Destination: Lagoa, Portugal
We had an early start on Day 6 as I wanted to get up and ready for my job interview. I had booked a co-working space in Lisbon for the interview, and as that was a couple of hours drive we’d need to crack on.
The showers and loos were quite decent, dated but clean and it wasn’t long before I emerged looking somewhat more presentable than I had in days. By now it was after 9am and Lisbon was at least 2 hours away without traffic. I had made the arrangements for our trip several months in advance and had only known about the interview for a couple of weeks. Before I could regret not finding a site closer to Lisbon, I remembered the stunning sunset and the funny little dog and smiled. What would be would be.
Lisbon
By the time we got to Lisbon time was getting very tight. And due to some technical issues at the co-working space, I wasn’t overly happy with the interview. Ah well, I figured I’d done as well as I could under the circumstances and at least I had tried. There was no point stressing, at least I could enjoy the rest of my holiday now!
With that in mind we headed towards the Lisbon Oceanario which was to be the highlight of our day.
When planning our visit, I had intended to use the Oceanario Parking but as luck would have it we didn’t need to. While trying to find the parking we found some great on street parking at Rue Pedro e Ines. Ironically it was right opposite the Microsoft building, which I found funny as I was doing some work for them at the time. It was brutally warm, so we decided to take a little stroll along the shaded Passaio de Neptuno river path while I recounted my interview experience.
Telecabine Lisboa
While sitting in the shade we noticed the small pods of the Telecabine Lisboa cable car, and thought it would be a fun thing to do. So we made our way to the South terminal just off the Jardim das Ondas (Wave Garden).
It was an absolute bargain at 9,50€ each for a return trip. And there was barely any queue so we got on almost immediately. The trip up to the northern terminal and back only takes around 20 minutes but is great fun. You also get some excellent views of the Parque das Nacoes, it’s striking architecture and huge recycled cat!
From the cable car, you also get a feel for the huge expanse of the Tagus river and the bridge that spans it. But more on that later. For now we were enjoying the sights and the very lovely breeze through the cable car window.
Oceanario Lisboa
Although it is possible to get off at the Northern terminal we elected to stay on so that we could get to the Oceanario in good time. Which was just as well, because when we got to the aquarium we were totally captivated by the waterfall. It was just such great fun!
Aside from the fun factor, it does serve quite a serious purpose. As it really does highlight the incredible power of water and the respect we should have for our oceans.
Having splashed about for far too long we made our way inside. We did have to queue for a tiny while, even though we’d bought our tickets in advance. Entrance is 25€ per person, but you can get a combined ticket deal with the cable car at 33€ for both.
The Oceanario also had an exhibition called ‘Forests Underwater‘ which was quite beautiful and is running until September 2026. Although it is housed in it’s own 40 metre long aquarium, entry is included in the general ticket price.
While I’m not a huge fan of keeping anything captive, I find something incredibly soothing about watching marine life. So I was totally mesmerised all the way round. I also really liked the design of the Oceanario – huge tanks filled with many species that more closely replicate natural marine environments.
And there is also a huge focus on education, in the hope that future generations will take better care of our oceans than we have.
There are so many beautiful creatures at the Oceanario, but my favourite of all was the Jellyfish. They are just so graceful and other worldly … I stood totally transfixed for ages.
Having absolutely loved our time at the Oceanario, we stayed until it closed. After having been ushered out via the shop (of course) we made our way to the car. We would be heading south out of Lisbon towards our overnight camping in the Algarve. There was just a tiny matter of navigating our way out of the city and across the Targus river.
Vasco da Gama Bridge
I had been really looking forward to this crossing as we would be driving over the Vasco da Gama Bridge, the second longest bridge in Europe. It took a while to get to the bridge as we’d hit rush hour traffic in Lisbon and we were at a standstill.
So we were quite excited when we did start to cross. And there were some great views across the huge expanse of the Targus river.
As time went on though, it seemed we were just on a motorway like many others.
To be honest, when I think about crossing the Vasco da Gama Bridge now, I get flashbacks of the Mont Blanc tunnel. In a similar way, yes it seems really cool, and is an incredible feat of engineering. But is it exciting or interesting to drive? Actually no. Do you get quite bored after the first few minutes? Absolutely yes.
Especially if, like me, you miss the correct exit on the other side and have to go back over the bridge to cross again!
The bridge is so long, it takes around 15 minutes to cross, in one direction. So all in all I spent over 45 minutes driving backwards and forwards across it before I could get off. Thank goodness there were no tolls on the Southbound carriageway!
All of that being said, you have to drive it at least once, and it’s a huge time saver if you are travelling south from Lisbon.
Overnight: Oasis Camp, Lagoa
We had quite a long drive south from Lisbon to our overnight stop in Lagoa, and as we drove we had the most incredible sunset. We needed to stop for fuel so took the opportunity to snap a few pictures at the services as well. The service stations in Portugal are normally very tidy, and the staff friendly. And there is always somewhere to sit and chillout, typically out of the sun.
When we finally reached our destination it was quite late. I had booked Oasis Camp via Pitchup, so was happy to just head in and find a spot and deal with the admin in the morning.
The pitches were a decent size, and had sun shades which was a nice touch. And the facilities were ok, though there was always a queue for the loo and showers. All in all, a peaceful and chilled site that could do with a few more facilities given how popular it seems to be.
For now though, we quickly made some food on our small induction hob and fell into the TentBox with some cold water. Thank goodness for the car fridge, an absolute ‘must have; in the heat of Portugal and Spain. Even approaching midnight, it was still in the high 20’s, so all windows down tonight.
What an incredible day it had been, and yet more to come tomorrow!
