Praia da Mareta in Sagres, Portugal
On which beach would you most like to be stranded?
Strand me away on Praia da Mareta in Sagres, Portugal!
Most tourists stay in nearby Lagos. Unfortunately, its popularity can also make Lagos seem like Spring Break Daytona Beach — college co-eds with their beer bong tables included — even during the pre-high season month of May, which was when I visited.
Luckily, Sagres is only a 30-minute bus ride from Lagos, and Praia da Mareta is a quick walk from the center of town. Thus, the place is perfect for a daytrip. Or, for the purpose of this blog, a doomed “three hour tour.”
Why that beach?
One of the best things about any place you visit — beach or otherwise — is how you feel while you’re there. I completely lost myself in the moment while at Praia da Mareta and just enjoyed simply “being.”
It was the most relaxing and enjoyable time I had ever spent on a beach. That says a lot because, as a Southern California native, beaches have always been a part of my life. Since the beach was “always there” while at home, I didn’t ever (nor do I currently) seek out beaches when traveling, opting for more urban cultural excursions. Just one afternoon in Praia da Mareta, however, made me reconsider this.
The fine sand, the jagged cliffs bookending the surf, the portion of the beach that “disappears” everyday at 5 p.m. because of the high tide (prompting the locals to make sure we knew this so that we wouldn’t miss it), all made my time there memorable.
Even more memorable than this guy on the Venice boardwalk.
What’s the perfect soundtrack for your beach?
I tend to listen obsessively to one particular song or album for a while before moving on to my next favorite thing. If I were to be stranded today, however, the sounds of Passion Pit’s debut album, Manners, would be filling my ears while I chill by the rocks.
These guys from Massachusetts have an atmospheric sound heavily driven by pulsating synths, and if you needed to label it, I guess you can call it “electronic indie rock.” I can be entranced by their songs while bouncing along with other fans in the small and sweaty Black Cat in D.C. or while lounging by myself on a deserted beach in Portugal. Take a listen below to their lead single and my song of choice whenever I want to feel like I’m the only one there while walking down the street.
What’s the perfect drink for your beach?
I’m not much of a wine drinker in general, and much less so while on the beach, so although Portugal is known worldwide for its Port wine, I’d opt instead for one of my favorite Filipino drinks/desserts, the Halo-halo.
Yes, it may seem culturally incongruous to have a Filipino drink while stranded on a Portuguese beach, but if I’m stranded somewhere indefinitely, I’d want at least one item to connect me to my cultural roots. This drink/dessert lives up its name, which literally means “mix, mix,” and is essentially shaved ice and milk mixed in with a bevy of different fruits and sweet beans, topped, of course, with a scoop of ube ice cream. Perfect for the beach and to keep me cool in the sun!
What three other things would you bring with you?
1. Clueless. I never get tired of this movie and can probably quote it with very disturbing accuracy. It’s a great time capsule of the ’90s, and it never ceases to entertain me. Also, I figure I’d need something lighthearted to keep me from feeling too lonely.
2. A solar-powered portable DVD player on which to view Clueless. Solar-powered, naturally, because dead batteries are of no use while stranded on a beach (not to mention the carbon footprint they leave). Yes, I know such a player doesn’t exist. Yet. But I’m a “glass is half full” kind of guy.
3. Sunblock. One needs protection from the blazing sun especially if stranded around this time of year. One should also avoid getting completely sunburned in order to look good for any prospective rescuers.
JP Abello is a Programming Scheduler for Travel Channel.
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