The air was hot and I was grateful for the cooling breeze blowing in from the ocean, as I lay on the small beach of Senhora da Rocha, shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight. High up on the edge of the cliff top, I could see a small white church overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I needed a break from the labours of sunbathing, so I decided to go and investigate.

Climbing up the steep stairs towards the top of the cliff, I could see for miles along the beautiful Algarvean coastline. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha (Our Lady of the Rock) is tiny, yet has one of the most spectacular locations I have seen; standing proudly out on the jutting rocky cliff.

Inside the chapel doors, there is an ornately, beautiful 16th century statue of The Virgin Mary and Child. Outside, I discovered a small shrine with lighted candles, containing pictures of loved ones.

There is a real sense of mystery ingrained within the minute chapel walls. It´s origins are steeped in history and there is evidence that dates it back to the Visgothic period, before the Moorish Occupation. The chapel used to be protected by a coastal defense, which has now since disappeared into the ocean.

As I sat on the white washed walls and watched the local fisherman casting their lines into the deep ocean below, I felt very humbled. I wondered how long it would be before this chapel became the next victim of erosion, falling into the ocean and taking with it it´s secrets forever.