In the quiet hills of São Bartolomeu de Messines, contributor Elise Slotte recounts her discovery of a hidden paradise in southern Portugal. The story begins with her usual habit, following animal trails and backroads just to see where they lead. Sometimes, she admits, they lead to nothing special. Other times, they open up to magic.
After moving to the Algarve, Elise started exploring the rural landscape dotted with cork and medronho trees. One day, her wandering paid off. A rarely used dirt road led her straight to a stretch of turquoise lagoons, barragems, as the locals call them. The view left her speechless. She parked, stripped off, and jumped into the water, alone but surrounded by nature’s hum of life.
That first dip turned into a daily ritual. Often joined by her horse, she’d swim, work remotely by the shore, and enjoy the luxury of solitude powered by a laptop and Wi-Fi—at least when she wasn’t in one of the region’s “dead zones.”
Her advice? Skip the obvious hotspots. Take small roads, pack water, follow your instincts, and don’t rush. Somewhere off the map, she says, there’s always a “wow” spot waiting.
My Take…
Sounds very idyllic! Gotta get myself to Portugal in the near future.
She now swims there daily, sometimes with her horse. Laptop on the shore, Wi-Fi if the tech gods allow. Remote work, rustic edition. Life hack achieved 🙂
Click on the link below for the full article:
https://www.liveandinvestoverseas.com/countries/portugal/discovering-hidden-treasures-on-portugals-algarve/
