Kevin and I had a lot of fun researching where to stay in Portugal, and when it came to figure out where to stay in the Algarve, we kept being pointed back to Salema. And, for good reason!
Salema is a sleepy beach town, and if you're coming to the Algarve to relax, sunbathe, swim in the ocean, and eat delicious food...it checks all those boxes. If you're looking for raging nightlife, you're definitely better off staying in a bigger city like Lagos or Albufeira.
Since we were toting our 7 months baby Ollie (we left our older 2 at home with grandma and grandpa, as it was our 10 year anniversary trip!) Salema was the perfect choice. It was a great home base with a baby in that it was quiet, had easy access everywhere around town (the stroller got lots of use), and it had wonderful chairs and beach beds on the sand.
We spent 2 nights and 3 days in Salema and it was the perfect amount. But, like many people, we fell absolutely head over heels under it's charm and didn't want to leave. We met a sweet Dutch couple while dining in our favorite restaurant, Boia, and they have been vacationing in Salema for years. They said they would come and spend 2 weeks here. On first arrival you won't think there is much to do here, but I can vouch that the ambiance, access and beauty all just grows on you!
The Algarve, Portugal's southern coast, gets sun almost year round. Our first morning there (which was late October), I woke up and smiled profusely at the warm sunshine on my face. We spent the morning taking a walk around the town, up and down the boardwalk, and up to the cliffs where we could look down and see the beach.
From our walk, we headed to Boia, and had our first taste of Portuguese food. YOU GUYS, I have been to over 40 countries, and I have to say, Portugues food surprised us with how incredible it is. EVERYTHING on our entire trip was so flavorful and fresh. Boia has a gorgeous view of the beach, both from the inside dining room as well as the outside patio.
After our delicious lunch, we went back to our Airbnb (which was incredible), changed into our swimsuits and headed to the beach. For 10 Euros you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas, or beach beds. We relaxed on the beach (for as much as you can relax with a 7 months old haha!) and after a few hours, headed back to our room to change.
That evening we headed to Lagos to see the incredible beaches and find a fun spot to eat dinner (which was about a 20 minute drive away). It was a great night, but I'll save that for another post!
I'll end by saying we truly loved our time in Salema:) Stay tuned for my next post about the other location we stayed at in the Algarve! It too was amazing...more to come!
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