Holiday destinations in the Algarve, Portugal

take a quick look at Burgau

As you travel west on the main road from Lagos to Vila de Bispo, after around 12 km you will have the opportunity to take a left at the traffic lights and take a drive through open farmland for a short sojourn into Burgau.

Arriving in the village there is a wide left hand bend with roadside parking available for a small number of vehicles.  It is a good idea to park somewhere around here, as the village has some rather challenging steep and narrow roads dropping down to the sea.

You will probably spot a group of the locals in the small bus shelter at the road junction, the only one of note in the village; they seem to sit there most of the day, trying to understand why the visitors want to spend their time in the sun.  Take the steepest cobbled street if the direct route to the beach is your choice. 

 As you start to descend there is a general store on the right with a good range of fresh fruit on display: if you venture in, watch out for the cleverly concealed stairs descending to a cellar where there is a wide range of liquors and ports on display.  As you go further down the hill there is another shop selling ports and liqueurs and a local ceramics shop on the left. At the bottom of the cobbled street take a snap or two of the fishing boats, nets and pots before pressing on to the beach.

The beach at Burgau is sheltered by cliffs; the main strand of sand being on the right with a cliff-hugging walkway taking you halfway along.  If you have wheels to manoeuvre, this walkway does help as it is easy to sink into the lovely soft sand.

Bathing in the sea here is a real joy, although it can be a little chilly in the winter months.  The beach is generally sandy and shelves gently but be aware, the water you are in is the Atlantic Ocean and currents can be strong so stay safe!

As the day progresses food and drink becomes of interest and the Burgau Beach Bar is a very convenient place to eat with a wide range of refreshment at a very reasonable price - the location is difficult to better.

There are lots of good `eateries' in Burgau; if as you pass by you can hear Portuguese being spoken that is a good indication of a good meal in any village or town. The Restaurante a Barraca towards the East end of Burgau beach is popular with locals.

Returning to the top of the hill and your transport after a relaxing day, look out for `The Sardine Factory'  where a wide variety of unusual gifts can be obtained together with a cracking range of tee-shirts, some of which may bring back memories of your day in Burgau and others, with your own message printed on, if you dare wear them!!

Burgau lies between Praia da Luz and Salema and Algarve Retreats has a number of properties in the village and surrounding area.  Take a look at the Vila Luz Suite Hotel, Ponta da Gaivota and the apartments and villas at Porto Dona Maria, all of which are east of the village towards Praia da Luz and in the village itself, Apartamentos os Descobrimentos.

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