Crumble

The cliffs, which form the most colourful backdrop to that part of the Algarve where we stayed, are formed from a loose, grainy sandstone.  Layers of pebbles within the sandy rock, make the cliffs even more unstable and likely to crumble.  The layers of different coloured sandstone make quite a picture.

In places, the cliffs crumble to dust and make it very dangerous to walk along the cliff-top.  It can be just as dangerous at the foot of the cliffs where the rocks have an unsettling habit of falling on sunbathers below.

In places, Stone Pines (Pinus pinea) cling to what's left of the cliff face and sometimes, the roots are exposed by the constant erosion of the ground from around them.  Other plants help to keep it all together, including Lentisc (Pistacia lentiscus), various Lavender and Rosemary shrubs, grasses and Fig trees.  Lovely!