Today Mike and I went on a day adventure and picnic at a nearby beach ( in Portugal, beaches are called praias ), and it was so delightful. I sometimes still can not believe that we live in this awesome country. The beach we went to was called “Praia de São Rafael.” It was about 15 minutes from our condo. It was in a town called Albufeira. We normally do not venture into Albufeira because it is kind of the Las Vegas Strip of Portugal lol but if you stay out of the town there are magical coastlines everywhere. To be fair to Albufeira, I am sure there are lots of lovely businesses but it is very touristy and we get itchy when we visit these areas.

The coastlines in the Algarve are amazing. This beach was a little different in that it had a lot of rocks, big and small and the sand was coated with the most beautiful sea shells. The day had dreamy weather coming in at 23 Celsius which is 74 degrees Fahrenheit. There was a gentle breeze and the water was calm. Another thing I love about the beaches in the Algarve is most of them have boardwalks. These boardwalks are sometimes simple and just reach from the parking lot to the sand and then there are some that go for kilometers along the coastline allowing for a lovely walk.

A big plus for me is that most of the beaches in the Algarve allow dogs. I love love love watching dogs dart in and out of the water.

I know that a lot of people are in turmoil in America right now and many of you have reached out to us asking questions about living in Portugal. I will just say a few things on this topic. First and most importantly please understand that moving out of the country is not something we took lightly. We researched and researched and we were mentally ready. Things are different here and you really have to be ready for the change. Secondly, Portugal is pure heaven to us but they have political struggles as well. In my ignorant opinion, they are not nearly as large and living here as an expat you can stay clear of some of them. Lastly, YES living here is WAY MORE affordable than our lifestyle in California BUT we also live a different lifestyle. Magazines like International Living are often using outdated figures and research so be careful with those facts.

If you have any questions please reach out. We would love to share our experience with you, our friends. If you have not seen our videos on our likes and dislikes of living in Portugal check out these older blog posts. Judy’s and Mikes.

Here are some photo’s from our praia day.