Lagos is the town I stayed in for the majority of my time in Portugal. It’s on the southern coast, and it’s known for its vibrant summer nightlife. Let me stress the word summer. The town was pretty sleepy;honestly, I probably could’ve stayed there for one or two nights and headed back to Lisbon.

I think it’s hard to completely relax when you’re used to a full schedule, but I got used to the (very) slow pace of things. After all, I did want a beach getaway to refuel and de-stress.

The view of the sunrise from my apartment. After a couple of mornings, I embraced the Portugese way of sleeping in.

I found a yoga studio that I visited daily and even got some one-on-one sessions (for 5 Euro!). I went on walks, got lost in the town (well, at least I tried to get lost), went swimming (indoors). I soaked up the sun and the breathtaking landscape. At night, I drank wine and watched movies. It was like my own little sleepover, party of me.

A lot of the shops were closed for the winter–one thing the Germans didn’t warn me about. I’d love to go back to the town during the summer because it looks like a really cool beach town.

The gorgeous mosaic sidewalks.

The city dates back to before the Moors; when they arrived in the 8th century, they fortified the town with walls that still surround the town today.

I loved that, with every turn down an unknown street, I’d usually see the blue of the ocean in the distance.

The architecture and attention to detail was spectacular.

The bustling town center, with those great tile mosaics.