Ponta da Piedade

The cliffs have been hollowed out by the Atlantic waves forming numerous arches and caverns. We walked down the steps and for €50 the four of us got a half-hour motorboat trip in and out of the many features. Shame it wasn't a sunnier day.

In our apartment was an old guidebook, dating from the 1990s, obviously geared at backpackers working their way round Portugal. It described Lagos (pronounced "Lagosh"), our nearest substantial town, as sleepy with dogs chewing bones in the street. It's certainly not like that anymore - the central streets are crammed with restaurant tables and lined with shops.