PORTUGAL
the evening’s magic show with a real magician. Some of Turiscampo’s Portugal sites also have waterparks, so a return visit is definitely on the kids’ wish list. We continued to discover that Portugal is a country with so much to offer. Inland we had marvelled at the historic forts and towns: the UNESCO World Heritage town of Elvas is a must. And along the coast we passed countless beaches and coves. It’s also one of the cheaper countries in Western Europe to visit, the people were kind and friendly, and of course, we embraced the ongoing quest to find the best pastel de nata. We stopped off in the fishing village of Nazaré - legendary home of 100ft high surfing waves in winter - and briefly dropped in on Lisbon, before heading to the coast and the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra. Historically home to Portugal’s royalty, its colourful collection of magnificent palaces and gardens are captivating to explore. And once again, it’s worth slowing down the pace a bit here and leaving enough time to soak up the atmosphere, explore the architectural intricacies, and obviously, fit in an extended game of hide-and-seek in the gigantic gardens. Our journey had felt like slow travel at its best, and even once we returned the campervan, there was still a bit more holiday to be squeezed out of the trip. Back in our own car - fully stocked with Portuguese wine and traditional pottery, gleefully purchased at a fraction of British prices - we started our route back home through northern Portugal and Spain, stopping off at local hotels and Airbnb en-route. On reaching Santander we drove onto the Salamanca, one of the newer ferries in the Brittany Ferries fleet, and set sail for Portsmouth. Twenty- eight hours on a ship may sound daunting, but the play areas, restaurants, educational talks and children’s entertainment programme meant we didn’t want the voyage to end. Slow travel certainly takes more time and that’s always a precious commodity for families, but the joy of arriving home relaxed instead of exhausted after this holiday to Portugal, had us hooked on taking it easy.
the lowdown
FAIRY TALE Clockwise from top right: getting gothic in Sintra; a peaceful beach day in Nazaré
HOW TO GET THERE Ferry from Portsmouth to Santander from 30 hours, 31 minutes. Drive from Santander to Porto from 6 hours, 26 minutes brittany-ferries.co.uk WHERE TO STAY Campervan hire (2 adults, 2 children) Porto to Porto from £533 per week camperdays.co.uk Farm stays in Portugal from £12 per campervan, per night portugaleasycamp.com Caravan and Motorhome Club, Portugal, from £21 per campervan, per night caravanclub.co.uk Turiscampo, Lagos from £52 per campervan, per night turiscampo.com GOOD TO KNOW Freeride Surf School, Sagres, Algarve Group lessons from £50 per day frsurf.com
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