Algar Seco Cliff Walk

Today's day of vacation was once again focused on adventure. After a leisurely start to the day, we headed to Carvoeiro. I had read that cliff jumping is quite a tradition in this part of the rock coast. So I quickly explained the plan to my boys, and it was clear: We're going there, jumping off, and that's it! But we didn't count on our boss, Nadi. Of course, she intervened. For now, there was no permission for anything beyond going there and looking...

After our arrival, we had to fuel up. We dined at an Indian restaurant. Why are we eating Indian food in Portugal? Because it tastes good! ;-)

Afterwards, we went on a walk towards the Cliff Walk. A nicely laid out path made of wooden buoys winds along the coast. One photo opportunity after another. Stairs and paths carved into the rock invite you to take a close look at cliffs, as well as the large and small caves.

Once a year in Algar Secco, daredevils of all ages and fitness levels gather to jump into the Atlantic. The common jump heights are 7, 10 meters or even daring 30 meters. A bit too much for us. But we still wanted to dare a jump from a slightly lower height...

When Nadi took a closer look at the scenery, the topic was over for our youngest fearless athlete. Mateo was out of the game. Nevertheless, the family continued to explore the area, and we quickly found a good spot. A rock ledge about 5 meters above the relentlessly pounding Atlantic. The sea doesn't forgive mistakes here, and only the bravest and best cliff jumpers manage to escape these roaring waves after their jump.

Ha! So it was just right for the two of us. :-)

It may be true that the vivid language here exaggerates the scenery a bit. That's why I'll put it like this...it was challenging...for us.

My little daredevil Luis was the first to plunge down. He ran to the edge and jumped into the water. Not bad, buddy!

When Lu came back up from the water, he asked me, 'Papa, is the heart of a young person or an old person stronger'? That was his way of telling me that the water down there was pretty cold. Thanks! So the old man first crawled down the rocks, got himself wet as a precaution, and crawled back up the rocks. Okay, now...

I fended off my dear wife's doubting objections ('Are you sure you have to do this?', 'You're just going to hurt yourself, it's dangerous!') two more times and jumped into the water. Uiiii, the Atlantic was actually quite cold. But it was still fun.

Afterwards, there was a longer-lasting photoshoot that also made our girls happy.

Tomorrow, the whole family is going SUP boarding...that should be interesting.

Until then, good night!