One last stop in Europe

Ship: Regina Maris
Date: 05th of November 2024
Position: Anchored near Portimão, Portugal
Geographical Position: 37º07‘87N, 8º40‘97W
Etmal: 175.3 nm
Total: 1333.6 nm

When we woke up this morning (or midday in my case), none of us knew that we weren’t quite done with the European continent. Instead of heading directly from Vigo to Morocco, which was the official plan, we had one more, rather surprising, stop.

Portimão – a town of about 60,000 located in the southern part of the beautiful Algarve region on Portugal’s Atlantic coast – would be our last European destination.

Rising Spirits

The day began much like the previous two days since we left Vigo. Strong southerly winds, directly against our course, made actual sailing impossible. We continued motoring into three-meter-high waves, using some sails to make the voyage as comfortable as possible.

The constant crashing into waves, along with the sometimes violent movement in all directions, brought back an old nemesis for some: Seasickness. Fortunately, both the wind and waves subsided by midday.

As the ship’s movements eased, the messroom slowly stopped resembling a sickbay. By around 15:00, when we spotted the Portuguese coast again, things felt back to normal.

Beautiful Landscapes

The Algarve coastline was breathtaking – small fishing villages nestled between stretches of steep coast, along with magnificent landmarks like „Farol do Cabo de São Vicente,“ a lighthouse marking the last corner of Portugal for southbound ships.

Arriving in Portimão

In the next few hours, we sailed eastward toward Portimão. As the sun set, we watched the lights of the coastal towns along the way.

Shortly after nightfall, the ship slowed and we turned into the Rio Arade, the river flowing through Portimão. Just minutes later, the rattling sound of a dropping anchor filled the air.

One Last Stop

We have now arrived at our final stop in Europe – a last moment in somewhat familiar surroundings before we head toward North Africa and for most of us, a much more unknown part of the world.

But before that, we’ll have the chance to explore the city and the beautiful beaches of Portimão in the coming days.