Can’t be any more perfect. Two birds with one stone!
Monchique being in the Serra there there must be hiking trails in the area. I have found only 1 decent site with trails listed:
https://www.alltrails.com/portugal/faro/monchique--2
We just recently got back from an expensive holiday and are now waiting to see when one of us can get time off again. Waiting in anticipation!
The link to “alltrails” is pretty comprehensive for local hikes. The main on eis of course the Via Algarviana" https://viaalgarviana.org/en/ which also passes near Monchique, but that’s more for serious hikers!
Thanks. I’ll look the “alltrails” link a bit closer. We just want to do short or day hikes and having no own transport it’s best to start walking from where we will be lodging.
A few years back we did Sierra de Aracena (in Andalucia) like that. When we reached a village we would stop to eat a meal and walk back taking a different trail. Most of the time we didn’t see a face all day it was fantastic!
Hi Monchique,
So happy to see you and others here! I’ll try to do my part for the Iberian Peninsula.
Just finished our week in Lisbon and our 3 days in Cascais and quickly, our very best meal of the trip was at O Frade in Belém. More info later, but highly recommended!
And because of you, Monchique, we went to JNCQuoi twice, since it sits a block from our hotel and had two memorable meals in the Deli Bar, one lunch and one dinner. For lunch their charcuterie platter with delicious bread and their cheese platter accompanied by pumpkin marmalade and for a light dinner, their version of the prego and a huge burger for my husband. Excellent service for lunch. For dinner, because they have a DJ starting at 8 and it was a Friday, the service was more lacking, as it was predictably a mob scene.
But I highly recommend it for a lunch, and on our next visit we´ll dine in the upstairs restaurant. Very elegant place.
Thank you Maribel, next time I will try the Deli Bar, i have only been to the restaurant “proper”… But as somebody said, “highly Instagramable…”. Good tip about “O Frade”, I will give it a go next time I’m in Lisbon.
What we loved about O Frade in Belém on Calçada de Ajuda, across from the Museu dos Coches–
The semicircular, U-shaped counter (seats around 16) where we perched and where we could watch the young chefs put the final touches on the dishes coming out of the tiny kitchen and talk to them about the ingredients and preparation.
The décor–tiled covered walls, reminiscent of an Alentejo tasca (chefs hail from Beja there)
The excellent bread and olives and oil served in the couvert
The dishes we tried and shared:
the duck rice, the house specialty, served in a Staub-like pot for 2 or a clay cazuela for 1 (which can easily feed 2!), one of the best versions of duck rice I’ve ever had, scrambled eggs with creamy asparagus (a wow), octopus with peppers and pork (another wow) and chocolate mousse for dessert. All dishes served to those seated around us looked wonderful.
And it’s a Michelin Bib Gourmand for value. A repeater, for sure!
