Sagres – The End of the World

We’ve spent the last 3 days surfing in a town called Sagres, at the very south western tip of Portugal in the region known as the Algarve.  It was once known as o fim do mundo (the end of the world).  It was from here that Prince Henry the Navigator launched Portugal on the seas of exploration in the early 1400s.  Vasco da Gama, one of Portugal’s most well known figures, reached India in 1498 and was thus able to dominate the Indian Ocean and all its trade.  By the early 1500s Portugal became the first of the great European maritime empires.  Ok enough with the history lesson.

Even with all that history from this town, you don’t feel any of it at all here.  Sagres is now a full on resort town with a dominant surf culture.  The bars lining the main strip (of 2 blocks) serve burgers and play Bob Marley, just like any other surf town in the world.  When you go to the beaches, the parking lots are filled with Volkswagon Campers.  As the sun rises, long haired European surfer dudes emerge from the cabins.  This being low season, it seems like only the hardcore surfers are here.  You hear an equal mix of German, English, Spanish and Portugese when the surfers talk to each other.  We seem to be the only novices catching waves (or more like the white wash) out here.  The temperature is definitely not warm and we’re all surfing in wetsuits, but it’s been awesome.  Supposedly it’s packed here in the summers with people from all over Europe who like to bask in the sun.  I’m glad we’ve spent the low season here though because the beaches are empty and there’s tons of room to practice our surfing.  Tomorrow we part ways with Andrea and Sherman as they head to London.  Ron left to France this morning, and the remaining 4 of us will head to Spain.  It’s been fun Portugal!