Portugal’s Silver Coast – 30 Years Later

Long ago, my wife Roxie and I made a short visit to Portugal’s Silver Coast, a spectacular stretch of beach on the Atlantic, famous for its big waves. We stayed in an old 19th century hotel turned into a guesthouse, perched on a hill overlooking the sea.

In our room, a tall glass door opened onto a small balcony, and beyond that came the soft rhythmic roar of the waves rolling onto the sands below. Revisiting 30 years later, we wondered how much had changed. The answer? Not much.

Again, we climbed the curved, polished, wooden staircase to our room on the third floor. We had a balcony overlooking the clean, white sand beach and the ocean, with the ageless sea still pounding as waves rolled in from thousands of miles away.

The town of Nazare about 12 miles to the north is famous for the biggest rideable waves in the world. The reason is an underwater canyon that funnels and amplifies ocean swells, creating massive waves that can exceed 100 feet. These waves we saw weren’t as high, but they were sprinkled with surfers – including a group taking a surfing class on a Saturday morning.

We were staying at the family-run O Facho Guest House. We recalled our host, Jorge, from years ago with affection. Because he was under the weather, we were greeted this time by his adult daughter, Veronica. I had taken a picture of her 30 years before then – a little girl with a black hat hugging her dog.

Each morning, a special breakfast table was preserved for us, laden with juice, fresh pastries, cheese, bread, and fruit. There was also some almond granola mixed with yogurt, to which Roxie took a particular liking.

The restaurants and bars in Foz Do Arehlo, our village, were all within walkable distance.

On our earlier visit, I was on an assignment, writing and photographing an article on Obidos, the ancient walled town just a 15-minute drive from where we were staying. A revisit was called for. But first, some early memories.

Rising above its walls is the old castle of Obidos. The foundation is said to have been laid long before there was a country called Portugal. For centuries, it was a favorite stopover for the country’s royalty.

Seven hundred years ago, when King Dinis and his bride-to-be, Isabel, visited Obidos, she was so impressed by its beauty that he decided to present it to her as a wedding gift. For centuries after, other monarchs followed his example. “A precious casket” as one writer put it, “a befitting gift to any number of Queens.”

On that earlier trip within the walls, we found ourselves winding our way up and down cobble-stoned walkways and through small archways, surrounded by whitewashed houses, many of which were painted with horizontal yellow stripes. It was a unique touch, and adding to the charm, there was an abundance of flowers.

A favorite stopover for Portugal’s royalty, the castle has in more recent years become the country’s most spectacular pousada (state-owned inn). Having been invited to stay there for a couple of nights, we wound our way up on stone steps between flowers cascading down the rocks.

The windows and door designs were of the rich architectural maneuline style. The sense of the medieval grew stronger as we entered our apartment in what’s known as the Dinis Tower. A steep staircase led from a tiny sitting room to a bedroom on the floor above.

Through a narrow window crevice in the four-foot thick stone wall of our bedroom, there was a view of the town below. A knight’s breastplate gleamed from the corner of the room, and in the middle stood a sturdy-looking 4-poster bed in dark wood with a cover in glowing red. That was just an inkling of what life as a king might have been a few hundred years ago.

On this return trip, we were once again thrilled to see the whitewashed houses with yellow stripes painted on them and an abundance of cascading flowers, but we didn’t expect to see such a concentration of tourists in this “precious casket,” the wedding present to the bride-to-be of the King of Portugal.

Would she have been surprised hearing about the crowds? Maybe not? Why shouldn’t lots of people be just as captivated by its beauty?

Besides the beauty, the Atlantic provides the Portuguese with some of the best fish and shellfish in the world, and they know how to prepare it the way Americans prepare steaks – with great simplicity.

Among the nearby restaurants we visited were Europa and Cais Da Praia. In Europa, Roxie was treated to a giant portion of sole. Then came a tray filled with a most satisfactory dessert.

Although Europa rated as the best restaurant in the region, we liked Cais Da Praia down the beach a bit even more. We went there several times, not only for simple but satisfactory food, but also for its proximity to the water and spectacular sunsets. (See the photo at top.)

Before leaving, now 30 years later, I took anther picture of Veronica with a black hat and her favorite dog. She has changed a lot, but this region has delightfully stayed much the same.