I just wanted to thank Rick Steves and his book on Portugal. We wore it out. We traveled to Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve and the book was very helpful at every stop. We found several tips particularly helpful and saved us a significant amount of money. The first being the warning regarding appetizers or snacks that bars and restaurants are likely to place on your table. While they are free in most of Europe, Rick was correct, they were not in Portugal. The waiters were happy to take the snacks away, and this tip alone probably saved us over 50 euros over the 2 weeks. The second was the recommendation to try Uber. With very few exceptions, this was no more difficult than in the US, and likely saved us 200 euros over the life of the trip.
While there was only one line in the book, regarding Praia do Luz, we spent almost every day there and the beach, and found the village enchanting. We did go to Salema, and agree, that it is a very charming town, however it was too far from Lagos, to travel to every day.
Thanks again for everything. We are headed off to Croatia, Hvar and Brac next month. Have already ordered your book.