Beading in Portugal 2025
Not a retreat, but a DIY vacation in coastal Porches, Portugal, with a-la-carte beading classes
Join me (Melissa Shippee), Kathy Lawrence Fritz of Bead Soup, Maryland and our fabulous hostess, Elizabeth Du Toit for a vacation in the incredible, historic seaside village of Porches for four or more days of relaxing on the beach, visiting historic sites, touring the coastline, eating delicious local food, and four-hour optional beading classes from Thursday, August 28th to Sunday, August 31st, 2025.
Location
Our vacation will take place very close to the beach, Playa de Nossa Senhora Da Rocha, “Playa” meaning “Beach,” so the full translation being “Beach of Our Lady of the Rock.” This gorgeous beach lies nestled between towering limestone cliffs on either side, and is a short walk downhill from our host Elizabeth’s condominium, where the classes will take place.
Playa da Nossa Senhora da Rocha (Beach of Our Lady of the Rock), with the Capela (Chapel) da Nossa Senhora da Rocha perched atop the far cliff. The chapel is estimated to have been built before the year 800AD and has been preserved amazingly well.
The beach, classroom, and historic chapel are all short walks from each other. The location is hilly, but there are cars available for anyone with mobility issues.
The closest airport to Porches is Faro (click this link to see the location on Apple Maps). It’s a smaller airport than Lisbon but much closer to our class location, Elizabeth’s condominium. It takes approximately a 45 minutes to drive from Faro Airport to the area of our vacation, and there are many options for transport including shuttle, taxi, Uber and Lyft. It’s easy to find these options searching online, but if you need any help booking transport to and from the airport to where you’ll be staying, I am happy to help you!
Faro Airport to Praia de Nossa Senhora da Rocha is about 45 minutes away, give or take a few minutes.
Accommodations
There are many places to stay near our class location that are reasonably priced, including the Pestana Viking Beach & Spa Resort, which is a few hundred feet away from Elizabeth’s condo. The current rate is $305/night for two guests during the week of August 28th, 2025. There are also efficiency apartments and other rentals nearby, so there are many options for you.
There are many reasonably priced hotels, apartments, and other rentals near our class location. The above map is showing the prices for 2 guests for 5 nights.
Activities
There are many fun things to do in Porches! I myself loved spending time on the beaches, which are separated by huge limestone cliffs. There is a sense of geological scale there that is hard to explain. Seashells and coral reefs make up the structure of the limestone cliffs, which you can see if you look closely at them. There is a tunnel between cliffs to get from one beach to the next, which is fun to walk through! During the month of August, may Portuguese families take their vacation in this area of the country, so the beach is studded with happy families enjoying the beautiful turquoise water and yellow sand.
The town of Porches is fun to explore as well, especially the historic Chapel da Nossa Senhora da Rocha, an old church built in the 800’s that sits atop one of the limestone cliffs along the beach. To this day, couples use the location as a wedding spot and there is a tradition of hanging shells with the bride’s and groom’s names in various places near and on the chapel. The rest of the town has a combination of newer and older buildings, but there is definitely a sense of history and preservation. It’s wonderful to try to local food as well, and Porches specializes in seafood that can’t get any fresher.
Another great way to explore Porches is to take a boat tour, many of which of varying types and lengths are offered from booths on the beach. The coast is studded with limestone cliffs, which have been shaped and carved over the centuries by the constant batter of waves, forming unique islands of rock and caves that have been treasure hiding locations for pirates! There is a very unique beauty to the coastline in Porches which you can explore by motorboat, kayak, or canoe. The tour guides will even lead you into the caves and through the rock formations, making this place an absolute adventure to explore.
Beading Workshops
This year I’ll be teaching four brand new projects I created especially for this very special beading vacation. Three are bead weaving only classes, and one is a combination of bead embroidery and bead weaving. You may choose to attend any or all of the classes, you pick which one(s) you want to take and create your vacation around them. They are all four hours long, so you’ll still have plenty of time to explore and enjoy the many activities Porches has to offer. Like last year, I will be offering all four classes in a hybrid format, so you can attend in person with us in beautiful Porches, or via Zoom. The internet has been upgraded this year so we should not have any issues with our bandwidth in our Zoom classes!
Pombalino Earrings
Learn how to make these bead embroidery and bead weaving earrings which are an ode to Pombalino style Portuguese tile! They are large, but can be adapted to be pendants instead, or have shorter or no fringe. They are beginner/intermediate level and the techniques used are bead embroider, backstitch, brick stitch edging, and peyote stitch.
Visit https://www.bead-soup.com/upcoming-classes/pombalinoearringsportugal2025 to sign up fo the Zoom or In Person workshop!
Vidro Azul Bracelet
This bead weaving project is a practice in peyote stitch, and pays homage to the Azulejos tile that is so prevalent in Portuguese art and architecture. This workshop level is intermediate and the only stitch used in the project is peyote stitch. There will be two colorways of this project available in kit form, the original blue/white and a black/gold version.
To sign up for this Zoom/In Person hybrid class or learn more specifics about the project, please visit https://www.bead-soup.com/upcoming-classes/vidraazulbraceletportugal2025.
Igneous Necklace
This bead weaving project features a unique glass cabochon, crytal beads, and lots of delicas and seed beads. It is intermediate level and the stitches used are peyote stitch, netting, and herringbone stitch. Kits will be available in three colorways.
To sign up or learn more about this workhsop, please visit https://www.bead-soup.com/upcoming-classes/igenouspendantnecklaceportugal2025.
Pergola Pendant
This bead weaving pendant is actually a vessel, with space inside for tiny secret treasures! It is intermediate level and the stitches used are peyote stitch and netting. There will be three kit colorways available.
To learn more about this workshop or to sign up via Zoom or in person, please visit https://www.bead-soup.com/upcoming-classes/pergolapendantportugal2025.
How to Sign Up
To sign up, visit the individual link for each class from the respective section above, or visit https://www.bead-soup.com/upcoming-classes and scroll down to these workshops. Registration for classes is through Bead Soup. Please let Kathy know whether you plan to take the classes in person or via Zoom.
I hope to see you in Portugal in August!