It’s hot and sunny and gorgeous, but even somewhere as glorious as the Algarve has its fair share of weirdness. Conquered time and time again through history, Portugal’s unique blend of cultures has enriched its folk tales and ghost stories. Here are some of the tales that have helped create the region’s unusually rich story book.
The heartbreaking story of Casa de Dr. Pike in Olhão
The famous poet, and naturalist Doctor John Pike made his home in Olhão, a grand 1900s building that still stands today. Dr. Pike’s elderly mother, who was senile, dropped the doctor’s child out of the window, killing him instantly. The family moved to a new house closer to the sea, at Quinta da Marim, to escape the memories. People who have lived in the old villa since then have heard a ghostly child crying, and toys being dragged around, and a string of new homeowners have fled. Will it be up for sale again when you visit the area?
Instagrammably scary Rocha Amarela
It doesn’t matter how scenic it is. An abandoned village is always a spooky thing, as revealed by one empty rural village not far from the Algarve’s crowds, resorts, beaches and bars. Head east from Alte, around 12 miles from Albufeira, to find Yellow Rock, AKA Rocha Amarela, set amid extraordinary natural beauty. We have no idea why it was left to die but it’s probably just to do with the changing economy, which has seen other villages in Portugal and Spain abandoned. Stroll through the empty streets to take brilliant photos, but you might want to leave by dusk. It starts to look a lot less appealing after dark!
Lethes Theatre in Faro
Built way back in 1605, Lethes Theatre has had more than 400 years to gather ghosts. In fact it is home to one of the oddest ghost stories in the Algarve region. It goes like this: a ballerina once hung herself in the auditorium, and her ghost still walks it to this day. People are constantly hearing the sound of footsteps and laughter when the place is empty – you wouldn’t want to be cleaner there – and others have seen an apparition of a transparent figure pirouetting on the stage.
The underwater village of Vilarinho das Furnas
Abandoned villages are spooky enough. Underwater ones take the biscuit. Make your way to the edge of the Peneda-Gerês National Park to the ex-village of Vilarinho das Furnas, which is almost all under the water after being flooded to create a new reservoir in 1972. Being almost completely submerged, you won’t see much of it unless the water level drops low enough, which it does in particularly hot, dry conditions. We wonder what the Romans would make of the sunken village they would have been familiar with thousands of years before, now under the surface. And what about the Visigoths who lived here during the late Roman Empire?
Algarve cave legends and stories
Look at any of the coast’s incredible cave complexes and you can understand why people made up stories about them. They teem with mythical beings dating back to the beginning of time. Some say there are caves whose walls are covered in ancient drawings of mermaids whose songs lured sailors to a watery death, others say terrifying sea creatures seek safety there. But legend also has it there are beautiful, magical beings in the caves who only come out at full moon. The Benagil cave, for example, is famously haunted, stuffed full of the spirits of lost sailors. Plenty of visitors feel an eerie presence and hear sounds they can’t explain.
Benagil cave rituals
The coast’s magnificent caves aren’t just haunted. They’re also where rituals take place. The Benagil Cave, has long been an important site, perhaps used by ancient people to perform sacred rituals. It remains a place of pilgrimage for those seeking a closer connection with nature. The small beach inside the cave itself has special powers if you believe in such things, delivering profound spiritual insights to people who bathe there.
The sorrowful Hotel Bela Vista at Praia da Rocha
The cliffs of Praia da Rocha host the Victorian Hotel Bela Vista, built in 1918 as the Vila de Nossa Senhora das Dores or Villa of Our Lady of Sorrows. The rich businessman António Júdice de Magalhães Barros lived there with his wife Gloria and their six children, throwing frequent wild and extravagant parties over the years. Maria eventually died in room 108 and the family abandoned the place. As time passed people started reporting whispering, banging on the walls and a ghostly woman walking the corridors. Some caught the spooky scent of perfume, which haunts every room but turns up most often in room 108. Have the ghosts departed since the place was rebuilt and turned into a luxury boutique hotel? Hopefully!
Nostalgia for the snow creates the spirit of Silves
The Arab king Ibn-Almundim never suffered a defeat. His wife, Gilda, was a blonde haired, blue eyed princess who he’d kidnapped from her homelands. The king gave her back her freedom, having fallen in love with her, but Gilda soon became ill. A fellow north European told the king Gilda was missing the snowy landscapes of her home country, so the king planted thousands of almond trees throughout the kingdom to smother the ground in white snow-like petals. This cured the princes of her despair and, as they say, everyone lived happily ever after. That’s why the Algarve spring is so enchanting, dressed in frothy almond blossom.
Palácio da Fonte da Pipa at Loulé
The magnificent Palácio da Fonte da Pipa, just outside Loulé, was built in the 1870s to rival the luxurious places the owner saw on his travels. It burned down a long time agio but you can still explore it, discovering all sorts of cool frescos and a stunning old glass-domed roof. But take care – people hear spooky laughter and scary moaning here, along with scary shadows darting from room to room, far faster than a human being could move. Are they the souls of the people who died horribly in the 1916 pneumonia epidemic, allegedly buried in the grounds?
Dragons and monsters to scare the kids
Parents use Coco or Coca, a female dragon, to scare naughty children. She’s long and thin with a snake-like body, sharp claws and pointy teeth, and she’s waiting to tear children to shreds then eat them. The Bicho-Papão is another horrible creature, Portugal’s version of the bogeyman. He also frightens kids into behaving, hiding ubnder beds and in wardrobes, ready to leap out at the first sign of bad behaviour. Then there’s the Enchanted Moura, a supernatural being from fairytales. She’s beautiful and seductive, found combing her lovely long hair, promising a reward to anyone who can break the spell she is under and set her free. Going back into the mists of time, her and her fellow mouras encantadas act as guards for important castles, caves, bridges, wells, fountains, rivers, and even heaps of treasure.
Base your Algarve tours around these fascinating old stories and legends for an unusual take on the Algarve we all think we know so well. As it turns out, it’s about a lot more than the beaches.
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