Paul do Mar
2 small villages just west of Calheta are advertised as being the warmest spot on the island. We drove about 15 minutes or so from our Casa to Jardim do Mar which is a small village completely surrounded by mountain. The village has one main road along the sea front, a few smaller roads, and a maze of beautiful cobbled and tiled paths leading to homes, restaurants, and inns. This village is very remote and quiet and beautifully kept. We observed some fishermen in the sea, wearing wet suits and fishing with spears. There is a cute village square with a fountain, a couple shops and a hotel where we popped in to grab espresso and gelato (Yum). Along the waterfront walkway we came across exercise equipment for public use. A bike, a stepper, and a couple other machines – brilliant – imagine doing your exercise listening to the sea and watching the sun set over the water.
At the next village Paul do Mar, which we drove to via a long tunnel, it was a very similar layout to the previous village however the homes and restaurants not nearly as well kept or pretty. It started raining again when we arrived so we stopped in a pub and ordered soup and beer for lunch. The local beer Coral is quite good. We had the special of the day which was garlic toast, vegetable soup, and a beer. The soup was hearty but could have used some more flavor – we have discovered this is the case here with most restaurant food and they do not put condiments on tables – you have to ask even for salt and pepper.