José Miguel de Abreu in the Algarve
Founder of La Paz Menswear, José sights the Atlantic for inspiring his cult brand that draws influence from coastal Portugal, its fishermen, its people & their traditions.
Heralding from Porto with his wife, three children & dog, José takes us on holiday to get lost in another side to the sea & its soul in Bordeira, a rugged part of the coastline in the Algarve known for wild beaches, no-frills hidden hideaways & of course, the surf break.
Postcards from…is a series of love letters to Portugal & a collection of insider guides from our Design Escapes muses; locals & visitors that travel with their eyes open, led always by a quiet & authentic beauty.
Image by José Abreu.
Casas da Oliviera on the Algarve's West Coast.
Where are we waking up?
We’re waking up at Casas da Oliveira in Bordeira, off-season of course as it’s much quieter then & the weather is still awesome around mid-October. It’s a beautifully decorated little house near the beach that is just perfect for a little getaway.
How are we spending the morning?
We’re up early & checking the surf around 7.00 A.M, the waves on the west coast of the Algarve are the best in the region. We’ll get in a ride some waves if it’s up, then I’ll have breakfast at home with my wife before a bit of reading &, if the weather is good we will probably go to the beach for a nice walk.
It's lunchtime, what / where are we eating?
Of course, as we are in the Algarve, we’re pulling up a bench on the beach & eating some grilled fish with a nice bottle of wine at Praia da Ingrina or at Praia do Castelejo. There’s a little beach shack on Ingrina called Sebastião that does great plates of simple Sardines perfect for breaking up a day of sand & sea.
Our afternoon plans?
My favourite kind of plans are no plans, so we’re just relaxing & like Otis Redding used to say, “…watching the tide roll away”. Sometimes it feels good to take a nap between the pages of a book too.
Where are we going for sunset?
We’re sitting on the cliffs with a couple of beers at Praia da Carriagem, watching the sunset & the fishermen below catching tonight’s dinner or tomorrow’s lunch.
How about dinner...talk us through it.
As it’s October, we never know how the weather is going to be, so if it’s not perfect, we’ll call my friend João from the restaurant Santola in Rogil & ask him for some goose barnacles & a nice razor clams rice to take away & have it at home by the fire of the salamander stove they have at Casas da Oliviera. If the weather is good enough to eat outside, I will go to O Sargo at the Monte Clérigo beach or to Pont’ a Pé in Aljezur.
Tell us what happens after dark…
“After dark all cats are leopards”, it’s a Zuni proverb.
It's home time, what souvenirs are we taking with us?
For sure, Medronho. We’ll head up to Monchique to find a local distillery & stock up to take home with us.
What are we reading or listening to on our journey?
We’re reading ‘Waking Up’ by Sam Harris, & listening to a lot of stuff, as I like a bit of almost everything, really. I can listen to some classical music in the morning when I’m by myself or driving, some of the 70’s soft rock like Gerry Rafferty, etc. I love British bands from the 80s & 90s like The Smiths, The Happy Mondays or Primal Scream, but I love electronic music too for dancing the night away to.
Where is home?
Home is in Porto. I love it because it’s still very well balanced, affordable. It’s handy for someone with a family like me. On a single day, I can take the kids to school, go surfing or playing some tennis, go to the office, have lunch with a friend & visit one or two factories in the afternoon, spend some proper time with the family, cook a nice meal & after dark…well, you already know that Zuni proverb.
At home in Porto with Zé.
