hard to sum up just how big this beach is, so take my advice and go and see it for yourself if you're in Portugal.

Today's post comes with a feast of photos - Monte do Chora Cascas (Hill of Weeping Bark) is one of those places where you have to keep snapping! This stunning country house is situated in the relatively undiscovered Alentejo region in Portugal.  It's set in beautiful gardens with amazing views across fields from the swimming pool terrace. There are just six rooms (named after angels), and they're all beautifully stylish. Think colour-washed walls, four posted beds, and embroidered bedspreads. Instead of noisy air conditioning, there are ceiling fans, and shuttered windows to keep you cool. I visited in the hot month of September, and never felt the need for air-con. Two rooms share a terrace (see photo below) and the others have a shared patio. There are so many outdoor spaces to enjoy though, that you don't really need a private space apart from your room.  The day beds by the pool, for example, are the perfect place for an afternoon sn...