Imagine paddling into ancient sea caves with just you, your board and your guide. Often, these caves are so hidden that you'll have to crouch down on your board and duck under thousand ear old rock formations just to enter. When you finally make it in and anchor your board, you'll be enveloped in compete darkness and the kind of serenity that comes from floating underground. These caves are only accessible by water and while you'll see plenty of boats cruising by, the tight openings prevent them from mooring. Their occupants will sit and gawk at the caves while you get to walk around inside of them! This is the exact type of experience that I search for - an activity to sweat by, to learn from and that's not for everyone. It feels authentic and it feels pretty special.
You'll leave the gorgeous beach of Albandeira - a lovely treasure of a beach in itself. Your guide and founder of BluXperiences, Bruno, will meet you by the water to review safety and technique. Having paddle boarded before but never taken lessons, I found this to be very helpful; it's not just about standing up, you also need to learn how to conserve energy and muscle strength for three hours. Bruno is a stickler for form so expect to hear his helpful cues to fix your hand placement, feet, etc. even as you're out on the water. As a trainer (and as someone that hoped to not be sore the next day) this was much appreciated! By the end of your tour, you'll feel much more confident in your ability!
During Bruno's tour, you'll explore at least four caves. As he keeps your tour capped at five people, you'll feel that it's customised just for you. He even acts as a personal photographer - taking hundreds of photos and videos for you to access for free afterwards - so you can enjoy the experience rather than worry about documenting it. Check out the video he did below for me to get a sense of the experience!
Paddleboard Tours are available from March - October for the price of 50 euros per person. You can find out more about Bruno's company here.
Benagil, Portugal
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