Sesimbra, Portugal - By Heather Brama It was time to get away from the fast-paced hustle and bustle of the big city and take a seaside vacation in Sesimbra. About an hour's drive from Lisbon, this beach town was exactly what we were looking for. We opted for the easy route to get there by using Uber. Our driver was a lovely man who used Apple Translate to tell us all about the great places near the town. Our Airbnb was off a main hillside road...on a road with no name so it was a bit of an adventure knowing where to turn off from. Thankfully our driver was as determined as we were to get us there. When we finally arrived, it was another adventure figuring out how to get both in and out of the residence but really all it took was a bit of elbow grease to get the door to open. And although scary at first thinking we'd be locked inside with no food near dinner time, it was absolutely worth it for the sweeping panoramic views from the cliffside out over the ocean, town and nearby castle. That evening, I had a burger on my mind and had seen great reviews for a place called Oltre Hamburgueria on Instagram. My sister needed no convincing so we set off down the hill towards town. Our directions quickly were of no use due to the difficulty finding street names so it was a miracle we found it. Ol' Eagle Eyes (my sister) managed to see the sign through a sliver between the buildings lining the boardwalk. The short of it, Oltre did not disappoint - the burgers were fantastic and the vibe was unique. We sat at a little table across the 'street' from the shop and alongside a ledge from which we could view the ocean. After dinner, we set off back to our hill but heard some rather loud music throughout the streets. Wondering what it could be, we followed our ears until we stumbled upon a carnival. What luck! As we walked through the lights and sounds, passed cotton candy machines and carnival games, we arrived at the very back where I spotted my favorite ride of all time. I have no idea what it is called but it the one that spins ridiculously fast and always has a backdrop of the latest popular artists. As it wasn't running at the moment, I was able to convince my sister it is a rather tame ride and got her to go on it with me {insert smirking smiley face}. Needless to say, she screamed her 'Sofia Vergara in Modern Family' scream the whole time and my abs honestly hurt from laughing so hard in response. We both wobbled off the platform to wander over to the big stage that had been set up. We were able to enjoy one Fado song before the band took a break and we decided to head home for the night. On our first day, after failing to get in on a tour group to the Sesimbra Natura Park, we decided to make our own tour. We headed down from our hill once again and got lost in the winding streets going up and down and up again until we finally found the hidden entrance for the hike to Castelo de Sesimbra. It wasn't a tough hike but the heat and all the hiking we had already done in through town did make it a challenge nonetheless. It was truly exciting when we made it around a bend and saw the castle walls jutting up from the landscape. As we were the only ones there, it truly felt as though we had gone back in time. We descended from the castle on the backroad through the countryside in an attempt to find our way to a hidden beach. We ended up at a crossroads when we realized were hungry and out of both food and water. Knowing the hidden beach had none of these items and it was still rather far away, we headed in what we believed was the direction of the sea. When we finally reached the edge of town, the first restaurant we came upon was the fanciest one in town, Portofino Restaurante Bar. As we were quite disgusting from hiking in the hot sun by this point, the hostess sat us outside and away from other people. We did not mind as this afforded us an unobstructed view across the beach. This is where I had the absolute best take on ceviche of my life. To name a few ingredients and get your mouth watering, I recall there being tuna, mango, strawberries, red onion, jalapeños and cilantro. Twelve out of ten, indeed. Needless to say, after a full day of hiking followed by dining at Portofino, we were exhausted. But did we pack it in? No way. Instead we headed to a nearby gelato shop called Fini Premium Gelato for some sugar and caffeine. The work of art I consumed was their take on an affogato. It was devine. Following dessert we did a lot of wandering around, exploring every nook and cranny along the boardwalk. Impressively, we engaged in lots of shopping with no buying. Then is was time to sit. Sit and watch the waves rolling in, the birds looking for fish (and crumbs), the kids enjoying a carefree day. We sat and watched nothing and everything for quite some time before heading to our final dinner in Sesimbra. We wouldn't be total Americans if we didn't follow up a night of burgers with a night of tacos. So, tacos it was. We went to Taco Pexito and sat on what could only be described as large stairs. There were lounge spots and bench seats facing the water. It was colorful place with lively music and an enjoyable crowd from around the world. We even had a visit from the owner, who had just come in from surfing on the biggest surfboard I have ever seen. As a person barely capable of swimming, I know nothing of this sport so for all I know if could have been a SUP (but I still think it was a giant surfboard). Following dinner, there was really only one thing left to do. Head back up, up, up the hill to our accommodations. Upon arriving we cracked the wall of windows wide open to let in the sound of the sea and the celebration of some big deal soccer win in Portugal that night. We cracked a bottle of vinho verde and watched a romcom; occasionally glancing to the left of the tv to gaze at the most perfect view of Sesimbra likely to exist. It was the most perfect conclusion to our vacation by the sea. Comments are closed.
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