Raising a glass to a music legend on his 85th birthday became the perfect start to an unforgettable solo travel adventure in Portugal's sun-drenched Algarve. As part of a Friendship Travel 'Summer Holiday' group, I found myself tasting the acclaimed wines at Sir Cliff Richard's vineyard, an experience that set the tone for a trip focused on discovery and new friendships.
A Taste of Stardom at Adega do Cantor
Our group, none of us qualifying as 'The Young Ones', visited the Adega do Cantor (Singer's Winery) near Albufeira. For years, Cliff and his partners have produced the award-winning Vida Nova and Onda Nova wines on this 25-acre estate. We learned that every process, from planting and pruning to harvesting, is done by hand or tractor. The wine is then produced and stored in used barrels of American or French oak before being bottled and corked on site. One of the labels, 'Lucky Lips', pays homage to his 1963 song, adding a touch of musical nostalgia to the tasting.
The Perfect Solo Travel Base at Casa Rosa
Our accommodation was the exquisite, blush pink-hued Casa Rosa luxury villa in Olhao, merely a gentle stroll from the charming town centre and waterfront. This UK-owned bijou retreat offered an exclusive paradise with just nine spacious bedrooms, creating an intimate atmosphere perfect for solo travellers. The tasteful, adventurous décor, quality outside furniture, huge cushions, and exceptionally comfortable beds were complemented by a team of friendly staff with a 'nothing's too much trouble' ethos.
Mornings began with a generous breakfast buffet featuring fresh croissants, creamy Greek yogurt, local honey, jams, nuts, and fresh fruits including raspberries, pineapple and huge blueberries, with eggs cooked to order. Evenings often involved a cocktail or ice-cold glass of wine on the terrace before feasting on home-cooked meals with included wine, al fresco on several nights. The villa's perfectly curated music playlist and occasional dinners at local restaurants completed the idyllic experience.
Exploring the Eastern Algarve's Charms
Our dynamic host, Suzi, greeted each guest at Faro Airport with a warm welcome, a pastel de nata (the delectable Portuguese tart), and coffee. She stayed on site, ate with us, oversaw our excursions, and ensured our group of six females bonded quickly. Friendship Travel specialises in providing safe environments and carefully selected accommodation for solo travellers with no single supplements, making their summer house parties particularly popular.
Olhao itself proved to be a predominantly fishing town, relaxed and laid back with a colourful harbour and seafront. We discovered you can't beat a grilled mackerel lunch with bread, salad and a sea view for just eight euros. The winding, fascinating tiled back streets were adorned with Azulejos – traditional Iberian-painted ceramic tile work – leading to the huge, twin red brick municipal market, the largest in the Algarve, where proud sellers displayed their daily catch alongside fresh fruit and vegetables.
A particular highlight was an almost full-day motor launch trip around the Ria Formosa, a unique natural network of inlets and lagoons of breathtaking beauty. Our guide Ricardo explained that 99 percent of the area's clams and oysters are exported to France. About six kilometres from Olhao we discovered the idyllic island of Armona, our own Utopia for a couple of hours where we walked white sand between our toes before swimming in the sun-warmed, clear Atlantic ocean. The area includes a protected section to preserve the vegetation and habitat of sea horses, a diminishing species.
Our culinary adventures continued with culinary expert Paola, who took us to the market to buy fresh produce for a cookery demonstration back at the villa. The resulting six-course lunch included bruschetta; seared chorizo on sourdough; scrambled eggs and leeks; fig jam and anchovies on toast; sea bream with garlic paprika and red pepper sauce, prawn and onions; and finally braised pears flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, mustard seeds and lemon verbena.
Cultural Discoveries from Faro to Crafts
Just 15 minutes from Olhao lies Faro town, where we visited the impressive cathedral founded in 1713. The detail and lustrous gilded interior proved incredible, but we were particularly curious about the Bones Chapel where the interior is lined with the bones, skulls and skeletons of more than a thousand holy men. A message outside more or less translated as 'live a good life or this could happen to you'.
Back in Olhao, a mosaic workshop at a local craft centre presented a creative challenge. Without guidance, we used special tools to cut and shape pieces of coloured glass, sticking them onto a tile to form pre-determined patterns. While other group members created yachts, Picasso-style designs, and beach scenes, my own effort proved somewhat feeble despite an O'level Art certificate. Our finished tiles were cemented and returned to us packed in cardboard on the final day, handed out almost like a presentation ceremony. While everyone else proudly opened their packages, I simply left mine on the table, a humorous end to an otherwise perfect holiday that combined celebrity wine tasting with genuine cultural immersion and the easy camaraderie of solo travel.
