Lagos, Portugal – Casa Rosa and Joe’s Garage

If you’re a budget traveler or backpacking Europe, Lagos is a cheap slice of paradise. Casa Rosa is the place for general sustenance, while Joe’s Garage is a place to let go.

Casa Rosa

Casa Rosa claims to be the haven for backpackers in Lagos. The more you travel, the more you know such claims are rarely true. With Casa Rosa, however, I can confirm the claim is true. This hole in the wall served heaping mounds of the food of the day for really cheap prices. It was packed with backpackers, which made it a good place to meet people and exchange war stories.

I haven’t been to Portugal for four years, so I have to attach a caveat to recommending Casa Rosa. When I first visited Casa Rosa in the 1990’s, it was owned by a couple of Brits, who were apparently trying to sell it. I dropped in twice in subsequent years and they were still there and still trying to sell it. Whether this ever occurred, I can’t really say so keep in mind there may be a new owner or the place may not exist at all.

Joe’s Garage

In every town or city, there is one “underground” night spot you just have to visit. Of course, you first have to find out about it and then figure out where it is. People “in the know” typically heavily guard this information. For years, Joe’s Garage has been such a place in Lagos.

The recommend attire for Joe’s Garage is a bathing suit, t-shirt and flip flops. The place appears to have no ventilation whatsoever and is insanely hot. Turning a negative into a positive, the owners have a strong water policy. Water shoots out of the ceiling, mouths of statutes on the wall and water guns expertly aimed by bartenders. If you were glasses, just leave them at home.

Joe’s is open from around ten in the evening until the hour you stagger out. It is located on Rua Primiero de Mayo, but don’t bother writing that down. The place has so little signage that you could be standing in front and completely miss it. The best way to find it is to follow the late night crowd as they begin filing out of the bars around midnight.

Lagos is an ideal spot for budget travelers. The town is has beaches, nightlife and is cheap. Enjoy!

Holidays in Corfu

The Madeira island group belongs to Portugal and is in the Atlantic Ocean. Madeira translated means wood. Their main island is also called Madeira with its 736 square kilometres it is the largest of the island group of Portugal. The group is formed by five islands. Madeira and Porto Santo are the only ones inhabited. The other three are Deserta Grande, Ilhau Chao and Bugio and they are just 14 square kilometers in size.

Lisbon is the largest city of Portugal and also the capital city of the country. It is located on the Atlantic coast and is one of the most important port cities in Europe. Lisbon has about 518,000 inhabitants. The weather in Lisbon in the summer is very nice, because it is not too hot and in winter it is very mild. In summer there is often coastal fog. The city also has soccer teams such as the Benfica Lisbon, whose home games in Estadio de Luz are fought.

The island of Madeira with its capital Funchal has an area of 794 square kilometres. It belongs to the same group of islands of Madeira and is the largest island in this archipelago. About 265,000 people live on the island. The weather on this island is very tropical. In winter the daytime temperatures are about 15 degrees Celsius. During the summer months temperatures rise up far beyond the 20 degrees Celsius mark. Ideal conditions for a quick last minute trip or for the tourists, with his whole family arrives.

The second largest city of Portugal is Porto. This town is located in the northwest of the country and has nearly 330,000 inhabitants. Porto is famous mainly for its port wine. The wine is deep in the cellars of Porto where he stored for at least two years to mature. For soccer fans of FC Porto is of course a concept. The Soccer Association in the prime league in Portugal plays its home games bears in the Estadio do Drageo. This stadium was also the 2004 European Football Championship.

Algarve Portugal, The South's Delight

Algarve or as it was baptized by the Arabs as Al Gharb meaning 'to the west', is the most southern province of the eleven that Portugal has been divided into. Its variety in terrain which starts at the small town of Odeceixe on the west coast, nicely tucked into the Espinhaco do Cao mountain range bordering the coast and the brave Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its shoreline runs down through Aljezur, symbolic in the Portuguese history thanks to its castle which is one of the seven that appear on the flag of Portugal. Still enjoying the different shades that the fertile valleys offer, you continue along the shoreline to Alfambra, a walled in city and well-known as a fishing village and tourist attraction. To the most western tip is the Cape of Saint Vicent and to the town of Sagres where Henry the Navegator first started his navigation school. At this point, you have come to the come into contact with the most attractive Algarve beaches. Long soft sandy stretches which enclose secret coves at the beginning where the outline of the coast is extremely flat around the towns of Lagos but after the city of Albufeira it turns into cliffs. Not leaving the hypnotizing view of the Atlantic, your car hire seems to know the route and continues on to Faro, the capital of this area after having taken this title away from the city of Silves in 1577. Here in Faro you have the main gateway into this southern region when arriving at this well-prepared international airport for your holiday stay. But there is still more beach towns like Tavira, a very historic medieval town and Castro Marim another city surrounded by a protective wall. From here, the journey northward following the Guadiana River, which is the natural border between Spain and Portugal.

Saved by its Ancestors

The Algarve region has seen all the cultures beginning with the Lusitanians, Celtics, Romans and Arabs who were forced out of Faro in 1249 by Sancho II. But thanks to the combination of all these people, especially the Arabs, the Algarve province ( http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com/algarve/algarve-portugal.html ) now has a strong production of olive trees which produce rich olive oil, figs and almonds. It is said that the almond trees were a gift from a Moorish sultan who was in love with a Nordic princess. She dearly missed the snow covered ground in winter and what most resembled that were the almond trees in full bloom in the spring. From this, the Algarve makes a rich dessert from almonds, figs, eggs and sugar called 'morgados'. And thanks to the dry weather, pears, tomatoes, melons and grapes are among the delicious fruits available year round.

Algarve Wine, A Sweet Caress for Your Lips

Grapes in Portugal are synonymous to wine, and Algarve has quite a variety. The exportation of wine from this region started under the Muslim domain and reached its climax in the 14th and 15th centuries. Lagos, Portimao and Tavira are the principal wine producers.

+ The Algar Dry from Lagos is a dry wine, served very cold for appetizers. The dry and sweet moscatel wines are aged in oak barrels for at least seven years and have about 18% alcohol content.

+ Alfonso III is another dry wine from Lagos and also served very cold.

+ Cruz de Portugal is a smooth red wine which should be served at room temperature for dessert.

+ From Tavira you have Licoroso de Tavira which is very sweet and dark in colour, served at room temperature.

+ Medronho is a type of liquer very well known all over the Algarve region and usually found in the typical 'tascas' or taverns and served in glasses from Oporto.

Cute places to see around Portugal

Between Tavira and Castro Marim, one can easily manage a nice beach day in Monte Gordo and a leisurley stroll through the Natural Reserve Park to appreciate the marvellous view of pink flamengos and long-legged storks soaring in and out of sight. For golf lovers, near Albufeira and hidden among pine trees and the shore you will find Villamoura with its campestral fields for playing a relaxing game of golf. Wherever you go in this region, be it on the coast or deep in the forest area, there are all kinds of hotels with great facilities for your stay in Algarve or the capital of Portugal, Lisbon.