Southwest Portugal By Car

My first time driving in Europe was a lot of fun.  Also very nerve-wracking.  I had intended to drive a bit in Spain but could not find a reasonable way to do so.  Seeing Cabo São Vicente would have been a real challenge on public transportation, so I'm glad I was able to make a semi-reasonable plan: one-way rental from Portimão to Lisboa, after taking a bus from Sevilla to Portimão.

Leaving Portimão was a challenge.  I stalled out the stick-shift on several occasions, and in-city navigation required basic familiarity with the city, which I lacked.  Once out of town, city destinations and route numbers were easy enough to follow, but I made a few loops and double-backs attempting to find the city limits.  Soon after I was in Sagres, the town at the end of the world.  The coast was spectacular, cliffs high above the fierce Atlantic, occasionally overlooking beaches and surfers.  Not too many, perhaps due to the remoteness of the area.

I was prepared for the worst based on the bad reputation of Portuguese drivers, but the only difference I saw from, say, Bostonians, was the higher number of speeding tailgaters.  Just let these guys pass and you're golden.  The roads were a more formidable opponent.  I hadn't realized just how hilly the Portuguese coast is, so the main road is a very twisty one.  My little car was nimble and up to the task, but doing this for hours on end was exhausting.  One final slog took me through heavy traffic across the Rio Tejo to Lisboa.