Remote Work, Sea Caves, and Slow Living in the Algarve: A Laptop, a Passport, and a Flight to Lisbon
In September of 2021, just two months before I would embark on a five-week adventure through Namibia, I found myself boarding another international flight — this time to Portugal. The trip came together somewhat spontaneously. My fiancée, Rachel, was already overseas traveling through Porto before attending a wedding in Spain, and we decided to use the opportunity to explore Portugal together before she continued east.
I couldn’t leave as early as she could. At the time, I was juggling major contract design projects back in the United States. Deadlines were looming, clients needed attention, and the workload was significant. But one of the greatest advantages of being a graphic designer — and especially of running my own design business — is that my office can exist almost anywhere in the world. All I really need is a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a little discipline.
So, with Adobe programs loaded and client emails waiting, I packed my backpack and flew to Lisbon.
First Impressions of Lisbon
I spent my first day alone wandering through the hills of Lisbon, immediately falling in love with the city. Lisbon feels alive in a way that’s difficult to explain until you experience it firsthand. The steep streets, vintage trams, tiled buildings, and ocean air all combine into something uniquely atmospheric.
What stood out to me most were the famous calçada portuguesa sidewalks — intricate black-and-white stone mosaics carved and laid by hand. They transformed ordinary streets into works of art. Every alleyway felt textured with history and craftsmanship.
I spent the evening sipping port wine, walking aimlessly through narrow streets, listening to distant music drift out of restaurants and bars. Lisbon had a calm confidence to it. It wasn’t trying to impress anyone. It simply existed beautifully.
Southbound to the Algarve
The next morning, I boarded a train heading south to Lagos in Portugal’s Algarve region. The further south the train rolled, the more dramatic the scenery became.
Lagos was stunning.
Massive golden sea cliffs towered above impossibly blue water. Beaches tucked themselves between rock formations that looked sculpted by hand. The sunlight felt tropical, the atmosphere relaxed. It immediately became one of those places where you understand why people never want to leave.
Rachel arrived the following day, and together we settled into several days of exploration throughout the Algarve.
Scooters, Vineyards, and the Open Road
We rented a scooter and spent days weaving through southern Portugal’s coastal roads, vineyards, and countryside villages. There’s something about exploring by scooter that makes a place feel more intimate. You notice details you’d otherwise miss in a car — the smell of vineyards, ocean salt carried inland by the wind, tiny roadside cafés hidden between hills.
Portugal encouraged us to slow down.
We visited wineries, lingered over long seafood dinners, drank wine under warm sunsets, and wandered through small coastal towns with no real agenda beyond enjoying ourselves. The Algarve had this effortless rhythm to it that made every day feel unhurried.
Into the Benagil Sea Cave
One of the highlights of the trip was kayaking into the famous Benagil Sea Cave — one of the most breathtaking natural places I’ve ever seen.
The cave sits hidden within towering cliffs along the Algarve coast, accessible only by water. Rachel and I rented a kayak and paddled through the waves until suddenly the cave opened around us like something from another world.
Above us was the famous circular opening in the ceiling — the “eye” of Benagil — allowing sunlight to pour dramatically into the cave below. The light reflected off the sandstone walls and turquoise water in a way that almost didn’t seem real.
It was quiet, surreal, and impossibly beautiful.
The kind of place that reminds you how incredible this planet really is.
Working Remotely from Paradise
As relaxing as the trip was, I was still working throughout much of it. Every morning, I’d wake up before sunrise while everyone else slept, make coffee, and spend a few focused hours answering emails, designing, reviewing projects, and coordinating with clients back in the United States.
Some meetings happened from hotel balconies. Others happened from cafés. At least one happened from near the coastline itself.
And honestly, I loved it.
That balance — between work, travel, creativity, and freedom — is one of the main reasons I built my career the way I did. I’ve never wanted to live a life where travel and work had to exist separately. If anything, travel fuels my creativity as a designer and photographer.
Photography also helps offset some of the cost of these adventures. I sell select travel images as stock photography and fine art prints, and because photography is part of my business, many travel expenses become legitimate tax write-offs. It’s not just about taking vacations — it’s about building a lifestyle intelligently and sustainably around creativity.
Back to Lisbon
After several incredible days in the Algarve, Rachel and I boarded the train back north to Lisbon for one final stretch of the trip together.
We spent our last days walking endlessly through the city’s steep hills, riding trams, eating incredible food, and soaking in Portuguese culture before eventually going our separate ways — Rachel onward to Spain for the wedding, and me back home to the United States.
Even though Portugal was one of the shorter international trips I’ve taken, it remains one of the most memorable.
Why Portugal Stays With Me
Portugal holds a special place in my heart because it reminded me why I travel in the first place.
The country felt peaceful without being boring. Historic without feeling frozen in time. Sophisticated without feeling pretentious.
The best way I can describe it is this: Portugal felt like a blend of Italy, Mexico, and France — warm people, incredible food, beautiful coastlines, relaxed energy, and timeless culture all mixed together into something entirely its own.
I left feeling rested, inspired, creatively recharged, and already wanting to come back.
And someday, I absolutely will.
All photographs from this journey are available as fine art prints. Contact codymaple@gmail.com for inquries.
