We regularly visit the Algarve, or we did for many years up until around 2017, which was the last time we previously went. Neither of us could remember why we stopped going (ok Covid didn’t help) so resolved this year to revisit some of our favourite places and the old formula – a road trip! We love driving in the Algarve as we like exploring different beaches, inland villages, vineyards, and out-of-town restaurants. The roads are also very good (mostly) with little traffic and great scenery sailing by. But not in a boring old hire car. Not this time!
Artwork made by Max Costa-Isibor (5 years old)
The Citroen Mehari: love-child of the 2cv and a beach buggy.
Difficult to drive at first because it is old and basic but that soon becomes its charm. You do feel very alien to start with: The pedals I found particularly high but you get used to this and you are soon bombing around the locale in the manner it was intended (Think Floyd on France, if you know that reference).
Be careful going into your first large roundabout at any speed though. Do not approach roundabouts at speeds you are used to in a normal car. Not that I was worried at all but it does corner like a dinghy and this can be a little unnerving when you’re not used to it - especially for the passengers. Legend has it that these cars will actually corner on their door handles and are virtually impossible to tip over due to that famous Citroen suspension, but I did not want to be the one to test that. The passengers have grab rails and should absolutely make use of them.
We discovered that the famous suspension also soaks up all those ridiculous speed bumps across the Algarve. Going over a speed bump in this thing made us smile so much each time, we actually found ourselves speeding up. It was like riding over a pillow.
Our best experiences in this little yellow car:
First evening we drove to the town of Loule for sunset dinner on the rooftop of Cafezique, which was lovely and we recommend a visit. Parking was a little difficult because this town is buzzing with nightlife and everyone was out but Algarve is a totally safe place to leave your car with the roof down.
Next day, we drove into São Bras do Alportel, a pretty little village near where we were staying, for an excellent light lunch at Cafe da Barreira. And later dropped in on some nearby friends to surprise them before heading out to one of our favourite restaurants anywhere, Pizzeria Casavostra. What we love about this restaurant - apart from the truffle pizza and hamburghinis - is the ambiance. It is never expensive but you could be fooled by all the flashy cars in the car park. We totally stole the show this time squeezing the little Mehari in among them (little tip: have a sweater or a jacket for late evening drives home even in the summer)
Next day, we drove about an hour east from São Bras to a beach restaurant called Pezinhos n’Areia ('Feet in the Sand') in Castro Marim near the Spanish border to meet some friends for Sunday lunch. The drive there - avoiding the motorway of course - was beautifully scenic and full of long sweeping bends. The car only has a tiny old 2-cylinder engine but, because the body is plastic, it weighs next to nothing and can keep up with the traffic without any problem. It easily hit 80K which turned out to be a comfortable cruising speed and more than sufficient if you are staying off the motorway. We came back along the old east-west road, the N125, via Tavira and Moncarapacho, into the setting sun on a very warm Algarvian evening. We have always felt something magical driving through this region during dusk, the dying light catching the hills to your right and the sea to your left. We are normally doing this in a modern car but, to experience it more slowly in an open-top classic car, feeling the warmth of the evening and actually smelling the scenery – the roadside barbecues, the scented scrub along the sand dunes - really filled the senses and will be something that sticks with us forever.
The Algarve will never be the same for us. This experience has made us realise that holidays should be done with a different rhythm; leave sooner, drive slower, enjoy your surroundings, live a longer experience and most of all have a memorable story.
Blue Classics Rental are based in the Western Algarve, they delivered our car, just over an hour away (extra cost) to our peaceful boutique B&B, Farmhouse of the Palms, located on the foothills of the Eastern Algarve (must add place to add to your wish list - look out for our review soon).
Check out Blue Classic Rental. They have a variety of classic cars, which are used mainly for film and commercial shots as well for personal enjoyment. Their service was outstanding, friendly and laid back. The whole experience from booking to retuning your car will feel like you are part of the family which is what you really want to find as a tourist in a foreign land.
Find our more, visit https://blueclassics.eu
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