Divers from the Divers Cape centre in Sagres managed to trace the remains of a wreck that they believe to be the 17^th century boat of Pedro Diaz. They also say that this wreck was varying gold when it was shipwrecked in the port of Baleeira, in 1608.

The divers were assisted by Spanish archaeologists who came with a bunch of specialist equipment, and together they were able to confirm the presence of large ancient oak fragment and metal bolts on the sea floor, thus supporting the idea that there are indeed the remains of Pedro Diaz’s craft.

It should be noted that the discovery correlates with archives that offer details related to the sinking of boats, Spanish or otherwise, over many centuries in or near Baleeira.

The boat’s name is unknown, but it is known to have been carrying gold and other precious metals as contraband.

Over the years, different gold objects washed ashore on the beach in the area near Baleeira, for instance in 1617, three gold bars were found, and then in 1625 another piece of gold was discovered.

The remains lie in sand at a depth of twelve meters, and it is feasible that other gold relics might be buried there, possibly further down.

The discovery has been reported to the proper authorities and the divers are awaiting confirmation of the identity of the find.

Obviously this isn’t the type of thing that you’ll be engaging in while on your trip to the region, but it does help to better accentuate that with the help of some Algarve car hire services, you can dive all around the coast at your will.

Especially the South-Western corner of the Algarve is very popular with surfing enthusiasts from Europe and all across the world, because it is very similar to surfing a peninsula. The over twenty beaches in the region are all within maximum a half an hour drive of each other or your accommodation and they feature reefs, points, bowling beach breaks, not to mention warm blue waters.

The Algarve is a great destination both for those who are already experienced surfers as well as for those who want to start, with the summer months actually being ideal for a visitor to attend some surfing school courses.

The extra advantage offered by these surfing schools or surf camps is that they know the area extremely well, and as you might expect they’ll know where and when to go for the best surfing experience possible. It can take a while, even for experienced surfers, to learn on one’s own how the local breaks work best with the tides, wind and whatnot, and that is time that comes out of your holiday, not to mention money that you’ll be spending on fuel for the Algarve rental car that you’ll most likely be employing.

On the other hand, beginners with zero experience who have always wanted to learn how to surf will benefit tremendously from the courses offered in these types of schools. Getting the basics down quickly, such as getting on the board safely, surely and quickly, with the right equipments and in safe and controlled conditions, are all crucial to a beginner enjoying this thrilling activity.