THE ALGARVE - Portugal - page 187

Vital Garrafeira houses a small supermarket with picnic supplies, but it's mainly
about port. It has an excellent, well-priced selection of port, plus higher-end Portuguese
wines that are difficult to find elsewhere (daily 8:00-13:00 & 14:30-19:00, Rua José Pad-
inha 66, tel. [phone]). Senhor Vital is a real connoisseur.
Supermarket: Forage for picnic fixings at the popular and well-stocked Pingo Doce
supermarket chain (daily 9:00-21:00, across the river, go along Rua Pessoa past the gar-
ages, where it's set back behind some trees).
Tavira Connections
From Tavira by Train and Bus to: Lisbon (5 trains/day, 4-5 hours, transfer in Faro, ar-
rive at Oriente; 9 direct buses/day, 4 hours), Lagos (8 trains/day, change in Faro, 2.5-3
hours; 6 buses/day, 3.5-4 hours, change in Faro), Sevilla (4 buses/day in summer, 2/day
in winter, 3-4 hours, via Ayamonte and Huelva; summer bus leaves at 8:10, 10:05, 14:25,
and 16:20, check TI or bus station to verify schedules; buy ticket a day or two in advance
May-Oct, note that Spain is an hour ahead when calculating arrival times). Luggage stor-
age is not available. Train info: tel. [phone], www.cp.pt . Bus info: tel. [phone],
www.eva-bus.com or www.algarvebus.info , bus ticket office open 7:30-19:00, closed
12:00-15:00 on weekends.
Route Tips for Drivers in the Algarve
LisbontoSalema(185miles,3.5hours): Following the blue Sul Ponte signs, drive south
over Lisbon's 25th of April Bridge. A short detour just over the bridge takes you to the
giant concrete statue of Cristo Rei (Christ in Majesty). Continue south by freeway until
you hit the coast, and follow signs west to Lagos. Take the Lagos/Vila do Bispo exit and
follow signs to Vila do Bispo and Sagres . If you pay attention, you'll see the turnoff for
Salema before Vila do Bispo. A modern freeway, less traffic, and the glory of waking up
on the Algarve make doing this drive in the evening after a full day in Lisbon a reasonable
option.
AlgarvetoSevilla(175miles,3hours): Drive east along the Algarve. It's a 1.5-hour
drive from Salema to Tavira, with some hills crowned by rotting windmills and others by
mobile-phone towers. In Lagos, parking is most convenient in the free lot near the old city
wall off Rua Infante de Sagres (pay parking at marina and underground parking garage
near Praça do Infante). From Lagos, hit the freeway (A-22, direction: Lisboa/Faro, then
Espanha) to Tavira. Leaving Tavira, follow the signs to Espanha . You'll cross over the
bridge into Spain (where it's one hour later) and glide effortlessly (1.5 hours by freeway)
into Sevilla. Be aware that there is a new electronic tolling system on the A-22 highway
from the Spanish border to Lagos. Your rental car may come with a sensor, or you may