Bazar / Silniční

The trail beneath T.J.'s feet was characterized by flat, scattered fragments of shale rock that shifted with each step. I followed the precipitous crevice phrazle of rock downward, where it inclined toward a craggy cove, with a skeptical eye. I only came to the realization that T.J., our tour guide, was serious about our descent when he drew the rope out of his knapsack. He cautioned us not to fall, pointing to a metal stake in the ground that the Portuguese fishermen had installed for this specific purpose.

I had been perusing brochures that advertised jet boat excursions to view the renowned cliffs of southwestern Portugal from a distance in a sunny square in Lagos a few hours prior. Rather, I found myself standing in one of the deceptively large and shadowy crannies of the littoral, braving the cold of the Atlantic-born gales, pausing to sample wild garlic and thyme, and descending to a fishing site that was no longer so secret.

I sought an expedition that would stimulate my heart rate during my planning of my trip to the Algarve. I discovered The West Coast expedition Co., a tour company that is managed by T.J. Eisenstein, an American who has been investigating the fishing trails of the Vicentine Coast since his arrival in the Algarve nine years ago. T.J. began to bring small groups on his excursions after discovering this little-visited corner of the Algarve and finding any means to get out to the protected natural park. The Rota Vicentina Association was recently established to connect and signpost the trails that generations of fishermen have engraved into the clifftops, at the same time that T.J. was hitching transportation from acquaintances and strangers. Their objective was to guarantee the preservation of these historic trails through a sustainable tourism model that safeguards the cultural and environmental integrity of the awe-inspiring landscape and its ensemble of fearless fishermen who referred to this location as "fim de mundo," or the end of the world.