Just outside of Tavira lies a small and active fishing village called Santa Luzia. Santa Luzia is also known as the octopus capital of the Algarve. Following the recommendation of the Canadian couple we met in the laundry mat, we follow the Rota Costa Atlantica, a biking trail out of Tavira to Santa Luzia.
The Rota Costa Altantica is over 214 km extending through the Algarve from Cabo de S. Vicente in the west to the Spanish boarder at Vila Real de Santo António in the east.
https://www.portuguesetrails.com/en/routes/eurovelo-1-rota-da-costa-atlantica-algarve
The section we followed was on dirt roads for the most part through groves of oranges, clementines and lemons, and past several rundown looking villas that showed glimpses of their history. A crew of workers harvested oranges from one field as we passed, others carried wooden ladders across the road in preparation to harvest other trees. It was definitely a more scenic route than the regional road connecting the two communities that we walked back on.
We arrived in Santa Luzia near a small caravan park located near the Tavira canal and was greeted by the town mascot.
We didn’t stop for a lunch of octopus, that will be a trip for anther day. Instead we carry on walking toward the Barril Beach access trail, a picnic lunch in our daypack.
Patio Girlz 
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